Hello everyone! I'm Tory, and this is my first Young Avengers fanfiction. I hope you will like it. It's a few chapters long, hope you'll stay until the end! Feel free to review :3
Disclaimer : I do not own Young Avengers!
My name is Teddy Altman. I'm a 14 year-old teenager living quite a normal life. I have a loving mum, no sibling no tease, a father ever hardly mentioned (Mum told me once that he passed away, but she never wants to speak about him), and a quite a normal school life.
Quite, because I realised years ago I could change my appearance, easily to a hulk-green creature with wings, with more concentration to almost anything else. Does my mother know? Guys, has Peter Parker told his aunt May he could throw spider web? Would Bruce Wayne shout to the world he is Batman? Keeping this secret makes me feel like a superhero. I've got a secret identity no one knows about. I'd love to go save the world, but I have to find a cool name first, and that's not as easy as one might think.
Oh, as you might have noticed, I'm a geek when it comes to superheroes. I know almost everything about everyone of them. I'm an active contributor to their Wiki Page, too.
There are a few more things to know about me, but I guess it's time to begin the story, so you'll discover them along.
I'm part of the football team. You know, that reputation about those footballers being handsome, and super popular? Well, it's true, most of the time. All the guys in my team are really good-looking, and I suppose I am too. But looking good is not enough, of course. Those guys are complete jerks, and I do hope I am not. I hang out with them from time to time, but really we do not have much in common. I joined the team because I wanted to be normal. I was afraid that if I got angry or anything, I would change my appearance (trust me, it happened, luckily never in public), and nobody mess with a quarterback. Hanging out with jerks to fit in the mould, that was my life plan.
Anyway, one day, at lunch break, I noticed all my "friends" (sic) gathered around a boy. He was in my class, but so discreet that I never knew his name (we were in the end of September, it's not like we spent a whole year together, don't judge me!). I was too far to hear what they were saying, but it was not that hard to know: they were not just jerks, but also bullies. They were probably trying to get his lunch or to punch him because their eyes met. The team was composed of middle schoolers, but all pretty massive, making the sitting boy even smaller. I walked closer, trying to see if I could help.
"Oh, Altman, there you are! We were just having a little conversation with our friend here... Wanna join?"
He smirked. I sighed.
"Walker, aren't you ever sick of picking on other students? You're old enough to just... I don't know, leave everyone alone and live a happy little life?"
"Oh, stop being a wimp, Altman! We just want to teach that lil' guy a few lessons about life."
"About life? What you talking about, Walker?"
"Well, our boy right here thinks he can show up although he's a freak. Whining about being dumped by his boyfriend... Freaks like you should be happy about being allowed to live, faggot."
I stared in awe. I always knew Walker was the worst person in this school, but... He was bullying that boy because he was gay?
"I can't believe it." The words slipped from my thoughts to my mouth. And, of course, Walker misunderstood my awe.
"I know, right? What a monster!"
"What are you saying, Walker? Don't you think you're going too far this time? I was getting sick of your inappropriate remarks to women, but now you're picking on homosexuality, and he's the one you call a freak? Leave him alone."
The other guys stepped back. I was as tall as Walker, and stronger. If we had to fight, I would win.
"What is that, Altman? Are you turning gay too? Going to comfort the little boy in your bed?"
"Fuck off, Walker. Standing for a guy being insulted does not make me gay. Still makes you a complete moron, though."
If a glare could kill, we would probably both have died. His face was all red, and I was worried mine would turn green. Not green please not green please not green.
"Fine, Altman. We're leaving your boyfriend alone... For now. Don't be late for training tonight, or you're training with heels, like a true fag."
And off they were. Trying to gain my temper back, I turned to the boy.
"I'm sorry. I would like to say that deep inside he's a good guy, but that would probably be a lie..."
I laughed. He didn't. He was looking at me as if I was the one who had been insulting him.
"I don't remember asking for any help."
"Yeah, because you were doing so well by yourself."
"You think you did something good, don't you? You help the poor little gay boy. Hurray. You're a hero."
"Hey, I didn't do that to be thanked, but I don't think I should be hated either, buddy."
"Well, you are. Not only by me, because you stuck your nose in someone else's business, but now you're becoming your little friends' victim too. Congrats."
"You worried about me, eh?" My smirk wasn't exactly voluntary, but I was kind of relieved that was why he was mad. Except that was not.
"I do not give a shit about you. But this is just going to make my life worse. Maybe you think that you are sharing my pain now, that they will pick on you and let me go? Pain is not something you share, man. If I burn myself and you throw your hand in the fire, I won't feel better. We will just both get hurt. Try to get friendly with me, and you'll lose your friends, no one will ever talk to you again, and guess what ? All of a sudden, that top high school you were aiming at will tell you you do not have the profile. You wanna help me? Then leave me alone and never talk to me again."
I wanted to say something, but I couldn't. I was too shocked. Just how much pain had he endured until now?
Then, all of a sudden, he smiled. Not a kind and soft smile, more like a sadistic smile.
"Let me help you help me, Altman. No need to thank me for that."
And he grabbed my hand to put it at is collar. His eyes looked terrified. He was struggling as is I was strangulating him or something. A tear rolled down his cheek, and he started shouting with a panicked voice.
"Please, I promise! I won't ever do anything wrong! I'm so sorry I asked you if you were gay too! Please, don't hit me anymore! I swear, I will never ever talk to you or even look at you again, so please, let me go!"
Stunned, I said nothing, trying to get my hand back, but he was gripping it tightly, and the more I struggled, the more it looked like I was choking him. He started shouting again as if answering something I said.
"No, not my brothers! Leave them out of that! I will do anything, anything, but leave them out of it!"
"Hey, Altman!"
The boy released my hand and collapsed on the floor, his eyes looking at me as if I were a monster. Walker and the other guys were back, and looking impressed. They disgusted me.
"We came back to see if you were making out or anything, but I guess I was wrong... I always knew you were a good guy, Altman. No need to pretend to be a weak to make me feel more powerful, you know. If you want your share when I'm teaching kids this school's rules, you could have asked."
The other ones laughed stupidly. I looked back at the boy.
"What's your name?"
He answered with a shaking voice.
"Billy Kaplan, sir."
"Well, Billy Kaplan, I do remember that we are on the same class. Is that right?'
"Yes, sir. Very right. But I swear I will not tell anyone about..."
"You will tell", I interrupted," the teacher that I wasn't feeling well, and that I had to go home early. That's all I'm asking. C'mon, get up."
I held out my hand to help him up, but he refused it. As my body was masking his face from the other guys, he gave me a cold glare.
"Walker, sorry, I won't be there at the training today. Make me wear heels next time if that makes you feel better. I don't care."
Walker shrugged.
"Dude, with what I just saw, I think you fully deserve a day off. See you tomorrow, hero."
As I was leaving the school, I realised I just gained the respect from someone I despised, and got hated by someone I wanted to help.
Life sucked.
When I got home, mum was there. As soon as she saw me, she looked worried.
"Teddy, what on Earth are you doing home now? Why are you not in class?"
"I, uh..."
Noticing how troubled I was, she calmed down.
"Okay, take a seat. I'm going to make some tea, and you will explain everything to me, is that alright?"
I nodded. I was really close to her, and told her almost everything (that did not involve me changing my appearance). So when she sat next to me with two cups of steaming tea, I told her everything that happened today.
At first, she said nothing. Then she grinned at me.
"So you fell for that bullied kid, didn't you?"
If you're reading this, you probably already know it, but let me say it properly : I'm gay. Actually, I don't think there was ever a single day in my life where I doubted it. My mother never raised me by telling me that boys married girls. So the day my brain decided I should love someone else than my mother, it never was for girls. The day I told her I wanted to live a fairytale and to marry a handsome prince and we would live happily ever after (I was 6), she just kissed me on the forehead and told me "I wish I will be there to lead you to the altar.".
I kind of hid it at school because.. Well, because I did not want to live through what Billy was living through, but I never said that I was straight or anything. People just made assumption. Even when I told Walker that defending Billy did not mean that I was gay, that was just pure truth. If Kaplan had been straight, I would still have defended him and that would not have changed my sexual orientation.
Anyway, my mum knew about me being gay. Although that was clearly not the best time to joke about it.
"Mum, I'm serious! You should have seen his eyes... He looked like a wild animal. He trusts no one. He is all by himself. I don't remember seeing him with any friends or anything..."
"Sorry about that, Teddy. I was trying to make the atmosphere feel lighter... So, what do you want to do?"
"I want to help him. I want to be his friend. Not because he's being bullied. Not because he is gay. I just want him... To trust people again. I want him to have a normal life. I want him to know he is normal."
"You risk being targeted by Walker."
"I don't care about Walker. He's an idiot and he wants me by his side because I look good and I'm strong. I give that 'popular' look. And I stay with him only because everyone else is scared by that popular reputation. He wants to bully me? Not my problem. I'm aware I'm not the freak one."
Mum sighed.
"Taming that boy might not be an easy task, Teddy, but if I can do anything, tell me. I wish you all the luck in the world... No matter who that boy is, he's still a better company than Walker, I'm sure of it."
We exchanged a smile. I loved my mother so much. She was the most understanding person I knew, and my dream in life was to become a person as good as her.
I spent the whole afternoon thinking of how to get Billy Kaplan to trust me.
By the evening, I had the beginning of a plan.
Next Chapter next week :D