March 10, 2015.
He looked at himself in the mirror, the sun was going down but he could still see what they had created. His hair, normally more poofy and shaggier was gelled down strongly, making him look more bald as the shadows grew on the walls. His green eyes were hidden under the red goggles he had on. His roommate's steampunk goggles, slightly altered to help with visibility in the dark. He black sleeveless hoodie slowly blended in with the background. Black sweat pants with his sneakers that he spray painted black. He was going to do this, he was going to be a Superhero.
"Tonight is the Night. Tonight is the Night." He began chanting to himself. He was psyching himself up and as he walked to his bong at the end of of his room he put on his playlist. Kansas's Carry on my Wayward Son began playing in his room. He put his goggles on his forehead and turned on the light. He picked up his bong and lit the lime green bud with a purple vein tracing to the core. The ceramic piece began glowing red with a burning ember. As he he inhaled, every doubt he had regarding going out tonight left him with his exhale. He was ready, and he left his room, walking to his roommate, Josh. He opened the door while knocking it as well.
"We ready for Tonight?" He spoke with a shaky confidence.
" I can tell by your jams that you are. I got everything set up. In your belt is a tracking device, like the ones on a phone, so I can track where you are on the computer. On my other desktop I a scanner for crime, metas, and The Flash. Here's your earpiece." Josh handed the ear piece to his lengthy friend. While showing him his makeshift command center.
As he put his ear piece into a comfortable position he slapped himself in the chest. Looked at Josh and slapped him on the chest creating a an echoing boom.
"Sorry" he spoke with a excited smile. "I'm just too fucking exciting."
"Then let's get started" Josh replied while rubbing his now sore chest.
Josh friend in black opened the door leading to a balcony. He took a deep breath and crouched down, almost squatting. With a small concentration, his arms began changing color, as if a layer of liquid rubber was spreading on just the outside of his skin. It was black but rough, it looked like his arms had a blackish grey layer of steel. As he rubbed his fingers together, now with the dark outer epidermis layer he could hear the sound of graphite rubbing.
"Test. Test." He could hear Josh's voice both in his ear and from the room. "Can you hear me?"
"Yeah. Voice check is clear, can you hear me? See me on the computer?" The man in black asked his smart friend.
"We are clear. Flag Point can see you and communication is clear" Josh spoke with a slow deep voice. "Knock em' out!"
He grabbed his hoodie and threw it over his head now giving vision to a symbol on his back. The light purple circle with two purple rings surrounding it; the inner ring had two purple spheres on the track while the outer ring had four.. The atomic structure symbol of the sixth element on the periodic table of elements: Carbon.
"Carbon clear with Flag Point. Heading out" Carbon took a deep breath and extended his crouching legs in a forceful blast and he shot himself into the air.
He landed almost two blocks away and as he landed he rolled off and began sprinting towards downtown. Central City's ghetto, The Black Corner, had always been known to have problems but only recently did metas also become an issue.
"Carbon, a 7-11 is being robbed about 2 miles away; take a right at La Santa and then another right on Parker's Drive.. No police in the vicinity, you're closest as I can tell. You got this big shot" Flag Point declared in a cock manner. "I'm accessing the 7-11's security feed, it won't be great but at least I got eyes on the situation. I should be in by the time you get there but hurry your ass up.
"I'm moving!" He spoke as he made a sharp right turn and continued his sprint. Within three minutes he made it to the 7-11. "I'm here. Do I have eyes in the sky?"
"Yes. I am in. Not total vision but there appears to be two men inside robbing the manager and there is either a weird shaped pile of trash or another person outside.
"I got you. I'm going in!" Carbon sprinted forward and just as he got to the door he jumped through. He moved through the glass door as if there was nothing there and before the man with the gun looking at the cashier noticed the dark phantom phasing through the door noticed he was hit. Carbon landed and was on the man in seconds. His hand covered with the dense dark coat turned into a fist and made contact with the first robber's face. The robber made it full air bound with Carbon's fist still on his cheek, pushing down and down and suddenly the criminal hit the ground with a loud thud. Unconscious and bleeding from the nose and mouth, Carbon looked up trying to find the second 7-11 antagonist. Suddenly in his peripheral vision he saw a crowbar gaining speed and aimed towards his head. The second robber swung with a full force swing against Carbon's head only to be stopped. The man felt the echoing vibrations connect to his hands making him drop the metallic tool, as if hitting a baseball with an aluminum bat and no gloves. Carbon turned his head slowly, adding for a dramatic effect, and looked at the criminal in his eyes although his were hidden by the red tint of his goggles. He clenched his hand into a fist and slammed it to the man's abdomen causing him to throw up and collapse to the ground in pain. Carbon kicked the man in the chest causing him to topple over and he walked to him. Grabbing his collar he softly punched the man in the head causing the other criminal to lose conscious He grabbed some zip ties from his belt that Josh made, he tied up the two robbers. He then saw the back door of the 7-11 open and close quickly.
"Flag Point. Make sure police are on their way, I think you were right. There is one more outside, i'm getting him." He began a pursue towards the back door, opening and as he began looking outside he heard it. THe cock of a shotgun which he saw pointed right at his head.
Josh could see it on his computer, the 7-11's security feed was low quality and black and white but he could see it. The flash of a gun going off and he knew where it was pointed. A direct head shot. He heard it too, a loud boom followed by radio static.
"Carbon?" Josh asked into his microphone. "Carbon!" His voice cracked as he yelled. He saw the man with the shot gun look down at what was on the floor and he ran away. He could see on his computer that the police were near, he could even see the flashing lights in the video bottom lip trembling, form the sudden fear and realization of what might have just happened. "Jason!?" Josh yelled again, desperate.
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