Hi Guys and welcome back to another test chapter 😜 So, as you all probably know by now, I like to upload a test chapter so that I can gauge your opinions on stuff, and this is my latest one. I don't want to give too much away here, so I'll let you crack on with it
'My name is Kendall Knight, and I'm an Orphan. My Dad died when I was only 4 years old, leaving me and my pregnant mother. 5 months later, and my baby sister was born, at least that's what I was told. See, my mother died while giving birth to her, meaning that my sister and I were separated from the get-go. With no other family, my baby sister and I were placed in a orphanage in Ely, Minnesota but the two of us were quickly separated. See, everyone who adopts seemed to want a baby, and my sister fitted that role perfect, yet no one wanted a 4 year old boy. So, the two of us were separated and since the family didn't want my sister to know that she was adopted when she grew up, they asked the orphanage to keep all the information locked away, meaning that I have no clue who my sister actually is, or where she went. So anyway, I grew up in that home and at the age of 18, I was giving a small college fund that my parents began to make for me in our few short years. With the help from the state, I was able to move to Spirit City, and attend SCU, where I got a degree in Glaciology, mostly focusing on Glaciology. Oh, and there's one other small thing. I'm a superhero, well I possess abilities that would probably classify me as such, but I won't get into that right now'
At least that's what Kendall wanted to say to the guy in front of him. Instead he went for, "I would describe myself as hard-working, cheerful and responsible" causing the guy to nod as he noted it down.
"Well, from what I can see from your resume, you're definitely qualified for the job" he joked, causing Kendall to chuckle along with him, knowing it looked best. "I like you Kendall, so I'm going to give you a chance. You're hired"
"Thank you sir" he said, as he stood up and reached out to shake his hand. "You won't regret this"
"I hope I don't. You'll start tonight. Be here for 6 for your first shift."
"I'll see you then" he replied, shaking his hand once more before walking out of his office and into the coffee shop where he'd be working tonight. As he stepped out of the building, he took a deep breath, a massive smile on my face knowing that he'd finally have some more money to spend.
That's when his phone started beeping.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the device, to see that he'd been alerted by the local news station, Dispatch Weekly. The notification read 'Fire on Wharf Route, emergency services are on route' causing him to break into a jog as he headed for the closest alleyway.
"Perfect timing" he mumbled to himself, making sure that no one was around as he ran into one of the secluded corners. He was quick to strip out of his clothes, taking off his shirt and trousers, leaving him in his white spandex suit with a dark blue snowflake in his chest. 'I really need to update my design' he thought to himself as he slipped his mask over his head. Shaking that thought out of his head, he shoved his actual clothes into his backpack and froze it in the corner, before he set off running once again.
Freezing the ground in front of him, he was quick to gain some momentum, using that the gradually climb higher and higher in this city-scape. It wasn't long before he was skating at about the high of an average one story building, and although it was difficult to see through all of the skyscrapers, he was just able to make out the burning inferno. He was quick to make his way over there, swerving in between buildings, as he listened to the traffic beneath him, as well as the awe of the people he was skating above and before long, he had reached his destination, seeing how the fire service had already arrived. He was quick to get down to street level, skating in next to the marshal.
"What's the sitch?" he asked, causing the marshal to glance over at him as he finished ordering his men about.
"There's still about 10 people instead and we're unable to control the fire." The marshal replied, as the two of them looked up at the raging inferno. It was a small apartment building, about 6 floors high.
"Leave that to me. As soon as you see the fire go out, get your men in there. I'll need a hand getting the survivors out" Kendall replied, causing the marshal to nod before Kendall took a couple steps back. Forming a ramp up to the second story window, he broke into a sprint and slid up the ramp, quickly gaining access to the building, where the fire was raging like mad.
"Come on Kendall, you can do this" he muttered to himself, as he began to spray some of the fire with ice, cooling it instantly. In doing so, he also had sure to structurally secure the building, knowing that the fire could have done some serious damage to its structural integrity. Keeping the pattern going, he continued to do his best, trying to put out as many fires as he could.
Spotting the first person in need, he quickly dashed over to them and checked their heart rate. They were alive, but their breathing was shallow, so he knew he needed to act fast. Being as careful as he could, he picked them up, and threw them over his shoulder before making his way back to the window he entered from. Hopefully, he would be able to slide them down the ramp, and right into the paramedic's hands.
"I got a survivor!" he shouted from the window, causing everyone to look up at him, as they all gathered around the ramp. Carefully, he placed them onto it, before giving them a gentle push, allowing them to slide to safety. Once they'd reached the bottom, Kendall turned around, and headed back into the building, further his search for people and fire.
With the building slowly crumbling around him, he knew he needed to be quick, out of risk of the entire building collapsing. Considering the blond entered on the second floor, when he finally found the first flight of stairs, he made his way down them, and began to clear out the first floor of any fire, making sure to keep an eye out for anyone. Once he was finished, the blond opened the door, allowing the firemen to finally get into the building.
"I've cleared this floor and the one above. I'm gonna head up to the rest of them now. Stay close" Kendall ordered, causing them all to nod.
"You've got it" the foremost fireman replied as they began to run up the stairs. When they'd reached the third floor, Kendall was quick to freeze any fire in plain sight, before continuing his ascent, allowing the firemen to deal with any trapped people. This process continued as he climbed, the blond making sure to putt out as many fires as he could as well as making sure that the building wouldn't collapse.
When he'd reached the sixth floor, he was the only one left, so he knew he'd have to do this alone. The blond was slowly made his way through the rubble, putting out as many fires as he could, when he saw someone through the ash. He was quick to run over to them, and check their pulse, noticing how faint this was one. As well as that, the blond also noticed that the guy was trapped under a beam, one that was supporting a very unstable wall.
Taking a deep breath, he was quick to ice over the wall, hoping that would hold, before he manoeuvred himself so that he could free the man under the beam. Crouching down, the blond began to lift it but as soon as that happened, he noticed how the wall buckled slightly, causing him to panic. As slowly as he could, Kendall continued to lift the beam, hoping to rest it on his knee so that he could free the man from under it. The higher the beam was lifted, the more the wall began to buckle, but when he finally got it onto his knee, he breathed out a sigh of relief, one that was short lived however. The building began to creek around him, and the blond knew that wasn't a good sign at all.
With the beam on his right knee, Kendall reached over and picked up the man and threw him over his shoulder, knowing that his escape would have to be quick. Taking another deep breath, Kendall quickly moved the two of them out of the way, the beam falling from his knee as he did so. That caused the beam to slam into the ground, a loud rumbling coming from it as the wall collapsed. Luckily, Kendall and the man were by the stairs at this point, but that didn't help when the rest of the building also began to collapse around him.
Letting out a sigh of frustration, Kendall sprayed the stairs in front of him, sliding down the stair case as the building creaked and crumbled around him. The blond was able to keep up his momentum as he went, gliding down the square staircase at speed and once they reached the ground floor, he shot out of the door, just in time for the building to collapse behind him. Coming to a halt, Kendall dropped the final man off to the paramedic before turning back to the fire marshal. "Was anyone left inside?"
"No, we got them all out" the marshal replied, letting Kendall breath out a sigh of relief.
"Sorry, about the building" he continued, causing the marshal to let out a chuckle.
"Thanks Blizzard, without you, we wouldn't have been able to save everyone on time."
"Don't worry about it, and you've got a fine crew" Kendall replied, causing the man to nod before Kendall set of running again, safe in the knowledge that he'd done some good today, although his secret identity never sat right with him.
'Blizzard'
"What the hell is this?" Griffin asked, slamming a news article down onto the desk.
"You asked for a story" James replied, pushing his glasses back as he looked up at his boss.
"I asked you to write about how Blizzard caused a building to collapse, not about how he saved 10 people"
"But isn't that the real story? Those people are alive because of him." James replied, seeing Griffin balls his hands slightly, before relaxing.
"But now where will they live? They have no home and all their stuff is destroyed. Plus, the city will now have to build a new apartment block, wasting money that could be spent elsewhere. And it's all because of that 'Blizzard.'" Griffin replied, letting out another sigh of relief. "Now, I expect that article to be reworked and ready by the end of tomorrow. Do you understand me?"
"Yes" James replied, nodding as he grabbed the news article and pulled it towards him. Griffin just let out another sigh before he turned around and walked back towards his office.
"He's a serious dick" James heard from behind, causing him to chuckle as he spun around to face his co-worker Camille. "I can't believe he wants you to change the story. When I read over it, it was really good"
"Thanks Camille, but I suppose if I want to keep my job, I should do what he says"
"Seriously dude? You don't even need the job" Camille replied, causing James to roll his eyes. "Your dad basically owns the city, you could do nothing and still get whatever you want."
"But you know I don't want to rely on him. I want to make my own name" James replied, causing Camille to roll her eyes. "Anyway, I should get back to work. This article isn't going to rewrite itself" he finished, turning back around which caused him to come face to face with his previous article.
It was title 'Blizzard Battles Blaze,' featuring the heroic actions of Blizzard, but apparently that's not what people want to read anymore.
5 Hours later, and James was finally leaving the building. At seven pm, the air was crisp and chilly, causing James to shiver slightly as he put on his coat and slung his laptop bag over his shoulder, debating what to do. He knew that he needed to work on his article, and he also knew that his apartment didn't have any food in, so he'd probably end up ordering take away.
Again.
Knowing that was definitely not what he wanted, he started to debate where else he could do. There was always a restaurant, although he supposed they might get a little funny with him working on his computer all night.
Starbucks?
Too popular for his taste. He wasn't a hipster or anything, but the brunet knew that he wouldn't be able to get any work done there.
With no decision in mind, the brunet found himself walking the streets of Spirit City, talking in his surroundings. The place was definitely a metropolis, with sky scrapers climbing high into the clouds, the tallest of which being his father's tower. 'Diamond Inc' was illuminated down the side, standing bright amongst the dull night, like a constant reminder of what James had to live up to. Well, what his father believed he should live up to at least.
All James wanted was to be a journalist, to inform the public of what was happening and what was being done to help them, but it seems his father had different opinion, wanting James to be as rich and as successful as he was. And from growing up with a background of money, James knew he didn't want that. Sure, money was great, but James knew that wasn't everything in life. He'd learnt that lesson when his mother died.
Wiping the tears from his eyes, James refocused on his task of trying to find somewhere to sit and write. He'd noticed that he'd walked for a good 10 minutes while lost in his thought bubble, so he stopped to take a look around when a quaint little coffee shop caught his eye. The place looked quiet, and was advertising free Wi-Fi in the window, so really it was a win win. With one last shiver due to the cold, James made his way over, noticing how the coffee shop had a few inhabitants, nothing that would steer him away however.
As he stepped in, he noticed how a little bell sounded above the door, causing a small smile to grow on his face as he made his way over to a booth. Pulling the laptop out of his bag, and settling it on the table, James reached for a menu while he waited for it to load, looking through the menu. It seemed like they served typical finger foods like sandwiches, toasties and baked potatoes, as well as some desserts like cakes, scones and ice-cream. Oh, and there was also Coffee and a range of other hot drinks. Hearing that his laptop had loaded, the brunet set the menu aside as he navigated to the file he needed. That's when he noticed a shadow looming over the table. With a smile, the brunet looked up and was greeted with a cute blond with a notepad in hand.
"Hi, I'm Kendall, and I'll be your server this evening. Can I get you anything?" the blond asked, as James took in a few noticeable features such as his vibrant green eyes, or the fact that his hair was just a little too long to suit him properly.
"Sure, can I have a cup of coffee, and a cheese and ham toastie please?" James replied, causing Kendall to nod as he began to note it down.
"Is that everything?"
"Um, I might be here a little while, so can the coffee just keep coming?" James asked, causing Kendall to let out a little chuckle.
"Of course, just give me a wave and I'll come refill it for you"
"Thanks" James replied, causing Kendall to nod as the two of them maintained eye contact for a second too long. The blond seemed mesmerised by James' hazel eyes and it was only when James glanced away that Kendall finally did the same, a small blush settling on his face as he walked away.
With that out of the way, James refocused his attention on his article, although he couldn't help the fact that his eyes kept trailing over to the cute blond waiter.
Three hours seemed to pass rigorously slowly for James, with the brunet struggling to rewrite his new article. Sure, he knew what his boss wanted from him, and yet he couldn't find the will to write an article discrediting Blizzard. Sure, a building was destroyed in the process, but the end result was that Blizzard had saved ten lives, ten people who had families out there.
Rubbing his hand over his forehead, he reached for his coffee mug only to notice it was empty. Letting out a sigh, James made eye contact with Kendall before signalling for coffee, causing the blond to nod as he picked up the pot from the counter and made his way over to James.
"Thank you" the brunet said, and as soon as Kendall was finished pouring, he picked up the mug and took a sip.
"I hate to be nosy, but I can't help but notice what you've been working on. You a fan of Blizzard?" The blond asked, for some reason feeling like this random stranger's opinion was important to him.
"Personally, I think he's great, but my boss seems to disagree" James began, causing Kendall to raise an eyebrow at him.
"May I ask why?" the blond asked, causing James to let out a little chuckle.
"Well, take today for example. Blizzard went into that building and saved 10 lives, but when I write an article about that, my boss doesn't care. He wants me to write about how the building collapsed and how these people now have nowhere to live. It just doesn't sit right with me, so I'm struggling to write it" James continued, causing Kendall to nod along.
"Can I offer a word of advice?" he said, causing James to glance up at him. "I think that you should write your boss wants. Write about how Blizzard, someone who uses ice, destroyed the building that was on fire. I think you should write that the ten people that Blizzard saved from the fire now have nothing to live for. See what I'm doing?" Kendall asked, causing James to nod.
"I see exactly what you're doing. I just need to spin the wording of my story, so it still shows that Blizzard is a hero, but it does it in a way that my boss will like. Thank you, Kendall," James replied, causing the blond to blush once again.
"Don't worry about it. And I'm here until close in case you need any more coffee"
"I'm sure I will" James replied, granting Kendall another smile before the blond walked away.
With a new abundance of energy, James found it easy to work through his article, changing the phrasing of certain parts in order to accommodate what his boss wanted.
Kendall on the other hand was silently buzzing at the news he'd just received. It seems the hot guy approved of his…side projects, and that made what he does so much better.
As the night drew to an end, and the coffee shop began to close, James found the courage to speak to Kendall one last time. "Hey" James said, his laptop bag over his shoulder once again. "I just wanted to say thank you for the help tonight, it was really useful."
"Don't worry about it, I'm just glad I could help" Kendall replied, a blush growing on his face again.
"Well, if you ever feel like you want to help again, maybe you could give me a call?" James continued, taking a massive risk as he handed a small business card to Kendall, with his name and number on it. The nerves that were flowing through him in this moment were immense, but when he saw the smile that grew on Kendall's face, he calmed slightly.
"Yeah, I might just do that…James" Kendall replied, reading the name of the card with a smile.
"Anyway, I best be off, so…have a good night"
"You too James" Kendall replied, causing James to smile once more before he walked out the door.
The smile of Kendall's face was enormous. The one down side to it all however was that the blond was unsure how he was going to manage this and his other job, seeing James and protecting Spirit City.
'One step at a time Kendall. One step at a time.'
So, there we have it, a superhero story. Although, I have to admit, I always forget that I have to write a summary for stories, which I suck at by the way, so I guess you already knew what it was about 😜 Anywho, let me know what you thought, as this might be the story to replace Class Vs Character when that finishes!
I will see you tomorrow for the next chapter of Class Vs Character, but until then,
TTFN 😃