Kevin grimaced as he was tossed bodily against the alleyway wall, then groaned as his legs finally gave in and he slid down to the ground. His lip was swelling, and he focused on that feeling to dull the pain of the other various scrapes and bruises dotting his body. There were more important things to deal with than a bit of hurt at the moment. Like the group causing those injuries.
He balled up his fists angrily as they laughed, grinding a piece of glass into his palm as he did. Somebody stepped closer, and Kevin looked up to see the oldest boy, nearly a man and the leader of the group, advancing on him. The man was grinning as he cracked his knuckles. "You gonna pay up yet, brat?"
Kevin sneered up at him and said, "Not a chance," before he swung his foot up, letting out an amused snort when he caught him square between the legs. Before the man had even hit the ground, Kevin pushed himself to his feet and took off toward the open street.
Time seemed to slow down as he got closer and closer to making it. Just as he was about to turn the corner, though, somebody took him down by surprise, and then they seemed to be everywhere, dragging him back into the darkness of the alleyway again.
Flailing, Kevin realized how much trouble he really was in. If they were planning to hurt him before, he couldn't imagine what they would do now. He tried to cry out for help, and immediately a hand tightened around his mouth, cutting him off.
If he could just get far enough away to compose himself, he could zap these idiots and finally get away. But he didn't want to do it now, because he was too wound up to control it. He could feel it even now, built up electricity threatening to spill out at any second. It made him feel jittery.
Somebody jerked him upright, bracing him against their body, and then another boy slugged him in the stomach. Kevin felt bile rise up in his throat, and his vision swam and forced him to squeeze his eyes shut. Then his support disappeared, and they all laughed as he crumpled to the ground in a heap.
He had to get up, he told himself, struggling to get his legs to work. There was a sudden hush, and then a hand tangled itself into Kevin's hair and helped him to his feet. He knew better than to be thankful.
Kevin opened his eyes and glanced up, grimacing angrily when he realized his eyesight was blurred with tears. The boy he'd kicked was the one holding him up, and he grinned hatefully down at Kevin. "You're gonna regret doing that, big shot."
He turned and slammed Kevin against the wall again, pressing himself against the younger boy. Kevin panicked when he felt something pressed hotly against his stomach, jutting against him like a weapon.
He was young, but not stupid. The man leaned down and whispered in Kevin's ear, "Maybe I'll forgive you if you make it up to me." Kevin was all too aware of the rest of the pack closing in around them. He was cornered.
Before he could think, much less consider what he was about to do, Kevin shrieked and threw his hands out against the older boy. There was a resounding snap, and the heat from the resultant strike poured over both of them.
Kevin squeezed his eyes shut and held on as the man jerked and thrashed in his grip, then started to seize. He wanted to let go already, but it hurt when he lost control like this, and he couldn't do anything but dig his nails in and seize up as well. He was only dimly aware of the startled shouts from the onlooking boys.
Finally, when he ran out of juice, the two were thrown away from one another violently, bricks digging into Kevin's back as his attacker fell back. He forced himself to run as soon as he opened his eyes, lest he see how much damage he'd done.
This time, nobody chased him.
Later that night, Kevin stopped at an electronics store. At first, he'd only been there to quickly recharge and head out, but as he approached the TVs, he noticed that the news was on.
Mere minutes into it, Kevin realized they were talking about a 'mysterious death' that had happened on the very street he'd been attacked on earlier that day. Morbid curiosity kept him watching, despite the sinking feeling in his gut.
An interview was shown, and Kevin immediately recognized one of the boys from before. Hatefully, the young man recounted how 'some little freak' had electrocuted and killed his older brother.
Next, the newscasters discussed how extensive the electrical burns had been, and quickly came to the conclusion that it couldn't have been an ordinary taser. Kevin's mouth went dry, and he glanced down at his hands silently, before suddenly glaring back up at the screen.
They didn't know the whole story. They had no right to judge him like that! Turning away from the TVs, Kevin stormed out, his initial reason for the trip forgotten.
So that night, the abandoned subway station - the closest thing to a home he had anymore - stayed dark and cold. Kevin couldn't sleep, didn't want to sleep. What if they came back for him, now that he was more than just a nuisance?
He should have recharged. The only thing worse than having too much energy coursing in his veins was not having enough. He already felt scared and regretful, feelings that just didn't happen when he was charged and in control.
Eventually, his thoughts turned to his mother. She'd know. She'd see the news, and she would know it was him. Who else could it be? And if she didn't love him before, was going to send him away then, now she'd never want to see him again.
He was a murderer. He'd killed somebody. He wasn't the victim anymore, couldn't claim to be innocent. And without the charge to sharpen his focus and banish the bad feelings, Kevin quickly broke down into sobs that echoed hollowly in the darkened space.