Ch.1
Sometimes it can be really hard to come to grips with reality. It can be especially hard when that reality is you realizing that you're electrocuting a man to death.
Ok so that statement probably raised some red flags for everyone, but before you run away screaming about the insane man with superpowers, please let me try to explain things before we escalate past the point of no return.
My name is Alex Morris, and recently I had the privilege of gaining god-like power at the cost of my sanity.
Honestly just calling it a privilege is a big stretch, if it wasn't for the fact that I managed to escape my Palpatine phase I probably wouldn't be calling it anything kinder than a fucking nightmare…
To elaborate, this all pretty much began one night as I walking down the streets of L.A and a giant ominous red star appeared in the fucking sky all of a sudden.
Naturally any normal L.A person ignored the shit out of it save for a couple of poor saps such as myself. The fact that tonight happened to be dark and starless only emphasized the sheer WTF nature of the anomaly currently hanging around in the night sky.
I just happened to be walking home to my apartment after taking a nightly jog and had a "pleasant" surprise of looking up at the little red star and be filled with a nice little irrational thought that probably kicked off my problems at that very moment. One of my very, very first thoughts after stopping and staring for a moment at the catalyst of my smallest problems and the starter of some very big ones.
"It's so bright…"
And just like that I was filled with the terrible urge and sense of anger, bitterness, and sheer rage.
Oh boy, before we get into this next part, just let me describe how being an Epic and experiencing a Rending really is. Let me tell that it's nothing like what you think it would be.
You don't suddenly rub your hands together and cackle evilly like a madman before going off to make puppies explode and burn down orphanages with your mind. No, it's much much more intimate.
You get mad, yes, but it's the kind of mad where you feel like you're in the right. The kind of mad that you get, when you know you can't possibly be wrong and that those IDIOTS can't possibly know what you're going through, the kind of mad where you feel like everything you've gone through your entire life has just been spit on by the world, and you want nothing more than to utterly DESTROY the things that did it.
Simply put, being an Epic and experiencing a rending is just bringing out every hostile thought and urge that you try to ignore and making you act on those feelings without a care in the world.
Naturally, I flew into a ballistic rage the moment someone bumped me on the sidewalk.
I was storming down the cracked sidewalk so fast and so furiously that if anyone besides the couple who were turning the corner saw me i'd probably be visibly crackling with electricity.
This would only be emphasized with the fact that I probably literally was crackling with electricity.
The poor guy who bumped into me was most likely a great deal less deserving of the things I was about to do to him, especially considering that he was in the middle of apologizing when I started electrocuting him. The fact that he resembled Shaggy from Scooby Doo with a tidy goatee and similar voice was an irony not lost on me.
"Oh sorry man I didn't see you th-"
That was pretty much as far as he got before I socked him in the face hard enough to make it hurt when he met the concrete which was surprising considering that I didn't think I put THAT much effort into the punch, not that I currently cared because how dare this fucking idiot mess with me. I was so angry and so caught in my own thoughts that I barely heard his girlfriend start screaming when I started shooting electricity from my hands.
"To deal with this shit, after busting my ass off for four years straight going to that damn college where the teachers don't give half as much as a shit as I used too even before I got my shit together, only to deal with people like this guy making my life harder…"
Rage and pure contempt rolled off my thoughts and went straight into driving the man currently collapsed and convulsing on the pavement so far into agony that most likely anyone within the city could hear him screaming, not to mention the sounds his girlfriend was making as I shocked the hell out of her boyfriend as she stared helplessly from the sidelines, most likely not intervening because the electricity was currently covering my entire body almost completely in it's own little field, and she wouldn't be able to retaliate without getting shocked to hell and back.
As lightning curled around my fingers and the area around my body filled with the aura of my own power, I thought of words from a very long time ago, that I had chosen to push down at the shameful feelings they had instilled me with, and had stuck with my conscience to that very day.
"When did you stop caring…"
And just like that my heart froze, my fingers stopped crackling, and I threw up into the bushes as emotions I didn't even know I was missing returned with the fury of a thousand suns.
"Oh god…" My eyes danced from behind my eyelids as I fought to blink back tears at what I had just done. I had fucking electrocuted an innocent man with superpowers I didn't even know I had and had not even felt an inch of remorse or hesitance. That sheer apathy, disgust, and raw bitterness was something I never wanted to experience again.
"That was never something He would have wanted, oh god if he would have seen me do that…"
It took me no more than two seconds after that to realize that I had left that poor man still laying on the ground and shocked half to death, and that if I didn't do something he would most likely be dying somehow very very soon.
With that thought I lurched back from my spot in the bushes and turned around to find the very concerning sight of the woman standing over her boyfriend with a phone while checking his pulse and fidgeting with a seemingly dead phone in her other hand.
Oh boy, this was gonna be VERY awkward. "Oh my apologies ma'am i've just now come to my senses after brutally assaulting your boyfriend with superpowers and have decided that I wish to help him by doing absolutely nothing helpful besides making this situation even more awkward, glad you can understand and don't just assume that i'm a batshit crazy bipolar man."
Nonetheless, I can't just run off like a complete asshole, and leave this poor guy here. If i'm gonna put someone in the hospital I better damn well be able to own up to it. Consequences be damned, responsibility is something that I needed to learn a long time ago.
With that I stepped forward towards the man and promptly was treated to a terrified and screaming woman who basically flung herself forward over her boyfriend's body to stop me from presumably going back to my happy murder electric fun time.
Sucking in a breath I tried my best to look unthreatening and friendly and probably just came across as terribly awkward and uncomfortable with my lanky body, childish face and dorky glasses.
"Um, I'm so so sorry about what I just did, I promise that I'm not going to suddenly go back to doing… THAT again, please just let me call the ambulance for you guys and I swear I won't try to do anything else horrible like that again, I.. I just…"
The words died on my lips as I faltered under her accusing gaze. What the hell was I thinking? That I could just come back and apologize to this random woman after assaulting her goddamn boyfriend and hope that she would just accept it. What kind of backwards idiot logic am I running on?! It was honestly a miracle that I was still standing and not bursting into a uncontrollable fire with the glare that she was sending my way, the black bob cut she had only made her look more like a bird of prey who had just been challenged by some idiotic songbird who think it stood a chance.
"Tomiko…"
At that noise both our heads swiveled so fast towards the source of that sound that I'm surprised we just didn't end up cracking our necks in the process and- holy shit that guy's somehow conscious.
Looking at his face nearly made me reflexively wince as soon as I saw the trail burn marks all across his chest and neck. Parts of his shirt were still giving off wisps of smoke and some of the visible flesh looked burnt and blackened to the point of being indistinguishable from charcoal.
"Look, just let the man help me… I know how you get but please just bare through this for me"
At the man's words both me and the woman had similar reactions of shock, although most likely due to different reasons. My reaction stemming from the fact that the man I just shocked half to death for no apparent reason whatsoever would even accept help from his attacker. Her reaction most likely being because of the fact that he was effectively trusting a dude who was the entire reason for him having to go to the hospital in for the first place, to dial the number for the hospital and not suddenly going back to kill him for the lols.
This was only made more apparent when the woman looked back to me and I inwardly curled my toes and wanted to hide in a turtle shell at the sheer rage and anger that she was now displaying.
I half expected her to suddenly be the one shooting lightning from her fingers and electrocuting me half to death.
Although as soon as it came it was gone, her face returning to a neutral mask before she spoke up for the first time in a surprisingly sharp voice that you'd expect from a strict teacher or some sort of professional spokesperson.
"You will call the ambulance to the hospital, walk there with me, pray that my boyfriend is okay for your own sake if you wish to come out of this with your spine still attached, pay for every single damn dime, and then make sure that me and Michael never see your face again. Do I make myself clear?!"
Honestly I wasn't sure if I could nod my head fast enough with the way she said those words. Cost or no cost i can't imagine saying no to someone who despite being almost 5 inches shorter than me demanded something with the sheer aura of someone who had commanded thousands with an iron fist sometime in their previous life.
Honestly I wouldn't be doing anything I wasn't already planning on doing, not like I would even try and muster the effort to weasel my way out of paying for something when I was clearly in the wrong.
"Good… Now hurry the hell up before I decide to do something rash"
And with that I fervently dug my hand into my pocket to grasp my phone and set about dialing for an ambulance while nervously cursing under my breath for them to hurry the hell up and answer the damn phone.
It was also at the moment of the first ring that I felt something way different from the usual sounds i'd expect. This felt different and new and oh so very nauseating that I nearly tripped over myself like a crazy drunk as the second wave of this new sensation rolled over me with the phone's second ring almost too quick to perceive. Near reflexively I felt my own self reach out somehow like an invisible third arm and brush itself against the retreating waves in motion as they stretched further and further away. Thankfully I mentally reigned myself in so I didn't end up doing something stupid and causing me to throw up again.
"Are you drunk? What the hell was that stumbling about... nevermind just answer the damn phone so we can get this over with..."
Sheepish at my own actions I just follow her advice and respond to the now silent phone which was still radiating that damn wave, what the hell is that?!
"Hello, is this 911, yes I've got a heavily injured man here who has some bad burn marks and is in bad shape… Yes he uh… had an accident with a electricity conductor. We're at-
So another hour of excruciatingly awkward waiting commenced with both parties being silent nearly the entire time, save for some awkward conversation starters from yours truly that died off faster than the lifespan of a mayfly.
Thankfully we didn't have to wait much longer and the ambulance finally came and took Michael away. Leaving me and Tomiko left standing in the dark with nothing but the red light of that godforsaken star hanging over our heads and some distant streetlamps.
"So... do you want me to-
"Save the chitchat for yourself and just follow me to the damn hospital"
"... Yes ma'am"
I basically was content to follow this lady's lead and just do what she says so I didn't end up doing something incredibly stupid that would only make it worse for myself. Inwardly I questioned whether or not she even knew where the hospital was and how exactly we were going to make it there on foot.
Nonetheless I followed her down the dark road as she occasionally looked back to me to make sure I was still behind her and not about to stab her in the back or doing something similar.
It took a great deal of coercing but eventually she just told me to order a cab to take us to the hospital. One that I would predictably be paying for every step of the way. I nearly opened my mouth to complain along the way there but decided against it considering that i'd put her through enough already and that this was the least I could do to make up for it.
Finally after a while of driving, the cab dropped the two of us off next to the hospital and we immediately headed to the waiting room, where quite a few people were already gathered. Tomiko headed for the desk to no doubt check and see if Michael was okay whilst I sat down in one of the guest chairs nervously.
Looking around I saw quite a few people who stood out from some of the others that were waiting. I even saw a kid who was sitting down in the chair nearest to the wall and probably had the most haunted face I've ever seen on a child. It was quite frankly really fucking disturbing and i couldn't help but wonder if that kid had seen something similar to my situation.
Looking down at my hands I start contemplating on the real reason I was sitting in a hospital room right now. Concentrating on my hands I tentatively will for electricity to spark between my hands and suddenly I can feel something deep within me sing and emerge in the form of light blue sparks dancing between my fingers, and I instinctively know that my power is more than just creating electricity, it's something deeper than what it is currently and I just have to reach out and-
"Ahem"
I'm immediately startled by the form of Tomiko standing only a few feet from me and looking down at my hands with what seems to a mix between anger, fear, and awe. I almost absently push down my power and stop the miniature lightshow before someone else can see it, although out of the corner of my eye I see the kid from before staring at me with some form of primal fear and terror, that would genuinely catch me off guard if it didn't confirm my fear that there were others like me who had most likely done something terrible with their powers.
"Right sorry Tomiko, I was testing my uhh... powers..."
Honestly I'm amazed at the sheer awkwardness I was displaying today. I'm acting as though I haven't spoke to a normal human being my entire life. I mean seriously, the first thing I have to say is that i'm testing out the weird electric powers that I used only an hour ago to zap her loved one half to death, i'm not even going to be surprised if she ends up cussing me out right now.
"Look, i'm sure you mean well right now and you're generally making an effort to help out so i'm going to at least give you the benefit of the doubt for now despite the fact that you nearly killed my boyfriend, but please for the sake of me and everyone around you stop with the little thing you're doing and just sit down like a normal human being"
That was substantially better than the response that I thought I was going to get. Honestly I should just cut my losses here and just be quiet for the rest of the time I have to sit here. I really should it would be the smart thing to do...
But...
"Do you hate me..."
The way her eyes widened at that question almost made it worth it in the first place, however just as soon as they had come they left, replaced by the stone mask she wore earlier when I had told her that I wanted to call an ambulance.
"Really... Do I hate you, of all the questions you ask, that's the one you pick... after sending my boyfriend to the hospital, ruining my night, and generally being a complete fucking nuisance to a person that you hadn't even met an hour, I really really should despise your fucking guts shouldn't I..."
The way she said all of this with so much venom had me pressing myself into my chair like i'd been physically stung, only hammered in by the way that she said all of this without even raising her voice, as her words were nothing but the exact truth.
"And yet you're so goddamn pitiful that I can't even bring myself to hate you..."
Wait what.
"Just by being around you for an hour I can tell that there wasn't a chance in hell you would have had the balls to beat down Michael the way you did earlier, freaky powers or no freaky powers"
I don't know whether to relieved, flattered, or insulted.
"The way I see it, you either snapped somehow and turned violent, which I really doubt was the cause or you're insane and have some weird split personality going on"
Okay this conversation has seriously taken a strange turn.
"Ok then... I don't think it was either of those things..."
At my response Tomiko just folds her arms under her chest and huffs which catches me off guard with the sheer mood whiplash compared to the earlier stern no-nonsense way she was acting. Now she just seems almost like a normal person.
"Well then either give me some details or something i'm just going to assume option b"
"Hey, maybe this is my chance to clear up what happened earlier, and make it clear that what happened earlier was an accident... Holy shit I might not actually go to jail for this..."
With that slightly more hopeful thought I open my mouth to speak just in time for the screaming to start.
Authors Note:
Here we are again Ladies and Gentleman. Another fan story of the Reckoners Trilogy, this time with (hopefully) much less cringeworthy dialogue and characters worthy of being more than sock puppets, sorry for anyone who was still looking forward to a continuation of An Epic's Tale, hopefully I might be able to make it up to you with this new story. Please leave your reviews and criticism and let me know what you think about the start of this new story.
Sincerely, TheMysticUtahraptor
