Chapter 5

George had this look in his eyes. Joshua realized what was happening but he froze in his position. He didn't notice his father and Trixie pulling George off of him and shouting for someone to call 911.

Everything seemed to blur together. The sirens, the EMTs, the police, and Sportacus. A voice inside his head continued to tell him it was over and that everything would be ok but he didn't believe it.

Joshua sat in the living room of the apartment. He stared off into space. Sportacus couldn't get him to come out of the state he was in. He had tried to talk out loud to him and he'd tried to connect through their special gift but nothing seemed to be getting through. Stephanie told her husband to back off and give their son some space.

She sat down next to Joshua and wrapped her arm around him. It hadn't been the first encounter with a gun but it had been the first time someone had been shot.

"Joshua, I just want you to remember that I love you and no matter what happened today that will not change." Stephanie kissed her son's forehead and got off the couch. She went down the hall to talk to her husband.

Samantha was worried when Joshua didn't come to get her. The sirens and everything over at the Jr./Sr. high school worried her even more. Her mother had come and gotten her but refused to talk about what was going on. Amanda knew that Sportacus and Stephanie would be the only ones that could help Joshua.

It had been a quiet dinner at the Rotten household. Samantha had told her parents that she was going to do her homework but instead she climbed up the tube and went outside. She unchained Joshua's bike from the ladder and started for her friend's home. The bike was too big for Samantha to ride and she would have to walk it but she didn't care. She had to see if her friend was ok.

Stephanie sat down on the bed and she grabbed Sportacus' hand. He made a tight-lipped smile but it was obvious he was worried.

"I'm afraid that this might be that moment." He told her.

"After today, I don't know if we should say anything. Let him come out of it first. He's the only one that can make that decision." Stephanie said. Sportacus nodded. He then took his wife in his arms and kissed her forehead.

"I think that maybe when he comes around you should explain to him what has happened to us in the past. Joshua needs all the information in order to make a good decision. He needs to know why you never take your shirt off when we go swimming. He needs to know that sometimes you have nightmares. But you also have to explain all the good that has come from being a hero. Helping people, meeting me, understanding his heritage and how your family has helped others through out the generations. I know we promise to raise him like everyone else but the fact of the matter is he isn't like everyone else. Joshua's abilities have long been kept a secret between our friends and his friend, Patrick. It will be up to him to let that secret out." Stephanie told him.

"You're right as always. No wonder I married you." Sportacus smiled. They kissed and decided that they should check on Joshua.

When the couple made it out to the living room, they found Samantha talking with Joshua. Well more like she was talking and he was still staring.

"Joshua, I want to comprehend what happened. I'm your friend. Please help me understand." She begged him. She got no response and she got close to him and whispered into his ear.

"You and I share more than you think. Help me be here for you." Samantha finished and turned to leave. Joshua grabbed her hand. He looked at her with his Icelandic baby blues (a dominate trait in the above-average hero family). She stared back at them with her hazel eyes. The two remained silent but something was understood and the girl began to move away.

"Hi Uncle Sportacus. Aunt Stephanie. I was just returning Joshua's bike." Samantha said noticing them for the first time.

"Hi Samantha. You can stay if you want." Stephanie offered.

"I'd love to but my parents don't know I'm here, so I'd better go." The girl said.

"You snuck out?" Sportacus asked.

"I did. I wanted to see if Joshua was ok and to give him back his bike. Goodbye." Samantha told them. The whole conversation was strained for some reason and the girl left as quickly as she could.

To Be Continued...