Heroes begins with the novel's protagonist Francis Cassavant returning to his hometown, Monument. He has been serving in World War II, and after falling on a live grenade he sustained severe facial deformities. His actions saved the lives of his entire platoon, but despite this Francis struggles with the idea that he is a hero.
Francis tells us that he is returning home to kill his childhood idol Larry LaSalle. When Francis returns he does not tell anyone who he is, and remains anonymous. He searches the town looking for Larry, meeting other veterans who don't talk openly about their experiences. Arthur Rivier, one of the veterans, recognizes Francis.
The story continues with stories from Francis' past, including his friend Nicole Renard. He then tells us that Larry LeSalle arrived and turned the town's recreation center into a youth club. He made all the children, including Francis, feel noticed and understood. With Larry's help, Francis won the ping-pong championship and impressed Nicole.
Afterwards, Larry signs up to be a soldier in World War II. He returns for a short time, and the children from the youth center throw him a party. At the end of the night, Francis, Larry and Nicole are alone. Larry asks Francis to leave so that he can dance with Nicole, and Francis does as he is told. He leaves the room, but waits nearby, and hears Larry rape Nicole. After this, Francis is riddled with guilt and tries to take his own life. However, he decides that he would rather die in combat as it is more honorable, and signs up as a soldier.
In the present, Francis continues to search for Larry in Frenchtown, and eventually finds him. Larry greets Francis like an old friend, as he is not aware Francis witnessed the rape. Francis takes his gun out to kill Larry but is convinced not to. When Francis returns to the street, he hears a gunshot from Larry's apartment.
Francis then tries to locate Nicole. She assures Francis that what happened to her wasn't his fault and that only Larry is to blame. Francis asks to see her again, but Nicole refuses. At the end of the novel, Francis tells Nicole he will go to college and write about his experiences.
