I was once a villain. But now I'm a hero. So why do I feel so guilty?
Because you let some surfer kid die in your place. The answer came almost as quickly as the question. Because you didn't argue the order to run away. To hide while your team mates fought your aunt.
That's not it. I beat upon the criminal standing before me. At least, not all of it. Besides, I had been acting as a hero for years by then. I didn't have much else to do after my family died. Except Buttercup, who was my only family after that.
She should have hated me. I guess I feel guilty about that too. Because not only did she accept me, she loved me like we had always been family.
"Holiday! Pay attention!" The man standing behind me shouted as several of the robots started shooting at me. Not that it mattered. They didn't have the fire power to really hurt me and I just zapped them so that we could continue down the corridor.
I know what you're thinking. Whatever happened to Boomer Jojo? Couldn't exactly use it after I was "killed." Even if the surfer was suicidal, even if he had to agreed to die for justice, no one deserved to get their neck ripped out.
Mitch followed closely behind me, ignoring the commander's orders to stay put on the shuttle till I could get a good search on the place. I didn't have to wear the space suit and I could take most of the damage, so I was perfect for that sort of thing.
Mitch was a great guy, and probably the only one who recognized me for who I really was. "Hey, Holiday. Something on your mind?"
"I'm crazy man." I joked, as I rounded another corridor. I was almost sure this was the place we were looking for. Maybe that's why I felt guilty. "There's always something on my mind."
"Whatever." He took a shot at a robot that had appeared around the corner before I could get it myself. "You really think this might be the place?"
"How many people do you think can build robots that sophisticated?" I asked in response.
Before he could reply, a hologram appeared on the command deck was we stepped over the threshold, better answering his question. "Welcome to Station One. It is my misfortune to inform you that you have probably missed my stay here before I leave to Omega 3. If you have any requests, please ask me and I will provide the best support that I can."
"Um...turn atmosphere on?" I asked, looking around the deck.
"Oxygen processors on. How else may I help you today?"
"Hold that thought." I turned to Mitch and pushed him back out to the hall, causing the hologram to disappear. "Definitely Blossom's station."
"Could she still be alive out there?" He asked me, a hint of hope in his voice.
"Maybe, but-"
"Mitch, Holiday!" Our communicator's sung out together, interrupting me. "Do either of you know a Boomer? Someone's trying to contact him, insisting this is the shuttle he was put on."
Boomer...they would only jeopardize my identity for two reasons, and neither could be good. "I gotta get to turf, commander." I said simply before turning off my communicator. Mitch just frowned. He knew more about my family than anyone else.
"Just go." He said, pushing my arm towards where the air locks should be. "And make sure she's alright."
As I flew through empty space, I dreaded getting home. Not because of Scourge, really. If I had to, I could fight her to a standstill. Never knew quite why, but the shades of blue on either side had always been the strongest.
No, Scourge didn't scare me. I was ready to die if I had to, even if at the hands of my aunt. What I really dreaded was Him. He never liked playing fair, and He would do anything to pull back on the deal we had made.
"Okay. Today we will be deciding on if Boomer Jojo should be allowed to join our ranks." Major Glory beamed at the group surrounding the table. I had been a hero for a year now and I could barely keep myself from smiling. Then my smile vanished. "We will put it up to a vote. I say aye."
"Nay." The purple hulk of a man said, scowling at me. I had confused him once, apparently, and he held a grudge against me for it.
"Nay." The blond next to him called out. "Nobody who could just make stuff blow up has ever been good."
"Nay." The black man next in line said. I only recognized him as Capital G, and couldn't recall meeting him before.
The monkey in a black jumpsuit gave a thumbs up.
"Aye." Major Man smiled. It was hard getting started as a hero, and he knew any bit of help could go a long way.
Finally, it was Buttercup's turn. She was going to say no. And I probably deserved it. I had spent the first six years of my life trying to kill her, after all. I turned around and started to walk away. "Aye...on a trial." She stared at me till I turned around to face her. That glare scared me more than any dirty look I had received from either of my brother's, before their demise. "I want to keep an eye on him."
"I'm here to see Buttercup Utonium." I said to the receptionist at the hospital.
"I'm sorry, but visiting is restricted. May I ask who you are?"
"Holiday." I respond sharply.
"I'm sorry? You're not on the list of approved visitors.
"Boomer Jojo, then."
She closed the book as I said the name. Seems she had lived in Townsville for a while then. "I am less inclined to let you visit her now than a minute ago."
Rolling my eyes didn't seem the best thing to do, but I did it anyways. "I'm going back there anyways. Either you can tell me the room number, or I can storm through the entire hospital till I find her."
"You are a liar and are probably here to assassinate our town hero."
"I am no liar."
"Boomer has been dead for six years. Killed by Scourge."
"Apparently, that isn't true. Can you give me that room number, or will I have to disturb the entire hospital?"
I had been accepted as a full member of the Justice Friends after a year. Technically. Buttercup and I were never shown to be true members, so that we could work in the dark when we needed to. Since we were the only two who could work in such a fashion, we became partners. She trusted me as much as I trusted her. We could have turned on each other at a moments notice.
Plus, with us being dark agents, we never drew undue attention from Scourge or any other source.
"What's the plan, blue boy?"
We had been stalking this man for days now. Trickster, I believe. Real piece of work, this guy was. Totally insane. "Melt his brain?"
"That's sick."
"Worked on Butch."
"Didn't say I didn't like it. Just said it's sick."
"Still works on psychos."
"He seemed too quite to be a psycho."
"Should've seen his notebook. Knew every point where we would theoretically be vulnerable."
"Theoretically?"
"Would you ever test something that might just kill you?"
"Good point."
We were pretty morbid, sure. Most of our missions were to assassinate dangerous criminals. But it was more than that. We had been born to fight, raised to fight. We didn't know anything else. So you try to not have morbid thoughts when all you can think of is when you get to punch the next guy.
We sneaked in and took care of Trickster.
Time changed as I walked through the halls. It got slower, yet faster. Everything became red. "Hello, son." The feminine voice echoed around me. "You've been...busy."
"I'm not your son. You promised to leave us alone when the Powerpuff Girls were gone."
"You never kept your end."
"Sure I did. Crushed the spirit of Bubbles, made it to where there were no more Powerpuff Girls."
"You didn't kill them!" His voice took on it's more demonic form.
"Wasn't the deal. After Blossom's death, no one has used the title Powerpuff, much less formed another team called the Powerpuff Girls. In short, I don't work for you anymore."
"You will regret those words." With that, he had disappeared again, and everything resumed as normal.
"Lucky me." I thought aloud as I found the door to her room.
"We're going to spring a trap on her." Major Glory announced to me, sitting on my bunk.
It had been almost a year and a half since I joined the Justice Friends. Needless to say, I was a little surprised at the statement. "On who?"
"Bu-Scourge." He corrected himself quickly. Bubbles had died many years ago, and been replaced by Scourge. She wasn't really my aunt, Buttercup's sister, but a child possessed. Only her family, us, were allowed to call her Bubbles anymore. "And you're going to be the bait. Technically."
"Technically? What do you mean by that?"
"Sup, dude." A man walked into the doorway. He looked remarkably like me, sounded remarkably like me. So I said the natural thing.
"Woah...I'm looking at me."
"Not really. Jonathan is a shapeshifter."
"I don't see where you're going with this."
"Jonathan is going to become a public superhero...disguised as you."
"That's suicidal! I'm Scourge's number one target."
"Let's hope you are, dude." He smiled, which seemed eerie since he still looked like me. "I've been looking for a way out."
I push open the door at the memory.
I was once a villain. In a way, I still am.
A/N: Okay...not Mario. I'm trying very hard to etch the next chapter out, but it's proving difficult. But I haven't worked on anything else, as this was already typed up a week ago. So, semi-lie this time. Still trying to work on DoaH, may post the next chapter of this or a Samurai Jack thing that has been sitting on my computer for the better part of the month. Hopefully not, but only time will tell.