Academy of Heroes 8

Legend has it, there's a school for the truly gifted. For those who want to be heroes.

But a scale has two sides. And where there's good, there must be evil.

Legend has it, there's a school for the truly gifted. For those who want to be villains.

The heroes-in-training were called Eldritch

And the villains-to-be, Obviators

Jim Blow's VILLAIN ACADEMY p3

"Who dares disrupt my lunchbreak?" The Overseer bellowed.
Flynn immediately shrunk back, wishing he'd never asked Jed to bring him here.
Jed nudged Flynn forward.
"We found this kid at the Obviator's camp. They were trying to inaugurate him." Jed explained.
"Jed told me that I could be an Eldritch." Flynn said just louder than a whisper.
"Ha! And you can!" The Overseer smiled, turning to face Flynn for the first time.
Flynn perked up. "How!?"
The Overseer scratched at his chin. "Follow me, little boy."
Flynn picked himself up and ran after the Overseer, who marched out of the room.
Jed flashed Flynn a thumbs up. Secretly, though, Jed knew what was about to happen.
There weren't spots on the Eldritch team open.
The Overseer would have to break it to the kid that he couldn't be a Hero.
Heroism isn't for everybody.
Flynn followed the Overseer into another room.
"This is my personal office, Flynn." The Overseer said, moving to a desk.
"It's impressive," Flynn said honestly, curious if he was about to be turned into a hero.
"However, I'm afraid you can't be a hero."
"Wh-Why not!?"
"We don't have room for anymore. And, we aren't heroes to begin with."
"What do you mean?" Flynn asked, stumbling backward.
The Overseer tossed a pin to Flynn. On it was the word: Obviator.
"I'm afraid you just found yourself among the villains. Isn't the world so much better without the heroes? Too bad you never took Zed's offer. Yes, I know the one. Ha! If only you knew how twisted the scales really are."

POEM IV

With arrogant ears, you dont hear much
Through ignorant eyes you cant see far
But unless you overcome such a crutch,
You wont see my emotional scars

You dont understand, though claim to try,
And cant slip through my broken bars
Words mean nothing when your actions lie
You wont see my emotional scars

Betrayal negates your apologies
Heartbreak defies my loss
You know what's carried in the breeze
You can see my emotion scars; they're cross.

My emotional scars now plain to see
My burdens now gladly shared
At long last you've obtained the key,
Yet squander it in stares

You weep for me, when my pain greets your eye
Realization jars
Thats right, you werent there for me
I bear another emotional scar

Academy of Heroes 7

Legend has it, there's a school for the truly gifted. For those who want to be heroes.

But a scale has two sides. And where there's good, there must be evil.

Legend has it, there's a school for the truly gifted. For those who want to be villains.

The heroes-in-training were called Eldritch

And the villains-to-be, Obviators

Jim Blow's VILLAIN ACADEMY p2

"This is the ropes course," Jed explained, showing Flynn into a large room set with long ropes several feet off the ground.
"What is it I'm supposed to do in here, exactly?" Flynn asked, looking at the mass of rope.
"This is where we train...Heroes, kid."
Flynn gasped, looking at the room. "So this is where Heroes are made?"
"What's better than being the Knight, Wizard, or Hero?" Jed asked rhetorically. "It's being the one who creates them."
Flynn frowned. "And who is it that makes them?"
"The Overseer," Jed smirked. "He's the one that trains us."
"Do you think that I could--"
"Meet him? Sure. Follow me. You'll love it here with the Eldritch, Flynn."
Flynn smiled. This place was everything he'd ever dreamed it would be. Heroes were made in this place, and now he was going to be made in to one.

Academy of Heroes 6

Legend has it, there's a school for the truly gifted. For those who want to be heroes.

But a scale has two sides. And where there's good, there must be evil.

Legend has it, there's a school for the truly gifted. For those who want to be villains.

The heroes-in-training were called Eldritch

And the villains-to-be, Obviators

Jim Blow's VILLAIN ACADEMY p1

Flynn stepped off of the Eldritch airship. He looked all around, noticing all of the scenery before him. This was the Academy. Here was where all Heroes were trained. Of course, there wasn't much use for them now. This was cause for Flynn to stop.
"What will you do now?" Flynn asked.
"What do you mean?" Jed asked, carrying a crate off of the ship.
"The Obviators are all gone. What will the Eldritch do when there aren't anymore villains to face?" Flynn explained.
Jed just laughed and walked away. Flynn furrowed his brow, hurrying after the others. They stopped in some sort of dining hall. Jed stood up on the table in front of all the others.
"Our Victory Feast is in an hour. Do what it is we do until then." Jed announced.
Everybody nodded, and moments later the room was cleared. Flynn approached Jed unsuredly.
"What do you want me to do?" Flynn asked.
"Well, Flynn, come with me. I'll show you the ropes." Jed responded.

Academy of Heroes 5

Legend has it, there's a school for the truly gifted. For those who want to be heroes.

But a scale has two sides. And where there's good, there must be evil.

Legend has it, there's a school for the truly gifted. For those who want to be villains.

The heroes-in-training were called Eldritch

And the villains-to-be, Obviators

Jim Blow's HERO ACADEMY p5

Flynn walked around the warehouse.

Eldritch men were scouring the grounds.

The bodies of Obviators strewn the grounds.

Stopping, Flynn swallowed and looked down. Zed was on the ground, looking up into the sky. Life had escaped between his open lips.
"What's your name, kid?" a man behind Flynn asked.
Flynn turned around. "I'm Flynn."
The man nodded, smiling. Shaking Flynn's hand, the man said, "I'm Jed. Son, how would you like to join the Eldritch?"
Gaping, Flynn nodded, unable to find the words to describe how much this all meant to him.
He had just been invited to join the Eldritch.
Flynn was going to the Academy.
Heroism was now Flynn's destiny. The Obviators were no more.
Now there was only the Eldritch, and Flynn was one of them.

Academy of Heroes 4

Legend has it, there's a school for the truly gifted. For those who want to be heroes.

But a scale has two sides. And where there's good, there must be evil.

Legend has it, there's a school for the truly gifted. For those who want to be villains.

The heroes-in-training were called Eldritch

And the villains-to-be, Obviators

Jim Blow's HERO ACADEMY p4

"All right!" Flynn screamed. "I'll help you."

Zed nodded, turning the blender off. "I hoped you'd change your mind. Today's you're lucky day, Mr. Flynn. You can join the Obviators and keep all of your fingers."

Flynn let out a deep breath of air. He was sweating, and his heart beat against his chest like a mallet on a tough drum.

Zed stood up and left the room, promising to return shortly. As soon as he was gone, Flynn stood up. He'd tied his share of knots, and he recognized--and freed himself from--these makeshift knots rather quickly. As soon as he was free of his binding, Flynn stood up and made a break for the open door.

He'd been right about the body of water, and less right about somebody using the bathroom. This warehouse was placed right beside some lake. Flynn could guess what lake it was, but he had no idea what town he was in.

Just then a plane swooped overhead. Zed looked over at Flynn with a look of pained agony.

"So much for our plans," Zed cried. "The Eldritch are here."

Flynn's gaze shot from his captor to the plane. Something big was about to go down.

"You should've helped us, Flynn. I think you'll find soon enough that you've made a huge mistake." Zed tried, pulling out a weapon and running away.

"Don't count on it," Flynn smiled, watching in amazement as ropes were thrown from the plane, and Eldritch soldiers jumped out. "The heroes are here, Zed."

Academy of Heroes 3

Legend has it, there's a school for the truly gifted. For those who want to be heroes.

But a scale has two sides. And where there's good, there must be evil.

Legend has it, there's a school for the truly gifted. For those who want to be villains.

The heroes-in-training were called Eldritch

And the villains-to-be, Obviators

Jim Blow's HERO ACADEMY p3

"I'll never help you!" Flynn shouted.

Zed looked displeased. He turned away from Flynn for a moment. This had been an issue with people they'd recruited in the past. Zed, himself, had been in the same chair saying the same things as Flynn was now.

"Look, kid," Zed frowned, rubbing his temples with his fingers. "We're asking a small role in the operation. That's it. Then you can go back to your botanist reserves."

Flynn's eyes thinned to slits as he looked upon his bald captor with bear and honest scrutiny. In addition to the water Flynn had been able to hear before was the song of free birds.

"The world would collapse without the Eldritch, you Obviator scum!" Flynn spat.

Zed sighed. Flynn didn't have any idea who he was really standing up for, or why.

"That's right Flynn, we're the treacherous villains. And right now, I'm going to cut you a nice deal. Or perhaps I'll just cut you." Zed continued, "The villains will win this one, Flynn. Are you in or out?"

"I'll never help you!" Flynn shouted again.

Zed nodded, walking away. He returned moments later with a kitchen blender. Flynn watched as the Obviator plugged the blender in to a panel in the warehouse wall. Then Zed moved the blender so that it was right next to the front left leg of Flynn's chair.

"You don't need both you're hands to help us," Zed whispered. "If you won't help us now, you may be a little more understanding without the distraction of so many extremities."

Flynn swallowed. The morning had been a walk in the park--literally--and now Flynn was about to lose his hand to an evil organization because he defended a good organization, and in all actuality Flynn wasn't sure either organization was even real.

Zed looked at Flynn, raising an eyebrow. When Flynn still remained silent, Zed shrugged and pushed the "blend" button with his fat index finger.