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Chapter Two: Rivalry
"You may call me Professor Chaos."
My leg shook rapidly.
"Next up, we'll talk about why it's important to keep an eye on food recalls and why to take them seriously," the blonde hair, blue eyed anchor said. Her smile reminded me a lot of the barista's, wide and fake. It was the only thing I could focus on from the television.
"Make sure not to forget."
The male anchor turned to face his partner to say, "You think it would be fairly easy but it's actually quite difficult to keep track of your food unless you know exactly where to look."
The camera quickly switched to show the woman again who was slowly nodding in agreement. "Yes, but it's important to know how recalls are decided and what proper steps to take to keep you and your family safe," she explained and turned her face her attention to the camera.
The sectional couch started to squeak under my movement as the rapid shaking grew more and more intense without me realizing. It was an old piece of brown and grey furniture bought cheap from Mr. Mackey that sank in the corner. Despite the fact that Kyle and Stan hated it, I found that spot the most comfortable and it was exactly where I sat as I watched the morning news. My cuts and burn marks were bandaged up leaving me looking like a crash victim along my right cheek and over my arms and hands. Even though the television was on in front of me, I wasn't paying attention to it. The words were rattling around in my mind, occupying the space with frustration and curiosity.
"Every hero needs a villain, Mysterion."
"Hey." The small porcelain bowl tapped against my shoulder and instantly stopped my shaking. I whipped my head around to look up at Stan who frowned at me. "You're grinding your teeth. Stop it." I rolled my eyes as I took the bowl of cereal to place it in my lap. I hadn't noticed I was performing my bad habit until he mentioned it. Stan dropped himself next to me on the couch. He ran his fingers through his dark hair as he yawned. "This Professor Chaos guy must really have you on edge. I haven't seen you grind your teeth since Karen said she was dating someone four years older than her."
I ran my spoon around the inside of my bowl and sighed. "I wanted to deck him so badly," I said with a quieted voice.
"Well, if memory serves me right, you did," Stan replied with a soft grin.
I had spilled pretty much everything to Stan on the floor of the kitchen as he patched me up. I wasn't sure how I got home or why I ended up in the kitchen, but I was there and I wasn't getting up for a while once I was down. I explained everything from the explosion to the masked figure, but I left out the bright flashes of lightning that still seemed impossible to understand even though I felt the effects of them on my skin. I talked and talked until my body couldn't handle being awake anymore and fell asleep. When I woke, I was on the longest stretch of the couch as Stan was curled along the other section with his long leg stretched out over the arm. It wasn't difficult for Stan to carry me down the hall to my room so he must have been worried about me enough that he wanted to keep an eye on me.
"The way you were talking about Professor Chaos last night though, it's almost like you might be a bit obsessed with him," Stan explained as his soft grin faded a bit.
"He blew up a building, Stan. Downtown Denver, and he blew up a building!" my voice gradually rose as I spoke. Stan's grin gradually grew wider again as my voice got louder. I rolled my eyes. "Oh, shut up," I grumbled and shoved a spoonful of chocolate cereal into my mouth.
"—careful when choosing your groceries and stay updated with any news outlet have access to as frequently as possible," the woman explained through the camera to her audience. I looked down at my bowl to push my cereal down into the milk. "Police and fire department officials are still looking into the mysterious explosion at a downtown office building."
My head snapped back up as the television shifted from the news anchor to footage of the three-story building I had witnessed go up in flames. The flames had been put out. Yellow tape surrounded the charred building as police officers and fire fighters passed through the shot. "Stan!" I shouted as I smacked his arm. I startled him. He dropped his spoon in his bowl and milk splashed back up at him.
"Fuck, Kenny," he whined and wiped the liquid from his face. "Jesus dude, calm the fuck down."
"That's—ugh—That's the building!" I shouted as I pointed at the screen and struggled against choking on the cereal that was still in my mouth.
"Kenny, seriously, you're going to die," Stan said with a worried tone.
I lifted my hand to wave him off. "It's fine. Already done it, but are you seeing that? He blew up a whole building just to get my attention! How fucked up is that?!" I shouted and leaned forward slightly.
"There is no confirmed cause for the explosion—," the woman's voice said over the footage of the charred building.
"Why is Kenny yelling?" Kyle stepped off the bottom step of the staircase to ask as he rubbed his tired eyes. He was a mess. Stan and I looked like we had just woken up but he looked like he had just crawled out of his own grave.
"Kenny has an enemy," Stan answered plainly.
"—but we have heard reports that the unofficial hypothesis is that a gas line ruptured under the building," the news anchor added.
Kyle threw himself down onto the short length of the couch. He rested his head on my knee and his legs draped over the arm. "An enemy?" he asked.
"It was no gas rupture!" I shouted angrily and Stan moved as if to take my bowl from me when I was dangerously close to spilling the contents of it all over the floor but I stopped before it happened, making him relax slightly. "It was a setup. He blew it up!"
Kyle turned his head to look past me to Stan. "What the hell is he talking about?" he asked with a small sigh.
Stan set his bowl of cereal down on the small table beside him to sit forward. His elbows rested on his knees so he could press his hands together. "It seems last night while Kenny was out patrolling the streets he encountered a villain who has taken a special interest to him," he explained dramatically with a lifted eyebrow which made Kyle's expression brighten.
"Really? Like an actual villain?" he asked with excitement in his tone.
Stan nodded. "Yep. Cape, mask, hidden identity. The works. He even admitted he was doing it because of Kenny," he explained over the sound of the television.
"Dude!" Kyle shouted and reached up to smack my cheek. It jostled me out of my daze. I looked down at him with furrowed eyebrows. His grin stretched across his pale face. "You've got a villain rival. That's awesome!"
"Are—Are we intentionally missing the fact that he blew up a building and almost blew me up in the process? Are we missing that?" I asked, my voice raising in octaves and decibels simultaneously.
Kyle lifted himself to sit up and mimicked me in crossing his legs on the couch. "Oh, you'll be fine," he explained as he reached over to take my bowl of cereal from my lap. "You're the hero. The hero doesn't die. Not until the end at least," he explained, grin splayed on his face as he shoved his mouth full of cereal.
"I'm glad you guys can find amusement out of my near death experience," I growled and quickly snatched my bowl back from Kyle's thin fingers. Even though I knew I couldn't die, they didn't know that, so the lack of worry was a bit irritating. "But this guy is dangerous. He may have blown up an empty office building last night but there's no telling what he might do next."
There was a rock in my stomach. It had been there since I fell off the rooftop when I encountered Professor Chaos. With every worrying thought that passed through my mind I could feel it getting heavier and heavier. He was dangerous. I was immortal, but he had the power to kill with the snap of his fingers. Kyle and Stan shared in a quick glance with each other before they both turned back to face their attention to me again. They finally heard the seriousness in my tone.
"Sorry, we should have been taking this more seriously," Stan said and Kyle nodded along in agreement. "It's just—It's sort of hard to wrap our heads around this sometimes. It's all still sort of surreal to us."
They shared the same expression that made me guilty. Five months before, everything was fucking normal. I was normal. Our lives were normal. The worst we had to worry about was agreeing on what to have for dinner. There were no heroes or villains except for what was in Kyle's comic books. They may have been the ones on the outside looking in, but I think that's what made it worst. They weren't a part of it, and yet they were dragged under the surface by it all the moment Kyle found me on the bathroom floor. I dragged them into the mess.
I quickly shook my head. "You don't need to apologize. It's not like you guys did anything," I explained and looked up with a grin. "This is a lot to take in, so I understand. I'd do the same thing."
Stan's expression softened. "I've got to say," Kyle spoke up with an elbow on his knee as he placed the side of his face in his palm to angle his head so he was looking at me, "you are handling all of this pretty well. I was sure you were going to give up within the first month, but you're dedicated to it all. It's almost as if you're a completely different Kenny McCormick."
"With a purple cape," Stan added.
Kyle snapped his fingers to point at his best friend. "With a purple cape," he repeated and grinned wide.
I looked back and forth between my two friends. They were both smiling at me, hoping that whatever it was that was eating away at me was gone. I wouldn't lie, the feeling in my stomach was still there, but it was lighter. I looked back down at my bowl in my lap and smiled. "Thanks guys," I said in a low voice.
Kyle leaned over to nudge me with his shoulder and I flinched slightly when his sharp elbow jabbed against a sore spot in my flesh. "That's what we're here for, dude. You beat up the bad guys and we beat up the bad feelings you have," he explained.
"Are you gonna get mushy on me now?" I asked with a crooked smile as I lifted an arm to wrap it tightly around Kyle's neck. He fought against the hold but couldn't break free as I pulled him against me.
"No! That's Stan's job," he grunted and dug his knuckles into my side. I laughed at the feeling of pain mixed with being tickled. "Let go of me, Kenny!"
"Awe, come on buddy, don't be so mean," I teased and grunted when Kyle punched me hard in the stomach to force me to let go. He wiggled free and quickly dashed across the room to scramble up the stairs. "Rude!"
"Fuck off, Kenny!" Kyle yelled down to me before he darted into the bathroom to slam the door shut behind him.
I chuckled lightly and looked back down at my bowl of milk with a few spoonfuls of cereal left floating in it. Stan gently tapped his spoon against his bowl a few times before he reached over to take mine from me. I quickly lifted my head, my eyes wide. "Hey! What are you—?" I started to ask.
"Get changed, Kenny," Stan said as he moved around the couch towards the kitchen. "We're going for a run."
My eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "Huh?" I exclaimed loudly and shifted so my chin rested on the back of the couch as my arms draped over to dangle.
"Last night you said you wanted to start running so you can get into shape," Stan explained.
I wished I could say I didn't remember but the moment he said it the memory flooded back. In my pain induced haze I mumbled to Stan before I let my head fall back against the cupboard and my eyes closed. It was almost worst than being drunk. Stan dropped the bowls in the sink with a loud clatter and turned to look at me through the opening in the wall that divided the living room from the kitchen.
"And don't think about trying to get out of it. You insisted last night and I am going to listen to that Kenny," he explained, his arms crossed over his chest.
I narrowed my eyes slightly and the small smile crept on his face. "You just want to see me suffer," I muttered.
The smile grew a bit wider. "Maybe," he dragged teasingly.
I groaned loudly as I sunk to hide my face in the couch cushion. I was going to regret it. Damn, past me. Reluctantly, I followed Stan's orders. I could have fought it, but one thing I knew about Stan was that he had a stubborn streak too when he wanted to. Whether that was something he caught on from Kyle over the years or if he was actually like that, I wasn't too sure. Instead of facing the onslaught of an annoying and frustrating argument, I decided to concede.
"Dude, it's the middle of January," I said with my face twisted in as I referred to Stan's jogging pants and hoodie with no sleeves. I wore thicker jogging pants with my heavy sweater over my t-shirt underneath. "You're gonna freeze."
Stan grinned. "Trust me, you won't feel anything once we start moving," he explained and grabbed the door to throw it open. "Just try to keep up, alright? If you can."
"Oh, challenge accepted, Stanley boy!" I shouted and chased him out of the unit.
We raced down the metal stairwell like we used to in high school when we'd be leaving. I couldn't help but remember those days as we hopped and lunged down the stairs in desperation to beat the other for not other reason than because we could. Stan had the longer stride, but I was quicker, more agile. The sounds of our footsteps thumping against the steps echoed off the walls, bouncing up and down to wrap around us as we laughed and egged each other on. I was falling behind Stan on the second level when I grabbed the railing and vaulted over to land in front of him.
"Hey!" He shouted from behind me. "No fair!"
"All is fair in love and war, Stanley boy," I said and continued to race down the steps with him hot on my heels. I blew through the door to the main level and quickly avoided the couple waiting patiently for the elevator by throwing my weight and slamming against the wall and dodging around them. "Sorry!" I shouted back partly laughing and continued to race. Stan pulled ahead of me with a joyful laugh.
The cold air immediately hit me through my clothing. My skin bubbled with goosebumps and my body wanted to spin back around to find shelter in the warm building, but my pride was the boss. I needed to beat Stan. I wasn't even sure where we were going or what the finish line was going to be, but I needed to beat him there. I needed to get there first, just like when we were teens. We raced along the sidewalk, avoiding pedestrians left and right. I could start to feel the burn in my legs and my throat but I had to ignore them. Stan was years of physical training ahead of me, but I had blind determination. My heart was racing along with us. Stan turned and I followed. For a while it felt more like he was leading me rather than we were racing. Our legs moved at an equal pace, though mine were a bit faster to match his long strides. He turned again and I knew where we were heading.
The trees looked eerie without their leaves as we ran down the path through the large park. The burn in my legs was growing to my thighs and I was breathing heavier. My body was begging to stop but I wanted to keep going. I was sort of enjoying the burn. I forced my legs to speed up and pulled past Stan as we passed by two women walking with their strollers.
"You're not gonna win this, Kenny!" Stan shouted and picked up speed to return to my side.
I laughed. My throat was too constricted to say anything but I didn't need to. Everything around us was distant from our race. I couldn't feel the cold. I couldn't think about Professor Chaos or being Mysterion or any of the other shit that invaded my life. All I could think about was beating Stan. Then, I'm not sure how, but we both knew when to finally stop. We slowed down at a small extension from the path where a few park benches sat in a horseshoe. Our breaths came out in heavy pants. I stood with my hands on my knees as Stan paced in a small circle, his hands on his hips.
"Ugh, everything hurts," I groaned painfully between my heavy breaths.
Stan chuckled. "That's what happens when you push yourself when you're out of shape," he explained and reached over to smack my back. I let out a loud exhale of air at the contact and groaned. "I'm surprised though. I didn't think you'd last as long as you did."
"For the record, you were the one who stopped first, so I did outlast you," I said as I lifted my head slightly to look up at him through the curtain of my dirty blonde hair.
Stan grinned. "Wishful thinking, dude. Wishful thinking," he replied and stepped away from me. "Ready to go again?"
"Again?" I asked breathlessly as I straightened my back and stretched my arms above my head. "That wasn't it?"
"Not even close. Now we have to do it for real," Stan explained and I whimpered. "That was just a warm up. Now we race for the coffee shop and whoever loses has to buy."
"The coffee shop?" I asked and coughed hoarsely. "Are you trying to kill me? Because that will literally kill me."
Stan's eyebrow lifted quizzically. I had to hand it to him that he may have been the most caring person I knew, but he had his devilish moments when he was in the right mood. "I'm sorry, can Kenny McCormick not handle a bit of running?" He pressed. "I guess I was wrong about him."
"A bit of running? That's what you consider a bit of running?" I asked in a low growling voice. "You are a sadist."
"Says the one who willingly jumps off rooftops and stands in the line of fire instead of ducking behind cover," he replied and started to move his feet. He was ready to go. I definitely was not.
"Stan," I said in a low, warning tone.
He lifted his foot to hold it behind him, stretching out his thigh. "Yes Kenny?" He asked, his wide grin on his face getting more and more dark in mischief with each passing second.
"Well, you see, I just want to—," I started to say but stopped when I quickly spun around and started to run, despite the burning pain in my legs.
"Hey!" Stan shouted and chased after me. "You cheater!"
"Keep up, Stanley!" I shouted back over my shoulder.
I could feel the adrenaline running through my veins caused by the thought of being pursued. It was a familiar feeling I got often while I was Mysterion. It was the feeling that made my spine tingle and the hair on my arms stand on end. It was the feeling I was addicted to, and it was the feeling that clouded my mind and made me forget everything around me. It was the closest feeling I think I'd ever get to flying and man did I ever want to soar.
"Kenny!" Stan suddenly yelled from behind me. I was lost in my own head and didn't notice the small family stepping out of the store onto the sidewalk. I quickly dodged out of the way but lost my momentum, allowing Stan to pass by me with ease. "Suck it, Kenny!"
"Dammit!" I snapped as I pushed my legs to run faster, but I couldn't catch up to him. We arrived at the coffee shop breathless and exhausted. Our heavy, panting breaths came out in small clouds made by the cold air.
Stan stepped up beside me to smack my back. "Not bad. You managed to keep up fairly well," he explained in praise even if his voice was a bit condescending.
"I feel—I feel like—," I struggled to say through my heaving pants. "I feel like I'm gonna die," I blurted out.
"Nothing a little caffeine can't fix," he explained and stepped forward to grab the door to the coffee shop. "Let's go, you're buying."
He looked completely fine, aside from the quick rise and fall of his chest as he was steadying his breathing. "You're the devil, Stan Marsh," I groaned and stood straighter until my back let out a deep pop just above my waist.
The coffee shop was busy but not packed. Stan and I grabbed our drinks and took a seat by the large windows in two mix match coloured armchairs with a small table between us. I rubbed at my sore calf as Stan leaned back in his chair to sip at his iced tea.
"How do you do this every morning?" I asked and leaned back to sit slumped in my seat as I set my coffee cup on the wide arm.
"You get used to it after a while," he answered and leaned forward slightly. "You will get used to it."
"I have to do this again?" I asked with a low groan.
Stan chuckled and lowered his head with a small nod. "Yeah, every morning if you want to be strong enough to protect people against a super villain," he explained.
Super villain. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I had dealt with plenty of bad guys with knives and bats who were generally just causing mischief through the streets of Denver, but this Professor Chaos was a whole new ball game. He blew up a damn building, with no explosives I might add. He was fucking dangerous, even more than anyone else knew, but strangely enough I didn't feel any fear. It was something else that made my back tingle. It was…excitement. Adrenaline.
"Hey," Stan spoke up as he reached out to smack my knee. "I'm not going to tell you to stop, but I want to make sure you know you can. You don't have to be the one to face him. The cops can easily deal with some arsonist with an obsession problem."
If only that were true. I smiled. It was a little forced and Stan could see it, but it must have been enough to keep him from really worrying because he smiled back. "Thanks Stan."
I couldn't stop. There was no way. I should have, but I was too addicted to it all. I should have stopped. I had no idea what I was in store for.
~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~
I rolled out from underneath the old Camry and wiped the back of my hand against my forehead. My hands were covered in grease that I knew I wiped against my skin but didn't mind. I was still technically in a probation period at the garage, given smaller jobs of changing oil and doing diagnostics. My knowledge of cars all came from my time hanging out in the junk yard as a kid looking over the broken-down vehicles rotting away there and whenever Stan and I would be taught by Randy whenever we were bored enough to join him so they were still skeptical to let me take on anything big. I took a long drink of my water before I pressed it against the back of my neck. The cold surface felt relieving against my warm skin. Even in the middle of winter, the garage was a burning inferno from all the machines and equipment.
The garage was old and family run. Mr. Bagley was the fifth generation to own it. Besides me there were two other employees: David and Spence. They were both oddballs who were completely opposite from each other. David was tall and lanky with light hair and an upbeat attitude. Spence was short and stalky with dark hair and was always stoic and quiet. The fact that they were so opposite was what I think made them such great friends. They sort of reminded me of what Stan and Kyle may become when they were middle aged. They were working together on a shiny, expensive Audi brought in by some rich guy who never took his sunglasses off.
I passed by them as they argued about who was right about what was wrong with the vehicle. David spotted me first and reached out with a long arm to clamp his hand down on my shoulder. "Kenny!" He shouted and startled me. I was pulled back roughly to stand between the two men. "Settle our debate. Transmission or belt?" He asked.
I didn't need any explanation. I had heard the grinding from across the garage when they turned the key in the ignition. "I don't think I'm qualified enough to answer that kind of question," I said with a weak smile.
"Neither are we, that's what makes it so much fun sometimes," Daniel explained with a wide, toothy grin.
I chuckled and nodded. "Alright. If I had to take a guess, I'd say the belt," I answered.
Spence turned his head to grin. Daniel's expression instantly fell into annoyance. "Shut up, Spence," he growled.
"I want double if I'm right," Spence said.
Daniel let go of me and quickly spun around to glare at his friend and coworker. I quickly took a step back to get out of the altercation between them. "Like hell!" Daniel shouted as Spence threw his head back to chuckle deep in his chest. He didn't laugh often, but when he did, he made sure it was loud and true.
I left the two men to bicker as I continued to wander through the garage to cool down. It was huge, capable of holding a dozen vehicles at once that ranged from restoration to repairs. I had never seen that many cars there at once, but I could imagine it. The garage was always clean and tidy as per Mr. Bagley's orders. He was very particular about making sure the place was in great shape, except for one part. The back right corner of the garage was piled with junk. Parts of vehicles piled on top of each other and an old toolbox missing a wheel leaned against the wall. It reminded me of the junk yard I would search through for hours after school sometimes when I didn't feel like going home. I set my water bottle down to start picking through the items. I never got far before I'd be pulled away to do some job but I always found my way back to the spot when I needed a break.
I was picking through the parts, moving the old bumper and box of head lights when I noticed the dirtied white sheet draped over something large under the random junk. I reached out to grab the fabric to lift it over the end of the nose of the old vehicle underneath. The front corner was busted in but I could still make out its main features.
"Got your eyes on something, kid?" Mr. Bagley asked and clamped a strong hand down on my shoulder. I tensed from being startled. I hadn't even noticed he was out in the garage. He spent most of his time in his office doing the paperwork, so to see him out was rare. "Ah, you found the Orphan."
"The what?" I turned my head to ask the man, my eyebrows furrowed together.
"It's a nickname we gave her," Mr. Bagley started to explain. "She was involved in a crash about four months ago and whether it was because her owner couldn't afford to fix her or something happened to them, I'm not sure, but she was left here. I know I should do something with her, but I couldn't bring myself to get rid of her."
"Get rid of her?" I asked and ran my hand over the curls and dents in the metal. "Why would you want to get rid of her?"
"She's taking up too much space. I can't keep her here," he said as he moved beside the car to place his hand on the top of the hood. I could tell he was watching me closely but I couldn't take my eyes off the car. I recognized it as a Chevy Camaro. Beyond that, I had no idea. It was old, I could tell you that. "Do you want her?"
My eyes widened in instinct. I slowly lifted my head to look up at the grinning man. "What?" I asked.
"Well, she's abandoned. I just have to go through the proper steps but I can claim her. If you cover the costs, you can have her. I'll even let you use the garage to fix her up, you just pay for the parts. It'll help you learn without becoming a possible liability, as long as working on it doesn't interfere with your other jobs, and I'll even help you out when you need it."
"You—You're serious?" I asked and could feel my mouth slowly turning up into a smile.
Mr. Bagley shrugged his shoulders. "It's either that or she gets trashed. It's your choice," he said, patted the hood, and turned to start to leave.
Following my gut feeling was becoming a very common thing. In my head, I knew it was a bad idea. I'd sink so much money into her to get her running, but I couldn't help it. I was being pulled towards her like a magnet.
"Mr. Bagley," I called out and the man stopped immediately. He turned and I could tell he had been waiting for me to call out to him from the mischievous grin on his face. "Everyone deserves a second chance."
He slowly nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. "Then I'll get right on the paperwork," he said and turned back around to keep walking.
I couldn't stop the smile on my face. The second thing that was mine, that I owned. I couldn't believe it. The wave of happiness that washed over me made me feel dizzy. Or maybe it was the heat of the garage. I needed fresh air. I threw on my sweater and stepped outside to get hit with the cold air. It was going to snow. I sat on a pile of crates next to the door and stared up at the cloudy sky. My breaths travelled past my lips in small clouds that disappeared almost instantly.
"Ah!" I shouted. My phone started vibrating in my pocket and startled me. I was lost in my thoughts staring up at the sky. I pulled the phone out of my pocket and smiled. "Hey," I answered as I pressed it to my ear.
"Kenny!" the high-pitched voice sang through the phone.
"Karen McCormick, shouldn't you be in class right now?" I asked as I leaned back against the wall of the garage with my head pressed against it.
"The teacher let us go early," she explained and I made a disapproving noise in my the back of my throat. "What! She wanted to give us some time to work on our projects and—okay, I'm skipping."
"Karen—," I started to say with a sigh as I pinched the bridge of my nose.
I could hear some shuffling on the other end of the phone. She was walking, probably heading home. "You can't say anything with your track record, big brother," she said loudly.
"I'm not the best role model to be looking up to, little bird," I replied with a smile. Barely graduated from high school. Didn't apply to college. Works as a mechanic with the most basic duties. Gets his kicks out of beating the shit out of bad guys in the dark while wearing a purple costume. Role model of the year.
"It's computers class. All I'm missing is how to use a Word document. I highly doubt that's going to affect my future," Karen explained with a small, exasperated sigh. She didn't want nagging big brother Kenny, she wanted fun big brother Kenny. Must have been a bad day.
"Look, just make sure you don't fall behind okay? At least one of the McCormicks has to make it in this life," I joked. Karen laughed. "How's home?"
"It's…home," she answered in a small voice. I knew what that meant. It wasn't going well. Karen was the one thing that held me back from wanting to move to Denver. I didn't want to leave her in that shitty house with them, but she begged me to go. She knew I needed to get away, even if that meant leaving her behind, but I didn't. As soon as I got my phone I bought her one too so she could always reach me. I visited whenever I could and she would catch the bus on occasion to see me. We never went more than a few days without talking to each other, but it still made me uneasy that she was there and I was in Denver.
"Hey, so, I got a car," I decided to say to lighten the mood.
"What!" Karen screeched on the other end. "Are you serious? That's awesome!"
I chuckled. "It's in pretty bad shape right now and I can't drive it yet, but as soon as I get it running I'll come see you," I explained.
"That is so freaking awesome. I can't wait to see it, Kenny!" She said excitedly and I could feel it through the phone. It made me grin from ear to ear. "Oh! I almost forgot. Kevin got a job and he's been visiting a lot. I think he's got a girlfriend too. A good one. He's really got his shit together right now. I don't know how long it will last, but he's doing really well."
My big brother Kevin. He had been such a roller coaster for years, no one knew what to expect. "And what about you?" I asked. "Are you doing well?"
Karen hummed. "Yeah, I guess I am. Nothing's really going on here, but I hear a lot about Denver! You guys have a superhero running around there?" She asked and I felt my heart flutter in my chest. "Tweek told me about it when I saw him at the coffeehouse. Have you seen him? He sounds so cool!"
I wanted to tell her so bad. Karen had always been the one person in my entire life I told everything to. I told her things I wouldn't even tell Stan or Kyle. I never kept a secret from her…until that one. "No," I answered, "I haven't seen him. He sounds pretty sweet though."
"Ah, what I would give to meet an actual hero!" She said with a dreamy sigh.
"Hey! What about me? You always used to call me your hero," I said with feigned hurt in my voice.
Karen scoffed. "Come on, Kenny, you know what I mean. You're my big brother, you have to be my hero. Mysterion on the other hand, he's different," she explained and I closed my eyes. The smile was still spread wide across my face. "Plus, I bet he's hot."
My eyes snapped open and I choked loudly on nothing. "Karen, please, don't say anything like that ever again," I snapped when I regained my breath. Karen was laughing hysterically on the other end.
The door next to me opened with a loud creak. I turned my head to look up at David who leaned against the doorframe. "Hey McCormick, can you come back inside? We need your help with something," he explained.
I nodded. "Yeah, just give me a second, okay?" I replied and the man nodded in agreement before heading back inside. "Karen, I've got to go back to work. I'll talk to you later though, okay?"
"Yep!" She replied cheerfully. "Love you, big brother!"
"Love you too, little bird," I said and then moved the phone away from my ear to end the call.
I felt guilty about not telling Karen, but she couldn't know. I had to keep her safe. It was bad enough that Kyle and Stan knew, but I knew they could handle themselves. Still, I couldn't get over the sickening feeling that lingered in my stomach.
~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~
The cold Denver air stung my throat as I raced through the dark alleyways. Running with Stan for the last week was actually doing me good. I could feel it in my legs, my back, and in my lungs, but I still had a long way to go before the burn would disappear. The bolt of electricity that suddenly shot from the darkness impacted with the wall of the building next to me. The force of the explosion sent the plastic garbage can flying towards me. I couldn't react quickly enough to dodge out of the way. The object slammed against me and knocked me off balance. I stumbled aside a few steps and almost tripped over a small pile of boxes.
"Fuck! Professor Chaos!" I shouted and continued to race down the alleyway. I couldn't see him but I could hear the heavy footsteps ahead in the dark. It was my third time encountering Professor Chaos. The second encounter was brief with a bit of banter between us on the rooftop of the post office before he disappeared into the darkness. I was about to chase after him but then I heard a scream in the distance and decided to check my priorities. The third time, he was standing by a fire he made in a dumpster in an alleyway which lead to our pursuit in the dark.
The footsteps led me around a corner and to a parking lot. It was dimly lit from the light on the sidewalk and a few that lined the buildings to the sides. Aside from a few vehicles scattered in spaces, the parking lot seemed empty. I stood at the edge of the alleyway and scanned the wide open space. I could have sworn he went that way, or he could have turned a different corner.
"Shit," I hissed and stepped out into the lot. The silence and darkness were becoming like an old friend to me, but there was something in the air in that moment that made my skin crawl. The phantom feeling of energy licked off my skin through my uniform. I couldn't see him, but I could feel him. I could always feel him. It's how I found him every time.
I stopped. The energy was against my back. I quickly spun around and the small flash of electricity struck my chest. I felt the energy course through my body as I flew back against the SUV parked behind me. The impact sent pain through my body. The heavy boots thumped against the pavement towards me. My vision blurred as my ears rang.
"Oh, that was a doozy," Professor Chaos' voice echoed. My vision returned and I looked up as he crouched in front of me. The angle he held his head casted shadows across his half-masked face. I could never get a good look at him. It frustrated the shit out of me. "You alright?" He asked but there wasn't an ounce of actual consideration in his tone. He was teasing me.
"Fuck you, like you actually care," I snapped. My blood was boiling in my veins. This guy, he was a fucking sadistic bastard.
He reached out to grab my chin and I instantly pulled away. "Of course I care, Mysterion," he explained as he slowly pulled his hand away from me. "Who else would I play this game with, other than you?"
"What fucking game? You think toying with people's lives is a game?" I growled angrily. "Screw you, you sadistic bastard."
Professor Chaos laughed. The chill that ran up my spine made me flinch. "And yet, you've come back to play it and will continue to play it," he explained and I could see the flash of teeth as he grinned. "All because you are just as much of a sadistic bastard as I am."
"I didn't blow up a building just for the fun of it," I snapped through clenched teeth.
He rocked his head back and forth as he hummed. "Well, that is true, but how else would I get you to come to me?" He asked in a low voice.
"Why are you so obsessed with me?" I snapped and the pain that had been pulsating in my back was fading away.
"I told you, Mysterion. Every hero needs a villain. Thugs and gang members are nothing for you. I've seen it. You were growing bored of them. You needed a challenge, and I was getting restless, watching you lose your patience with this city," he explained matter-of-factly.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. He wasn't wrong, but it didn't make me any less angry about the fact that he was acting as if this was all a game. He watched me and I didn't even notice. He didn't have a motive for his actions, other than he just wanted to be my villain.
I scoffed as I shook my head. "You're fucking crazy," I growled.
Professor Chaos chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, probably, but I'm sure most would argue that you are as well," he said as he reached out to poke me in the chest and another shock of electricity shot through my body. I cried out in pain as my body went rigid and paralyzed. "Relax, Mysterion," he continued to speak as he stood, "there's lots of time," he added and his cape rustled behind him as he moved away from me. "Until next time, hero."
He disappeared around the SUV and I could feel the energy get fainter and fainter the longer I couldn't move. When the energy was completely gone I regained the feeling in my muscles to slam my head back against the side of the SUV and reached my hands under my hood to push my fingers into my hair. "Dammit," I swore quietly under my breath.
Why me?
~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~
Months passed of numerous more encounters with Professor Chaos when I wasn't taking down drug dealers or muggers. Every encounter started and ended the same way. I'd track him down by following his energy signature and he would always manage to get away at the end. I was powerless against his ability, but the encounters we had, the more I learned about him. He was powerful at a distance, but he was weak when I got too close. I learned that when I luckily managed to catch up to him one day on the rooftops and he almost tripped over his own feet. I would have had him but my arrogance got the fucking better of me. Next, I learned he never aimed to kill. The high impact shots were always close enough to leave me battered and bruised, but never landed. The shots that did land were usually temporarily paralyzing at worst.
It was his way of toying with me, but I noticed something about myself after a while. I was building up a tolerance to his shots. With each passing paralyzing blow I noticed I would regain my muscle control quicker. It was like we were new partners in a very complicated dance and I was slowly learning his steps and turns, but that meant he was learning mine too.
"He is going to be so mad at you if he catches you staring at that," Stan explained from my side as he pointed up.
I couldn't help but stare at the television above the bar. The news was playing on mute but I knew exactly what they were talking about: Professor Chaos. Word had gotten out about him in March. A second masked lunatic jumping around the rooftops in the dark, but he wasn't good. The media connected him to the explosion of the office building, along with some other crimes of arson and destruction throughout Denver. All of it done to get my attention. A lot of the media liked to focus hard on his connection to Mysterion though. That put a huge damper in my reputation. People were questioning Mysterion and had made the past few months difficult. Even when I'd save people, they'd still be skeptical to accept it from me. It was a constant, endless loop of bullshit and I wanted it to stop. Kyle and Stan finally put on their worried faces when I was almost caught by the police because of a terrified victim. They told me it may have been time to quit, but I couldn't. If I stopped, who would put an end to Professor Chaos? Who would protect everyone? Even if they feared me, I needed to protect them.
"Come on, you've got to try for one night at least. It is his birthday after all," Stan continued with an arm draped over my shoulders and a grin on his face.
I shook my head as I sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry. I just can't help but worry," I explained.
Stan tightened his arm around my neck and slid a beer in front of me. "That is why you're going to drink, a lot. You're going to drink so much that you're going to forget everything except how to keep drinking," he ordered. I chuckled and nodded as I reached out to take the drink. Stan roughly patted my back and turned to lean back against the bar. "Well, birthday boy?"
I turned on my stool to face the same direction as Stan. Kyle was stepping out of the bathroom, a large grin formed on his face. The bar was merely pre-drinking while Kyle made up his mind about what he wanted to do and by the look on his face, it was apparent he figured it out. He stopped in front of us with his hands on his hips. I took another sip of my beer.
"The Vault," Kyle said and I almost snorted up my drink.
Stan's eyebrow lifted to disappear under his dark hair. "You want to go to the Vault?" He asked slowly. Kyle nodded enthusiastically. "The Vault is a club. A very dark, loud, and very packed club. That's where you want to go?"
"Yep!" Kyle answered loudly. "And it's my birthday so you can't say no to me."
"I wasn't expecting that," I explained through a strangled voice from struggling to keep my beer from escaping out my nose or down into my lungs.
"Alright Kyle, but first—," Stan said and turned back to grab the two remaining beers from the bar. He handed one to Kyle and held out his between us all. "To Kyle getting old and grey and probably fat like Eric Cartman."
"Fuck you, Stan," Kyle growled playfully as he shook his head slightly.
Stan chuckled. "Happy birthday, dude," he said and we all clinked our drinks together.
The loud, pulsating music was muffled through the walls of the Vault but it was still loud and there was a heavy enough bass that it could be felt through the ground under our feet as we stood waiting in the line on the sidewalk. It never changed either. I'd stand on the rooftops of the buildings that surrounded the club and I could always feel the vibrations no matter where I stood then either. The club was surrounded by businesses that all closed long before the music would start and open long after the thick doors locked so there was never any worry about it.
It didn't take long before we were inside. When the bouncer opened the door, we were immediately hit with the heavy music, though it was still slightly muffled, and hot air. My skin tingled from the overstimulation of my senses. We were only in the initial space of the club. We hadn't made it to the main room yet. Kyle led the way through the thin crowd of people standing around. They were all covered in thin sheets of sweat, hair disheveled and makeup messy. Most of them could barely stand on their own without having to sit or lean against something. My stomach twisted. I wasn't really the club type, but it was for Kyle and clubs were the best place to get strong drinks made. I was already feeling buzzed from our pre-drinking at the bar, so just a few more and I'd be right where I wanted to be.
Kyle pressed against the metal bar on the door and pushed it open. The air shifted. I took a step through the door and stopped. The room was packed full of people. The centre of the room was dedicated to the dance floor full of bouncing and grinding bodies in a haze of glowing colours from the black lights that lined the ceiling. Surrounding the dance floor, the floor lifted a good two feet with the L-shaped bar in the back-left corner. Tall tables and long sofas were scattered all around the lifted perimeter.
"Kenny!" I managed to hear Kyle yell over the house music. "Bar! Drinks!"
I rolled my eyes and quickly pushed through the crowd to follow Kyle and Stan to the bar. After Stan finally managed to catch one of the bartender's attention, we ordered our drinks and found an empty table to stand at. I was almost half through my bourbon before we reached the table to get my stomach to settle. The room was wearing down my buzz but the moment the liquor touched my lips, it came racing back to me.
"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Kyle shouted over the music as he fiddled with his beer.
He was obviously nervous. His spur of the moment idea was weighing heavily on him in regret as he took in the surroundings. Not on my watch. "What do you feel like tonight?" I leaned closer to him to ask.
He looked up at me with a scrunched expression of confusion. "Huh?" He asked confusingly.
"Tall, dark and handsome? Quiet and meek? Mountain of muscles? What do you feel like?" I asked and made a smile form on Kyle's lips. Since the beginning, I was the wingman. Stan was terrible at flirting. Like, he used to throw up whenever he'd talk to girls he had crushes on, bad. He was a sweet guy, which was good in the long run, but he had no game which counted for the initial meeting. That was my forte.
He shook his head. "I don't have a preference," he answered.
"Ah, some Neapolitan tonight? Magnificent choice," I replied with a grin that made Kyle chuckle as Stan rolled his eyes.
I took a small sip of my drink as I turned to survey the crowd of people standing off the dance floor over the rim of my glass. My eyes quickly darted from person to person until it landed on my target. I grinned against the edge of my glass before I downed what was left of the contents. I turned to slam the glass down on the table and both Kyle and Stan gave me the same confused and interested look.
"Be right back," I said with a wink and then started to head off in the crowd. I stopped at the sofa where a tall man with dark, slicked back hair sat with a girl who had her blonde hair twirled up into a rather elaborate bun full of braids and tangles. They both looked up at me and I grinned as I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jeans. "Hi!"
The man's eyebrow slowly raised along with his hand. "I'll stop you right there, man. You're not my type," he said to me with a crooked grin.
I nodded. "I kind of figured that," I explained as I turned my body slightly. "I was thinking he might be more your type," I said and pulled my hand from my pocket to point my thumb through the crowd to Kyle who was standing at the table talking to Stan. "The red head. Unfortunately, tall, dark, and handsome doesn't swing for the home team."
The dark-haired man tilted his head slightly as he stared at Kyle. His blonde companion gently jabbed him in the side with her elbow as she grinned. "Do it. He's cute," she said in a quieted voice.
The man shifted his eyes to look up at me and I turned my head slightly. "I can't leave my friend here by herself," he said and the blonde girl rolled her eyes.
I shrugged my shoulders. "She can take tall, dark, and handsome. He needs a dance partner too," I explained and the girl was immediately on her feet.
"Well, you can sit here and be alone, or you can dance with the cute boy because I'm ditching your ass," she said and then quickly spun around to head over towards Stan.
The dark-haired man chuckled as he pushed himself to his feet. He passed by me with a sly grin on his face and walked over to Kyle who looked both shocked and amused by the girl who suddenly walked over to grab Stan's hand and led him away without saying a word. I watched as Kyle's body went rigid to the hand suddenly on his hip and the dark-haired man leaned in close enough that his lips almost touched the red head's ear as he whispered. I couldn't help but grin like a maniac as Kyle's cheeks brightened up a bit with pink and he slowly nodded. Two birds killed with one stone. I deserved a reward.
The bartender slid the bourbon towards me and I downed it almost instantly. The buzz was slowly converting to a cloud. One more. The drink slid down my throat with ease and I felt a wave wash over me, taking every single worry with it. I leaned back slightly and let out a long sigh.
"Oh, so tense," a soft voice said as a hand gently glided over shoulder, behind my neck, and over my other shoulder. The porcelain skinned beauty stepped in front of me and leaned back against the bar, putting herself close to touching me but not quite. "And what could you possibly be so stressed about, baby?"
She wasn't holding anything back. The part of me that was unamused and uninterested was silenced by the bourbon. My lips turned up into a crooked grin. "Well, I thought I'd have to go through tonight not seeing an angel. Guess I was wrong," I said.
She laughed and I felt her thumb rub against the side of my neck. The alcohol electrified every touch against my skin. "Does that line usually work on anyone?" She asked me as a thin eyebrow lifted.
I lazily shrugged my shoulders. "About six or seven times out of ten," I answered.
She leaned in close to me, still not touching. "Make this number eight," she said in a low voice and stepped around me.
Her manicured fingers wrapped around my arm to lead me away from the bar towards the dance floor. I didn't want to dance, but the alcohol was in charge. Whatever alcohol wanted, that's what we did.
We started dancing far apart with only our hands connected. I let the alcohol move me with the beat of the music. I had no idea what I was doing or how ridiculous I probably looked but it didn't seem to effect my partner any because she was moving closer. She'd follow every step forward with a small step back. The swing of her hips was hypnotizing me but she was playing hard to get.
I didn't like games.
My hand tightened around hers and in one fluid motion I pulled her towards me as I simultaneously spun her around so her back pressed against my chest. The connection lit me on fire. A hand found its way into my hair as we moved together, hips grinding and hands roaming over curves and edges. The heat was mixing with the alcohol and the fog in my mind was growing stronger. I wanted to lose myself in everything around me. The loud music. The warmth. The smell of perfume and cigarettes that wafted from my dancing partner. The alcohol in my system. I ran a hand along her arm to her shoulder. I leaned my head down and was about to let my lips move over the exposed skin of her neck but I stopped.
Everything stopped.
My eyes widened and my entire body went stiff. The loud thumping of my racing heartbeat drowned out the noise around me. My hands fell away from my dance partner and I took a step back. "No fucking way," I muttered quietly as the head of spiked, yellow hair disappeared in the crowd of dancers. It was like I was in a dream. I had to blink a few times. I couldn't tell if I actually saw it or not. "It can't be," I said and stepped around the girl I had abruptly ceased dancing with. She may have said something to me, but I had tunnel vision.
There's no fucking way.
I was stopped by a strong hand on my shoulder and quickly spun around. All my senses snapped back and I could hear the loud music again as I was faced with a large man packed full of muscles. "You got a habit out of dancing with another guy's girl?" He growled at me.
I blinked a few times to pull myself out of my confusion before my eyebrows knitted together. "Look, man, I didn't know she had a boyfriend. My bad," I said and tried to turn again but his hand was on my shoulder, spinning be back around to face him.
"My bad? That's all you've got to say?" He snapped louder.
I rolled my eyes. "I don't have time for this. Maybe you should be rethinking some things if she's just running around the club grinding against anyone who will take her than," I growled.
Like I said, alcohol was in charge. Whatever alcohol wanted, I dealt with the consequences. In that moment, it meant a very large fist connected with my face. I felt and heard the snap of my nose under the force followed by the back of my head slamming against the hard dance floor. Everything shifted and spun around me. I tried to blink it all away but the blow got me.
It couldn't have been him.
…could it?
~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~
"Ah! Fuck!" I yelled when Kyle pressed the freezing cold ice pack against my face.
"Stop being such a baby," Kyle said and sat down next to me on the couch. "The doctor said you had to keep icing it to keep the swelling down or you won't be able to see."
When I finally woke up from being knocked unconscious, I was being wheeled into the emergency room with Kyle and Stan at my side. They had called an ambulance when they couldn't wake me up and blood was practically pouring from my broken nose. The doctor set my nose, checked to make sure my skull wasn't broken, and sent me home after an hour of sitting around being laughed at by Kyle and Stan when I told them what exactly happened.
"Sorry I ruined your birthday," I muttered with my head tilted back and the ice pack on my sore face.
Kyle sputtered. "Are you kidding? Best birthday ever. I can't believe you got knocked out for dancing with a guy's girlfriend," he explained and tried to hold back the small spurts of chuckles.
"Oh, I'm glad you're enjoying this. I'm only in an immense amount of pain," I replied and gently pressed my finger against my tender cheek.
"Would it make you feel better if I told you that you look fantastic? Nose braces are really in this season," Kyle joked and I lifted my hand to flip him off with no idea where exactly he was sitting since I was staring up at the ceiling. I let my hand fall against the couch and frowned. I couldn't stop thinking about the yellow hair as it disappeared. "Kenny? Come on, there's no need to be upset. You've gone through worst injuries before."
I could hear the worry in Kyle's tone. I pressed my hand to the ice pack to keep it against my face as I tilted my head forward again. Kyle's lips were set in a thin line as he tilted his head slightly, his eyebrows furrowed together. I shook my head. "I'm not upset about my nose, Kyle," I explained with a smile but it wasn't genuine and Kyle knew it.
"What's bothering you then? What happened at the club?" He asked.
His green eyes were intense. Of all the people, he was the last person I wanted to tell because I knew there was a lecture waiting for me behind all the worry. I was weak to those eyes though. They bore down to the soul and clawed at the truth. They made you want to spill your secrets whether they were true or not. You just wanted to speak so that he'd stop.
"Kenny?" He pressed.
"I thought—," I blurted out but caught myself to clear my throat as I lowered the ice pack to my lap. I had to look away. I couldn't look at him anymore, but I could still feel his eyes on me. "I thought I saw someone we used to know," I explained in a low voice.
"Who—?" Kyle started to ask but stopped himself with a sharp inhale. I quickly turned my head to look back at him and he frowned hard. His entire face wrinkled with the shift of his expression. He looked away from me. He knew.
"It's impossible though," I said and he shifted his eyes to look back at me. I forced on the most genuine smile that I could as I ran my fingers through my hair. "I had a lot to drink tonight. I had to have been seeing things. It just spooked me is all," I explained and Kyle turned his head to open his mouth as if he was going to say something. I had to stop him. I didn't want to hear a lecture or sympathy or whatever it was that was going to come from his mouth. I quickly stood up, the ice pack clutched tightly in my hand. "I'm—I'm pretty tired. I'm gonna go to bed. Good night, Kyle."
He stared up at me with wide eyes and then smiled as he slowly nodded. "Good night, Kenny," he replied in a quiet voice.
I started to walk away but stopped myself. I slowly turned and Kyle was facing me with a sad expression that quickly shifted when I looked at him. "Happy birthday buddy."