Everybody wants to be a cat [Herakles]

Now, Alfred was pretty sure he wasn't someone easily surprised. He himself tended to do unexpected and shocking things all the time, so the actions of others rarely surprised him.

But really, who could blame him for nearly falling out of bed when he heard mewing? Especially since he a: didn't have a cat, and b: he lived on the freaking 8th floor. How the hell did a cat get onto his window pane? Was it suicidal? He doubted it.

Getting up, he opened the window for the cat. "Come on in, kitty." He didn't mind the company. After about ten minutes of getting to know the cat and playing with it, he started to regret letting it inside. It just wouldn't stop meowing and clawing at his front door. When he opened the door for it, however, it just sat down and stared at him expectantly. Alfred's best guess was that it wanted him to follow it.

Well. A little morning- and yes, he considered 11 o'clock morning- walk with a cat never hurt anyone, right? Throwing on a pair of jeans, his 'Who's your Hero?' T-shirt, and bomber jacket, Alfred was ready to follow the cat wherever it lead him.

Their destination was both surprising and anti-climatic. He was expecting some sort of evil organization that sent a deceptively cute kitty to lead the Hero to his demise. But come on, what sort of evil organization tried to trap someone in a park? In a park with laughing children, chirping birds, and okay, no sunshine, it was pretty cloudy, but the scene was still too...happy for a kidnapping.

His hopes crumbling, Alfred continued to follow the cat, which now lead him into a more secluded area of the park, surrounded by bushes. Maybe now...? He could already see someone lying on the grass surrounded by...more cats? He blinked. "Umm, hey? Is this your cat?"

Since the storm, Herakles found that he tended to notice new things.
He may still sleep at unusual times, in unusual places, but for some reason, he could now hear people approach him when he was asleep. And that the number of cats that had followed him to the park that day had grown slightly in number. Not too much that is was a huge group, but enough for Herakles to notice. He wasn’t worried however. His previous experiences with this was that the number of cats changed slightly, as they were probably strays and taken to the pound.

Alas, Herakles had taken to sleeping in the park on his day off, joined by said group of cats. He was enjoying the rest when he heard footsteps nearby. Figuring it was just someone passing by, he simply ignored it. But when said footsteps got closer, he began to get curious. This area was out of the way of most people, and no-one knew he was here but the cats.
Right?

"Umm, hey? Is this your cat?"

Herakles opened his eyes and saw a young man in his late teens, and a cat, which had wondered over for a pat. Herakles rose into a sitting position, gave a stretch- which produced a few popping sounds as a few joints re-aligned themselves, and looked to the teen, simply replying, “No. They just... find me”.
He petted the new cat, which happily purred in response. “Why? Did it cause any problems?” Herakles asked, adding, “and, if you don’t mind me asking, how did you find me?”

...This guy looked and acted nothing like a super villain should. Where was the spandex? The crazy gadgets? The evil superpowers? And, most importantly, where was the Evil Laugh? So the cat didn't try to lead him to his demise after all? How boring.

Even though he was pretty much absorbed in his thoughts, Alfred still processed the Cat Guy's question and even answered it distractedly. "Hmm? Nah, not at all, it just magicked itself up on my window pane, demanded to be let in, and wouldn't stop meowing until I followed it outside. And that's exactly how I found you. It lead me here." But why? Alfred wanted to knoooow.

Interesting little fact about Alfred: he had no filter between his mouth and brain. Usually whatever he thought of came out of his mouth in a matter of seconds. Some found it endearing, some found it weird, and for Alfred it was absolutely normal and simply how he was. True to his nature, Alfred finally blurted out the question that had been bothering him ever since he entered the bush. "Are you a super villain?"

Herakles just looked down at the cat, wondering if he should thank it. After all, half the reason he had moved to London was to meet new people. But why, he wondered, did this cat insist on having the teen meet him?

Herakles simply shrugged it off. It was probably one of those ‘will of the world’ things. Besides, he wasn’t one to worry needlessly. He let out a simple, “Oh. Well, as long as it wasn’t being too much of a pain”.

The next question the teen asked caught him a little off-guard. A super villain? Herakles knew he didn’t look like he was from England, but did he really look like an evil, world-destroying villain?
“No... should I be?” he asked, tilting his head slightly. He motioned to the cats, adding, “They don’t follow my every command or anything, if that’s what you thinking”. He mentally added that that would be kind of nice. He did love cats.

Alfred laughed. "A pain? Never! I love animals!" And he did. That was part of the reason why he loved Grandpa Jones' farm so much. He loved the cows, the chicken, the dogs, the cats, and especially the horses.

He shook his head, sighing. "Nah. I was kinda hoping this little guy here would lead me to some super evil guy who I could fight and save the day. Ya know, like in comics? And movies and games and everything. By the way" said Alfred as he sat down on the grass, figuring he would make friends with this guy since he was here anyway, "do you like comics? What's your favorite color? And favorite music? And movie? I would ask which animal you like the best, but it's pretty obvious." He nodded at the cats around the guy, finishing his rant. Oh, that reminded him; he didn't even ask for Cat Guy's name! It was so like Alfred to know the favorite color of a person before their name.

But these things mattered more than a name, right? You didn't have to know the name of a person to get to know them and be friends. Their favorite color, however, was definitely a must know.

Herakles gave a small smile to the response he received. People who liked animals tended to be good people, at least in his opinion. He simply nodded, indicating that he understood the teen.

As the teen sat down, Herakles processed his words. This young man wanted to be lead into danger? So he could... be a hero? He pondered this briefly, before saying, “True heroism is not achieved through looking for danger, it is by facing danger with courage should it appear, and doing so for the good of others”. Herakles paused, for a moment, before adding, “Well, at least that is what I believe”.

It took a minute for Herakles to process all of the questions that he had been bombarded with. He blinked slowly, and then replied, “Um... well, I haven’t really read many comics. We didn’t have any where I’m from. My favourite colour? Probably green . Most of the music I know is songs from my homeland, and I don’t really have a favourite, although my Mother’s lullabies will always have a special place in my heart. And my favourite movie...” Herakles stopped to think a moment, “that would have to be ‘Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief’”, he finished with a smile. Anything that included Ancient Greek culture was a good movie, in his opinion. And overall, the movie wasn’t that bad either.

“I think that was all you asked, right?” Herakles asked, “and I suppose it is rather obvious what my favourite animal is. So... if you don’t mind me asking, what is your name?” After all, he thought, if the teen was choosing to join him, it would be nice to know.

Alfred beamed at him. "Exactly! I think so too! I mean, there IS a reason firefighters for example are called everyday superheroes!" He was glad that someone shared his opinion on heroes and not just thought of them as those ridiculous guys in spandex. Then he realized what the other probably meant. "Oh, and I was kidding with that super villain thing! ...Kinda. I mean, I know that it wouldn't necessary make me a true hero, but it would be exciting, right? Hey, you know Hercules? In the Disney movie he defeated all kinds of monsters, became insanely popular but he was only allowed to join the gods after he sacrificed himself for Meg! Because that's what a real hero should do!"Saving a damsel and falling in love with them was also a must in every single movie, comic, legend, etc.

He tilted his head. "Music from your homeland? Which is...?" He couldn't quite place the guy's accent. It wasn't British, American, German, French, or Canadian and those were the only ones he could more or less recognize. Without waiting for a response, Alfred went on to the next thing the guy said. "Oooh, I saw that movie! It was cool! I mean, really, I don't think you can mess up a movie that has Greek gods in it anyway, but it was still good. Do you like Greek mythology? It's totally my favorite!" Alfred loved mythology and ancient things. Becoming an archaeologist was one of his possible career choices until his History teacher was made redundant and they got a new one whom Alfred hated. His love of mythology, however, lived on.

He grinned, sticking out a hand. "Alfred F. Jones at your service! Nice to meet ya!"

This young man asked a lot of questions. Not that that was a bad thing. Asking questions means you are looking for knowledge. Herakles listened as the teen agreed with him. He was glad he didn’t get a weird look for his philosophical concept. Some people didn’t quite understand how he could be so... profound, for lack of a better word. “I suppose it would be interesting...” Herakles replied, responding to the question. He then chuckled. Of course he knew Hercules. His friends back in school had often made jokes about that, and Herakles would take it in his stride, always amused by it. “Ah... yes”, he said, with a smile, “that was also a good movie, though I prefer the original myth myself”. That tale was one that could be labelled ‘heroic’ in the more stereotypical sense, he mused.

Oh. Right, Herakles had never mentioned where he was from. “Well... I’m from Greece”, he said simply. He smiled a little, thinking of the land he was brought up in. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t believe you are from around here either”, he added, noticing the teen’s accent. Nodding, Herakles replied, “Very much so. I studied it for a while. One of my favourite topics, in fact”, he replied, recalling how even from a young age, he was intrigued by Greek myths and legends that his mother taught him. “I have always enjoyed history. I’m an architect now”, he added, just as an afterthought.

Ah. Now he could refer to the young man by name. Shaking the outstretched hand, he replied with a smile, “Herakles Karpusi. And yes, I realise how ironic that is”. He thought he recognised Alfred from somewhere, but couldn’t seem to place him anywhere.

He shrugged. "I love Disney. They make everything happier. They totally left out that Hercules was actually the son of Alcmene, not Hera. Not to mention the others. I like the child-friendly version as much as the original." He grinned. "And the songs are catchy too. Zero to Hero, in no time flat~ Sorry, sorry, I'll stop singing now!" Alfred didn't think his voice was bad but he wasn't about to become the next King of Pop.

"You're from Greece? Whoa, that's cool. Have you ever been to Athens? Or on the Olympus? I would totally hike up and see the palace of the gods for myself~" Alfred winked. He knew, of course, that there weren't any gods on Olympus, but he still wanted to go and see it. "And yepp, I ain't no limey either! I'm from across the pond, from the States!"

Alfred nodded. "I see, I see. I like History sometimes when something exciting is going on. I don't much care about economic situations and which ruler made which law. My favorite subject is Physics, actually. And I'm a senior!" He changed his favorite subject nearly every week, but he mostly stayed with Science classes, Gym being another constant favorite.

"Ironic? No way, it's freaking cool! I wish I was named after a hero!" Alfred was such an old man name. Herakles was much cooler.

Ah, it seemed Alfred had perfected the art of preserving the inner child. A person you could look at the world and wonder at it. And, of course revel in the simple things. “For a children’s story, they did well”. Herakles was shocked that Alfred knew the original story. Not many people did nowadays. “I’m impressed”, he told the young man, “you’re one of the few people I’ve met who know the original”. He chuckled again at the song, “It’s fine. A little music never hurt anyone”. Herakles decided that he enjoyed talking with Alfred. The teen was cheerful and intelligent, and good company in this unfamiliar city.

Being from a little town a way out of Athens, Herakles had only gone to the capital until his final year of study. “I studied in Athens for a while. But never to Olympus. That’s still on my ‘things to do before I die’ list”, he said with a smile, laughing at the statement about the palace. Alfred had a good sense of humour. “I see... I’ve heard good things about America. Not having been there, it sounds interesting”, Herakles said, wondering about the differences he might see if he did go there.

He understood Alfred’s stance on history. It could be rather bland at times, but the interesting sections made up for it, in his opinion. Alas, it was one of those subjects people tended not to be interested on. “That’s fair”, he replied, “Physics, huh? I didn’t mind science in school. Always something new happening in that realm”. A senior, meaning he was still in school. “Do you have plans for once you’re finished?”

“It’s not a big deal or anything. It’s not like it’s uncommon or anything”, Herakles said with a shrug. It was true. The name was just like ‘John’ in places like England; it was nearly everywhere in Greece. “And if I recall correctly, I’m pretty sure there were some heroic people called Alfred”, he said, vaguely remembering the name from an English history book. A king, if he remembered correctly.

Still not able to shake the feeling of seeing Alfred somewhere before, he asked, “Forgive me for seeming rude, but do you live around here? It’s just... I think I might have seen you before”.

((Yeah, I stumbled across a name meanings thing on DeviantArt, and apparently, there was a Alfred the Great, in the 9th-century. He was a English King. Me thinks England had a hand in this))

He grinned. "I told you I like mythology. Isn't it normal to know a lot about things you like?" Not to mention his super brain, which was unable to forget a single thing it seemed. That did help with remembering details like that, although Alfred was sure he wouldn't have forgotten such important parts of mythology with his old brain either.

"Oooh, you have a things to do before you die list? I always wanted to make one then I realized that I have too many things I wanna do and decided to wait about twenty years before making one!" Really. He sat down once to write a list -it was a mandatory project in Social Studies- and he managed to fill out five pages, instead of the required quota of one. And he could have still gone on.

"America is awesome! We don't really have stuff as old as you guys, maybe The Grand Canyon, but we still have tons of things to see! I haven't seen everything yet and visiting every single state is somewhere in my top five on my future things to do before I die list!"

Alfred nodded happily. "Yupp, that's what so great about science! We're still so far from knowing everything, there are tons of new discoveries every year! Too bad they don't really teach you in school about those." He pouted slightly at that. Why couldn't they learn about the brand new discoveries of, for example, Nobel Prize winners? He would totally sacrifice English or Russian if they needed the extra classes for it.

And there came a question Alfred usually dreaded. "Lots. I was thinking of studying Physics, become a scientist, but then I love space. So I decided to study Astrophysics but I wanna go on a Mars mission. But I can't become an astronaut because my Dad would castrate me. I thought of becoming an Aerospace Engineer because then I would be able to help with building the first spaceship good enough to take man to Mars. Also, maybe I could become a pilot, since I love flying. Dad wants me to become a doctor, but I don't really want that 'cause it's boring and I don't wanna do something my Dad already does. Mom wants me to do something with the fashion world, although I think she does tat just to annoy Dad." He sighed. "I just wanna be a hero."

People always did say that he was a hopeless dreamer.

Alfred tilted his head. "Really? I don't recall any. Oh wait, I do! Hitchcock! Alfred Hitchcock! Man, I love his movies!"

Blink. "Ah, yeah, I live a few streets from here in that big house. It's called Gracefield House."

Herakles had to agree with Alfred. After all, if you are passionate about something, you take it upon yourself to learn about it. “True”, he replied, “but still, I’m impressed. For you to look into the original myths...” he trailed off, not really sure how to explain himself. For Alfred to look into the past of his people, he felt a sense of pride and gratitude.

Well, Herakles had never made a physical list, but he had made some goals for himself, and they had become a sort of ‘To do’ list, he supposed. “I have not written it down, and it may not be very long yet, but... yes, I suppose I do”, he replied, looking somewhat wistful.

Maybe there wasn’t as much in the ways of American history yet, but what history was there seemed colourful and intriguing, at least from what Herakles had read. “Ah”, he said, "that sound interesting. I might have to visit one day, if I should get the chance”. After all, the world was an interesting place, and Herakles wanted to see as much of it as he could.

Now, as an archaeologist, Herakles had a basic knowledge of science. But he was by no means an expert on the subject. Still, he had a healthy respect for it, and it kept balance with his religious background (Greek Orthodox, naturally). “Yes, so much we are only just discovering, and more to come it seems”, Herakles commented. He often philosophised about this kind of thing; what was yet to be found, what people would do with the knowledge, and so forth. Oh, but he was getting caught up in his own thoughts. He brought his attention back to Alfred, who was speaking again.

The poor boy seemed at a loss. There were a lot of options for a career these days, and Herakles could understand how overwhelming that could be. He had been in the same position not too long ago, and could sympathise with Alfred. “Having options can be both a blessing and a curse”, Herakles said, “Too many and we are overwhelmed. Too few and we feel trapped”. He paused, thinking. “There is much hope for you. You are young, and if I do say so, a bright young man. Be confident in your abilities. You have a great future, I’m positive”. Sure, Herakles had only met Alfred, but from what he had come to understand is that this young man was going places. And he had sounded so overwhelmed by his future; Herakles thought he could use some advice. “If I may offer my opinion”, he said, smiling, “do what you feel you would be happiest doing. Trust me when I say this. After all, it is your future. If you are happy, then who is to argue?” Herakles felt Alfred’s father get used to the idea, eventually. Mind you, it’s not like Herakles had much experience with fathers. “Oh”, he added as an afterthought, “and remember; people say nothing is impossible”. After all, who could say that Alfred couldn’t turn out to be a hero, even if it was something like a fire-fighter and not... well, anything like what you see in movies.

Herakles smiled. “A name can be a legacy, both good and bad. Take pride in yours and it will become one that imprints on the world”. After all, Herakles felt honoured that his name was derived from a man that had serviced the world and the Gods. “Although, I can say I’ve seen too many of Alfred Hitchcock’s movies”, he said with a shrug. The downsides of living somewhere that doesn’t speak English, he supposed.

A reply blink was given. “Ah, that would explain it, then”, Herakles said, smiling. It seemed that he would be bound to see Alfred again. “The same apartment complex as me, it seems. How curious”. Herakles thought to the storm. If he hadn’t dreamt the lightning, he wondered of it had really struck the building, and, moving on, if Alfred had been awakened by it.

"You totally should! I could show you around, tell you everything there is to know about the memorials and all those things!" He grinned. "I know everything there is to know about American History!" And he wasn't even overestimating himself. His new memory easily provided him with every date, person, and place he could need. Or not need.

Alfred nodded. "Don't I know that...I've never been on the receiving end of too little options though. I've always had too many ideas on what to be." He chuckled. "As you could hear."

Alfred was pleasantly surprised. He was rarely called bright in the sense Herakles was referring to. He might have been called bright because of his sunny attitude, but never because he was smart. Only his Science teachers seemed to realize it and they never praised him because he was a troublemaker through and through. It wasn't his fault he couldn't sit still for a whole lesson! Especially not if they were covering material he already knew.

He gave Herakles one of his typical wide, sunny smiles. "Thank you, I sure hope so. After all", he gave a thumbs up, "I aim to be a hero!"

"That's the problem though; I don't know what would make me happiest. But I won't listen to my parents, that's for sure. I want my choice, whatever it is, to be entirely mine; not influenced by anyone. And 'nothing is impossible' is one of my basic philosophies. That's how I roll!" That was the American way and that was one of the most important things to believe in. Even if people tended to forget that.

"You sure are philosophical, aren't you?" That was, of course, meant as a compliment. "Aaand, since we live in the same apartment complex, you can always come and visit me and I can show you Hitchcock movies! I think you would like them!"

“I might take you up on that one day”, Herakles replied. After all, who better to take you on a tour of a country than a local? They knew the little places that normal tour guides often missed. “And it’s good to have someone to exchange notes on history with, too”, he added. Even if the history was from different countries, that doesn’t mean they couldn’t exchange knowledge. That was what people did, even if they don’t realise it sometimes.

“Yes, well, there is an art to choosing what is best, and it is different for each person. I’m sure you’ll be fine”, Herakles replied. Alfred, for his child-like attitude, seemed like he had a good grip on reality. Herakles looked at the teen, as Alfred seemed to take in his words. Had he perhaps said too much? He was somewhat relieved when the young man smiled. “You are most welcome, although, I do not believe I need to be thanked. It is only my thoughts. Nothing more”, Herakles said. He never really felt that sharing his beliefs was anything special, but, hey, again, that was just his opinion. Not really sure what to do in response to the thumbs-up, he just gave an easy smile in return.

“It’s good that you plan on following your own path, and not one that is set out for you”, Herakles said, “and as for you happiness, well, you will find it in time”. Alfred didn’t seem like he was letting it get to him, and so Herakles believed that the teen would sort things out in due course.

And so, Alfred uttered the statement that Herakles had been on the receiving end of countless times. He remembered one of the first times someone had told him that. It had been in the earlier years of his schooling, and had been said by a very surprised teacher when Herakles had reflected on how life was like a river; a cliqué, perhaps, but still relevant. To this day, people tended to be surprised at the insight he possessed. Still, he didn’t mind the strange looks most of the time. Herakles looked to Alfred with a smile and replied, “Ah, yes, well, I suppose I am. I have been told so many times”. Then Alfred mentioned possibly meeting again. This could be the beginning of a friendship here in London. “That sounds like a good idea”, Herakles said, “so long as we don’t have a storm like the other day”. The storm that had managed to awaken him, and... well, he wasn’t sure what else.

"It would be my pleasure~" Heracles was the third person Alfred offered a tour to since he came here. Maybe he should start his own little business, arranging trips around America? The thought nearly made him snort. Yeah, right. Like he could sit in a stuffy office all the time when he wasn't out giving tours. Nuh-uh, definitely not for him.

He chuckled. "Sure thing. My knowledge of the development of physics throughout history is pretty extensive. MY teacher was obsessed with teaching us all about the roots of what we know." Which wasn't a bad thing per say, but she could have spared some time to teach them about recent stuff too.

Alfred winked. "Yupp, I know. Once I made up my mind, I'll do anything to achieve what I decided." Some called it being stubborn, some called it perseverance, some called it the American way, Alfred called it nothing. He just knew he would do that.

"I'm not really one to listen to orders, so there are no worries of me not following my own path." Orders, suggestions, common sense, same difference. If he really wanted to do something, Alfred didn't let anything stop him.

He nodded. No wonder. Herakles held a pretty deep philosophical conversation with a complete stranger, so of course he would be called philosophical all the time. It wasn't a bad thing, as far as Alfred was concerned. "Yeah, that storm was freaky." And it did freaky things to him... "I know it's supposed to rain here all the time, so storms like this are probably ordinary, right? I mean, this was the first real freaky one since I came here a few months ago, but..." He shrugged.