Hero shot up.

He did not even look around and just started yelling.

"Markus? Markus!?"

Immediately someone who was sleeping in the bed next to his ran over to wrap arms around Hero. Hero winced as the arms curled around his ribs and he let out a low groan. He looked down at the dark brown locks of his little brother. His pain immediately switched to relief as he gasped out his brother's name and buried his nose in the messy nest of hair.

Markus pulled away at his brother's groan and asked, "H-Hey, uh, Hero..? Do you remember anything?"

Hero reached out to pat his brother's head and looked around the room, taking in the white walls and objects and quickly deducted where he was.

In the village's only hospital.

He slowly answered, "I remember pappa. Then I remember two people fighting and someone slipping over..."

Markus looked absolutely desperate as he shouted, "No! Do you remember who you are?!"

Hero remained silent, watching his little brother breathe rapidly with narrowed eyes. He was extremely worried for some reason. He wiped the sweat off his brother's forehead and muttered, "Well, I am... Your brother?"

Markus rolled his eyes. It was not the answer he had wanted.

"No, Hero, your name! I blacked out and now I can't remember. All I know is 'Hero'."

"I... Don't know either."

○

"He must take on another completely new identity, my child."

"Do as you must, I just want him to happy in the end."

"He will, I promise."

○

Markus groaned and buried his face in his brother's blanket, making muffled noises. He raised his head and whispered, "Dad is going to be executed, Hero. Some man found us and the officers said he'll be executed for..."

Hero froze and slowly faced his brother and surprisingly found no sorrow in those orbs.

"Did he really hurt you that much?"

Hero gulped and looked at his arms. Cigarette burns were scattered all over his shoulders while cuts and bruises tainted his arms. "Yes."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I'm sorry."

Markus just choked on a sob and hugged his brother tight.

○

Markus pleaded for the hospital to keep Hero longer, and they finally let him stay for another week. Ivan heard the news and fled to the ward, vowing to protect the Persson boys like they were his own. He visited everyday, the hospital even gave him tea and biscuits in the morning.

The Yale family came as well, Mr. And Mrs. Yale were extremely puzzled when Hero took a few minutes to recognize them. A blow to his head made his memories a little fuzzy. Peter showered his body guard with food that he sneaked in and a few books he might be interested in. Dianne collected flowers and sat down with him, teaching him how to make flowercrowns and braid them into hair.

Hero admitted that he was fascinated with flowercrowns.

On the last day of the final week, the brothers were left alone in the ward. Hero's bed was directly next to the window where he could watch the execution take place down below. Markus was sitting on his lap, watching the scene with wide eyes.

Hero pushed back the curtains and sighed as he watched his friend yell from the gathering crowd down below, screaming at his father, who was dragged to the platform.

To be hanged.

Markus yelped as they placed a bag over his father's head. Hero wrapped his hands over his brother's eyes and watched the scene himself. Hero narrowed his eyes as the noose was placed around his father's neck. The executioner wrapped his hand around a lever and the crowd watched in silence, Peter being calmed down my Dianne.

The lever was pulled and Hero watched as his father struggled for a few seconds before he stopped, motionless.

○

Ivan moved from the inn and into the brother's old cottage. He pulled them out from their school and taught them himself. He gave Hero lessons on how to fight and defend himself should he ever need to.

Ivan dragged a blindfolded Hero to the blacksmith. The Russian whispered his order to Mr. Yale, who narrowed his eyes suspiciously and looked at the puzzled Hero.

He then understood and got to work.

All Hero could hear was the sound of a hammer hitting stone, and lava being poured. He had no idea why Ivan brought him here. Ivan put his hand on the blindfold and whispered, "¹Gotovy ly vi, Moya Roza?"

Through Russian lessons Ivan gave him, Hero understood and replied, "²Da."

Ivan pulled the blindfold off and Hero stared at the item presented to him by Mr. Yale.

An Iron sword, glittering brightly under the sunlight that pierced through the window.

"Happy birthday, moya Roza."

Hero turned around and engulfed his father figure in a hug. He had totally forgotten that it was his thirteenth birthday that day. He turned back and picked up the sword, marveling at the blade.

"She's gorgeous, Ivan." He patted Mr. Yale on the back, "And thank you too, for making this lovely gift."

Mr. Yale brushed it off, ruffling Hero's head before returning to work.

○

Ivan groaned and shook his shoulders, trying to shake off his opponent. Hero just pressed his foot harder, the tip of his new sword still at his mentor's neck. Ivan went limp and panted. He held both hands up and declared, "You win. Get off me."

Hero smirked and shook his head, "I won't fall for that trick again. Throw your weapon aside and surrender like a real man."

Ivan gave a deep chuckle and threw away his dagger. Hero was satisfied and he let him stand up, but was watching him intently. Ivan noticed the eyes digging into his body so he muttered, "Good job, moya Roza. Never underestimate your opponent."

Hero sheathed his sword and hung it over his shoulder, shrugging. "Can we just go home? I think Markus might be ransacking the kitchen."

"As long as you make mushroom stew, yes, we can."

"Fine. Fine."

○

"I suspect this country."

"Why, sir?"

"Their boys are growing stronger. A soldier reported he saw a Minecraftian boy training with a sword."

"And?"

"They could take over us, idiot. But I have a plan."

"What is it, sir?"

"Search all villages and extract all males age twelve and onwards."

"What's going to happen to them?"

"We can train them to be Russian soldiers."

○

The news spread like wildfire to all villages in Minecraftia. Mothers wept, holding their sons tight. Fathers bid goodbye to their families. Some even ended their lives, not wanting to leave.

Ivan was devastated, throwing knives at a tree out of frustration while Hero and Markus stood from the porch. The brothers heard the news, and they were okay with it.

"Boys!"

The Perssons turned to Ivan, who was panting after his fit. "Pack weapons, moya Roza. Markus, pack all medicine, food and clothes. I have an idea."

The brothers exchanged worried looks. "I'll be back in two hours. You two shall be waiting on the porch with all the bags by then, okay?"

Markus rushed in the house while Hero nodded and watched his mentor run as fast as he could towards the Yale's.

○

Two hours later, the brothers were in their cloaks, with bags surrounding them while Ivan run up the hill, carrying more bags with two people behind him.

Hero narrowed his eyes. "Peter? Dianne? What are they doing here?"
Ivan grabbed more bags and said gruffly, "We're leaving this town. We can survive in the wild, somehow."

Markus protested, "But we aren't allowed to leave! How on earth would we escape?"

Ivan stopped and turned to Markus, eyes narrowed angrily. "We run. If you have any more complaints, you're going to be left here. If not, carry those bags!"

Hero stared at Ivan, who stared back with equal fury in his eyes. Markus quickly grabbed as many bags his small hands could carry and hid behind his brother, Dianne sending him guilty looks. Hero grimaced before he took the remaining bags, carrying Markus' as well. The group nodded to each other and started descending, heading for the wall. Hero and Markus fell behind to talk to the Yales.

"Does your parents know about this?" Markus asked in a hushed tone.

Peter sighed and replied, "Yeah. Hesitant at first but they knew we would be alright. They also said Dianne should go. So they let us go."

"Won't your dad go as well? To the training, I mean."

Dianne shook her head, "No, he's considered old... Somehow."

Their conversation was cut off when Ivan snapped, "Quiet! Listen, once we are out, run to the forest as fast as you can. Other guards have guns, and they are not afraid to use them. I have mine as well, I'll hold them off but please, don't dawdle out there."

Markus tugged at his brother's shirt, whimpering something in Swedish. Hero leaned down to give a reassuring pat on the back, whispering words of comfort to his brother. They made it to the wall, with the bricks all torn down by a hammer. Markus stepped forward, as he was supposed to go first. Dianne was next, then Peter and Hero. Ivan would come last.

The children muttered good luck to each other as Ivan watched out for anyone. Markus squatted in the hole, eyes scanning the clearing. He saw the guard resting on the railing, then spotted the gun slung on the guard's shoulder. He gulped and raised leaned over, ready.

Ivan whispered 'Go' and the boy sprang. The guard luckily had not heard the boy's feet slamming on the mud as he ran to the forest, quickly taking cover in the bushes.

However, when Dianne ran, she tripped and yelped loudly as her face collided with the cold ground. The yelp alerted the guard, who raised his gun and shot at the clearing, trying to kill whatever was up and about in the night. Ivan pushed Hero and Peter out, who ran over to get Dianne to her feet. Ivan took out his rifle and shot back at the post, yelling at the children to hurry up. Markus watched with wide eyes underneath the bushes. He saw the gun aiming at the struggling group and he leaped to his feet, screaming. The children looked at him, and the guard took the opportunity to shoot.

Peter jerked.

Hero and Dianne stared in horror as Peter lost his grip on Dianne's arm and fell to the ground. Dianne screamed out her brother's name. Hero tugged at Dianne's shoulder and hauled her over his back and ran to his brother, not looking back to Peter's shaking body.

Ivan leaped over Peter's body and took shelter to the trees, and tried to calm down two sobbing kids. Hero just stood behind a tree, watching Peter's body give one last jerk before it stayed there, limp. His eyes went to the guard, who put down his gun and sighed in relief.

Hero put a hand on the tree and squeezed, trying to calm himself down as he stared at the guard with a fury he had never felt before.

His mother, his father, and now Peter.

Power: 12%

Hero watched as the guard doubled over, clawing at his chest. The guard screamed and fell to his knees. Even though the post was far away, the boy could see blood being coughed out onto the floor of the post. The guard shivered before collapsing.

"Hero, let's go."

He turned to see Ivan and a horrified Markus and Dianne. He hugged Dianne tight, who sighed and sniffed. He let go then walked into the forest, the others staring at him in confusion. He turned back to them when he realized that they were not moving. They were staring at him, Dianne with her tear-filled eyes, Markus with horror and Ivan in suspicion.

"What? Let's go."