"Wait- you knew her?" The kid asked, staring in awe at the person slouched against the wall in front of them. "Personally?"

"I knew all of them." They murmured. "At least, I did. Once. A long time ago."

"What were they like?" He asked, eyes wide with wonder.

Some crumpled copy of a smile crossed their face. "They were going to change the world."

And around the pair, the world burned.

The young boy sat down across from the hunched figure, his ash streaked face showing curiosity in the open way an adult's never could. "What were they like? What happened?"

They looked up at him, eyes as grey as the soot that fell around them like snow. "I can show you, if you'd like."

At the child's eager nod, they opened their hands, ink swirling up from their palms in inky clouds that slowly began to take shape.

"We were going to be heroes."