Chapter Seven.

This Superhero Life.

Martha O'Connor awoke the next morning. She was hoping that stupid girl her son had brought home was simply a dream. Then, as she groggily rose out of bed, it dawned on her that it was no dream. He'd brought a girl home. Most mothers would be happy that their son had done such a thing, and was making friends. Martha, on the other hand, wasn't sure what to think.

"Well," she mused to herself as she went downstairs to the kitchen, "time for my morning bourbon." But as she opened the cupboard that normally housed all her alcohol, she found it bare. She frantically searched all over the kitchen, before catching a whiff of various drinks coming from the sink. She checked, and to her horror, discovered that somebody, probably the girl, had dumped all her alcohol down the sink. Next to the sink, there was a note.

"You're a mom. Start acting like it. To help you, I dumped all your booze down the sink, and will keep doing that if you buy more. Grow up." In fury, she ripped the note into pieces.

…

"So, how does a Superhero spend his Sunday?" Asked Mona.

"Well, this particular Sunday," said Danny, "he goes and trains with some kindergarteners." It wasn't until he'd said that that he figured he probably should have phrased it differently.

"Oh, you mean Kat and Ana?" asked Mona.

"Yeah, them." Said Danny. "How did-Oh that's right, you work with them."

"Which reminds me." Said Mona, "Were you still thinking of working for Warioware? Even though, you know, we're lame and we don't pay our employees?" Danny had to think about that. He figured he could do with some friends. Working unpaid seemed like a poor deal, but perhaps he should focus more on the positives than the negatives.

"I...guess?" said Danny, "Gives me an excuse to have a social life I guess."

"So, that's a yes?" asked Mona.

"Sure, I'll call it a yes." Said Danny.

"Awesome." Said Mona. "So, let's go back a bit." She hopped off his bed. "Why are you training with Kat and Ana? I don't see a lot of benefit for either side." She leaned on Danny's desk as he sat there, putting his shoes on.

"Well I guess Sensei does." Danny finished and stood, walking out the door. Mona followed him down the stairs and into the bright sunlight. Danny lifted Mona up.

"Oh, no you don't." Said Mona,

"What?" asked Danny.

"Diamond Dojo's not that far, and the people of Diamond City want to get more...familiar with their Superhero. Being at their level, so to speak, will give them confidence in you. We're walking to the Dojo."

"First off," said Danny, "I still haven't warmed up to the notion of being a superhero. Second, how do you know so much about what the people want?"

"Even if you haven't," Countered Mona, "the fact that you have powers and have saved a lot of lives is gonna make people think you have. But knowing you, you're gonna keep doing it, so for all intents and purposes, you're a superhero. As for your question? I pay attention, I keep my ear to the ground. Having a million jobs means you get around to places. That and, well, I talk to people. A lot of them never seem to stop mentioning you. Now, put me down and let's get walking."

Danny knew this was a fight he wasn't going to win, so he put Mona down and the two began to walk to the dojo. Not even five minutes later, a man approached them. He was tall, with broad shoulders, black hair, and the kind of face most movie stars would have to have surgery to obtain, nearly too handsome for words.

"Ah, Mr. Superhero," He hailed Danny, his voice booming and loud, giving Danny the impression he could silence a room full of chatter with one word, "I've been looking all over for you!"

"Well, you've found me." Said Danny, hoping this wasn't some crime lord about to pull some shady tactic. "What can I do for you?"

"Oh, you already have." Said the man. Danny's brow raised.

"I don't think I understand."

"Do you remember yesterday when you took the blast from that monster and saved the people in that room?"

"Yeah," said Danny, the mention of that reminding his body of the pain, "But wait, how do you know about that?"

"One of those people was my wife." Said the man, "thanks to you, she's alive and well. I don't want to think about a future where she isn't by my side. Now I don't have to." The man snapped the beefy fingers on his massive hand, like he realized he'd forgotten something. "But where are my manners? My name is Walter Stetson. I am President and CEO of Phone For All." Danny recognized the name as a well to do Mobile Phone Company. "And as a way of saying thank you for saving my wife, I have a gift for you." The man reached into his expensive suit pocket and held something out to Danny. Danny's eyes widened.

"Is that-" He asked. Mona's eyes widened too.

"The Omega Z phone!" She said, astonished. "These aren't even on the shelves yet, but they'll be crazy expensive when they reach the stores."

"And you're getting it for free, for life." Walter handed the phone to Danny, "All expenses paid."

"Are you sure?" Asked Danny, hands shaking, "That seems like an inconvenience to you."

"No, I assure you it's not. Money can be replaced, my wife cannot. Please, I won't take no for an answer." Danny took the phone and looked at it.

"Thanks," said Danny, trying to keep his voice level,

"No," said Walter, "Thank you!" A buzzing sound rang out from inside his suit. "Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got a business meeting in a few minutes. Thanks again, Mr. Superhero, please keep up the good work." Walter turned and walked away. Danny looked at the phone he was presented with. He'd heard on the grapevine that this phone was the phone that many other companies would be trying to replicate for years to come. It was strong, even he could tell, and the screen was fingerprint resistant. It was a sleek black phone, much taller than he'd expected, but still small and compact enough to fit in his pocket. Suddenly, the screen came to life, and a simple telephone ringtone played out, with a number Danny didn't recognize. He pressed the green answer button and held the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Hello, Mr. Superhero!" Said the eccentric voice of Dr. Crygor.

"Wait, I just got this phone five seconds ago, how do you already have my number?"

"I have my ways," Dr. Crygor said, "Now, I've been watching your battles, and I think I've discovered a way I can help you. When you have a spare moment, bring some spare clothes to my lab, I think you'll really enjoy what I have planned."

"Okay…" Said Danny, not sure what to think of the suddenness of the situation, "wait, where is your lab?"

"Off the coast of Diamond City, you can't miss it." Said Dr. Crygor. The two said their goodbyes and hung up at about the same time.

"Wonder what the merry old doctor has planned." Said Mona.

"No clue," Said Danny. "Well, let's keep going." The two kept walking until they finally arrived at Diamond Dojo. Upon arriving, they noted sight of Kat and Ana finishing breakfast. Ana wiped her face clean, just in time to see Danny and Mona come in. She leapt off her seat and practically tackled Mona in a hug.

"So nice to see you!" She squealed. Mona laughed, returning the hug.

"Good to see you too, Ana." Said Mona. Kat finished the last bite of her meal, then joined the glomp. Danny thought this was strange, but also adorable. The girls got up and off Mona just as Sensei walked in.

"Good morning, Mr. O'Connor." He hailed the hero. "Oh, I see you brought a friend. Is this the Mona you girls have mentioned?" Kat blushed and looked to the side, while Ana nodded cheerfully. "Anyway, get dressed and ready to train." The two girls ran off. Danny helped Mona up, and she looked at him.

"They're like kid sisters to me." She explained. "And, if it makes you feel better, Kat didn't warm up to me very fast either. Ana, though? As long as you're not a jerk straight out of the gate, you're already friends. Plus, you giving her that chocolate milk certainly helped."

"Is there anything about my interactions you don't know?" Asked Danny,

"Well, Ana loves sharing stories of people being nice. Besides, it's so like you to help others. Wherever a child's beverage is stuck in a vending machine, our gallant hero Danny will be there to dislodge it."

"Laying it on pretty thick there." Danny said playfully. Just then, Kat and Ana returned, dressed and ready for training.

…

It was almost poetry in motion. Raw strength and flight, fighting against agility and metal, as Danny slugged it out with Kat and Ana. Kat swung her sword at Danny's head, only for him to catch it between his hands, while Ana stealthily threw a shuriken at his back, only for it to bounce off and for the teen to trip her. Kat tried to pry her sword from his grip, but couldn't, so she let it go and performed a wind blast at Danny with her hands. It was powerful enough to knock the hero back, and Ana tripped him in return. The blond hero tumbled backwards, but then flew forward, grabbing both girls. He lifted off the ground, and threw them back down. Kat landed safely, sticking her tongue out at him, but Ana's landing wasn't as smooth, wobbling a bit.

Danny slammed down on the ground before either knew what he was doing, causing the ground to shake violently. Both fell down, Ana onto her belly, Kat onto her butt. Danny was about to charge at them, when suddenly he shut his eyes and gripped his head. Ana's eyes showed a look of worry, Kat saw it as an opportunity for a cheap shot. But before she had time to do so, there was a scream, several of them, in fact.

The screams pulled Mona out of her trance. Kat and Ana's heads snapped up.

"Seems you have a chance to test the fruits of your training." Sensei mused. "Kat, Ana, go with Mr. O'Connor. You must protect the innocent from the threat that they face. I will stay with Miss. Mona and keep her safe, just in case."

"Care for a lift?" Danny offered. Before Kat could object, Ana grabbed her hand and dragged her over to Danny. Once they were on Danny's shoulders, he took off. Mona watched them fly away. She didn't like the idea of sitting here, but had a sneaking suspicion Sensei wouldn't just let her leave.

…

People ran, screaming in terror, as monsters roamed the streets. Red bodied beasts, powerful arms and legs, wearing what almost looked like tactical military clothes. They seemed to take pleasure in bullying the innocent people. One such brute held a dumpster over his head, approaching a cornered mother, hugging her young son in terror. He held a wicked smirk on his face. That is, until a teenager floated down in front of him, arms folded across his chest. With a single swing of his arm, the teen backhanded the dumpster out of the monster's hand, sending it flying harmlessly against a wall that could take the abuse.

The beast looked at his weapon that was tossed aside like trash, then back at the kid, just in time to see him pull back his fist and let it fly. POW! The demon flew back, crashing hard into one of his buddies. The relieved mother picked up her child and fled. The demons stopped their attack and looked at the kid, who cracked his knuckles. But before they could all charge, two of them let out cries of pain, and fell down. Two young children ran through the ranks, slicing down some of them as they went, soon taking their place next to the blond kid.

"I don't know where you came from." Said Danny, "But you should go back there." Kat and Ana held their swords in the appropriate positions. One of the demons from the back made a move, and a bright orange glowing object flew into their midst. Danny caught it, noticing it was so hot, even he could feel its heat.

"Think fast!" Sneered the lobber, in a tone that would frighten most children, "that thing's a demon fire bomb. It blows up, it'll level this block, and fry everyone on it…except us, of course."

"Throw it!" Yelled Kat. Danny could feel it getting hotter and hotter. Not knowing where it would land if he threw it, our hero did the first thing that came to mind: Put it in his mouth. Just as Danny closed his lips, it went off. There was a muffled explosion, and Danny began coughing, smoke billowing from his mouth and nostrils. Kat facepalmed, amazed the smoke didn't come out of his ears too. Ana looked worried, afraid Danny was hurt. The superhero recovered, flying through the crowd of shocked demons until he managed to grab the neck of the demon who had thrown the bomb. He hoisted him up, and threw a punch. With a loud thudding sound, the demon flew high into the sky. And he didn't come back down.

"Anyone else?" Asked Danny, his voice rougher. But before any of the demons could try anything else, there was a massive thump. And another, very close by. Soon, it came into view. A massive demon, taller than Danny's house, and holding a club that would make a quarry seem like a crack in the ground. His skin was dark red, black, beady eyes, and reddish brownish hair. He had large, pronounced fangs.

"How dare you pick on my minions?" He snarled, "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" The demons seemed to regain their confidence, smirking wickedly and cracking their knuckles.

"Alright guys," said Danny, "You want amount or size?"

"Amount!" Blurted Kat, as she and Ana were gone in a blur. Danny turned back to face the biggest bully. He brought back his club and slammed it down. Our hero raised his hands to catch it. It was a struggle, but he stood his ground, though the road cracked under his feet. The monster was stunned to see his mighty weapon stopped by someone so puny. Danny flew higher, ripped the club from the monster's hands, and threw it up. The handle spun into his reach, and he grabbed it and swung it. With a loud crash, the demon was knocked off his feet and landed hard on the street. Danny then brought the club down on top of him, hard. The monster recovered faster than anticipated, grabbing the club and ripping it out of the teen's hands, then launching a kick at him.

Danny took the kick, flying back through a few buildings, much to the alarm of those still inside. He recovered, flying back. The demon swung his club again, but this time, Danny was ready. He flew down to dodge the swing, then flew faster, plowing into the monster's gut. He gasped for air, dropping his club and recoiling. The flying teenager shot straight up and uppercut the monster square in the chin.

With a booming slam, the monster's head jerked back. Danny flew up, and the monster clapped his hands, trying to crush the superhuman like a bug. But he was too fast. He flew forward, and punched the monster on the cheek. His head jerked to the side, a tooth going flying. Danny punched his palm, brought his arms down, and then swung them back up again, clobbering the monster in the chin with a double fisted slam.

…

Meanwhile, Kat and Ana were moving so fast that even if the monsters they cut down hadn't blinked, they still would have missed them. Their swords made quick work of the monsters, who had no time to counter or even see their attackers half of the time. Kat stopped, just in time to see one of them cornering a child and his dog. Her brows furrowed.

"Leave them alone, you bully!" She shouted. The monster looked at her with a snarl, just in time to see her arm move in a blur. Before he had time to do anything, five shurikens pinned him to the wall, and despite his best effort, he was not able to get free. The child waved at Kat, picked up his dog, and ran. Kat ran over and delivered a brutal scissor kick to the monster's head, and he was out like a light. At the same time, Ana noted sight of some of the monsters vandalizing a flower store. This would not do. Ana dashed forward, raised her sword, and in one clean slash, destroyed their outfits. The monsters were forced to don potato sacks and flee with much chagrin. Kat and Ana then rejoined and continued their assault on the ground troopers.

…

Back up high, Danny could see that he had the big bully on the ropes. Before he could land the finishing blow, however, he heard the sound of gunshots. He looked, seeing Sheriff Foster on a rooftop, firing at the demon with a heavy assault rifle. What was he thinking?! Sure, against normal folks, that gun would be dangerous. This demon from...wherever he came from, would be more annoyed by it than anything.

"SHERIFF FOSTER!" Shouted Danny, "GET OUTTA HERE! I GOT HIM!"

"Don't command me, boy!" Snapped Sheriff Foster. "Let the real heroes take care of this one. How do I know you didn't just bring him here yourself?" Danny would have been irked at the accusation, but didn't have time. The demon raised its fist to smash it down. He flew as fast as he could, but was only able to partially deter the fist. The building still crumbled, and the sheriff still fell before Danny could grab him. He turned back to look at the monster.

"Now you're gonna get it." Said Danny. He flew, faster than normal, and barreled straight into the monster's chest. The beast gasped for air, clutching his chest. Our hero followed this action by flying fast and planting his fist straight between the monster's eyes. The monster's eyes rolled back in its head, and down it fell, collapsing in a heap.

The sound of a thousand pairs of feet running on asphalt made Danny turn around,, just in time to see the little monsters, a few of them even wearing potato sacks for some reason, scurrying up to their master. They gathered around him like ants stealing food, hoisted him up, and fled. Danny wasn't sure where they were going, but at least they were leaving. But there was no time to worry about that.

He shot back down to the ground, finding Sheriff Foster. He was in bad shape, as a bit of shrapnel had pierced his leg. He was bleeding out.

"Go!" Shouted Foster, "I'd rather die than accept your help." Danny shook his head.

"Too bad!" He said, then looked at the wound again. He could see that the shrapnel was not in the body, it had gone straight through and severed an artery. Even with flying, he would bleed out before Danny could get him to the hospital. There was only one thing to do.

"This is gonna hurt…a lot." Danny's eyes began to glow, and before Foster could say anything, two lasers came from his eyes, striking the wound. Foster shouted in pain. He reached for his gun, and pointed it at Danny. But just as fast as he'd started, he stopped. Danny could see it, he'd cauterized the wound, and Foster wasn't bleeding anymore. Just then, he looked over. Mona was standing on the opposite end of the street. How had she escaped from Sensei?

He could see the worry in her eyes, despite her being farther away.

"He'll be alright," said Danny. He scooped the sheriff up over his shoulder and flew off to the hospital.

…

Danny met up with Kat, Ana, and Mona at Diamond Dojo again.

"You guys did pretty well," he said to them.

"You...you didn't do so bad yourself." Said Kat, the faintest trace of a smile could be seen on her lips.

"You were awesome!" Cried Ana.

"All three of you saved Diamond City." Said Mona. "Also…"she took a step closer to Danny, placed her hands on his shoulders, and planted a kiss on his cheek. "T-thanks for saving my dad." Mona and Danny's cheeks turned beet red at the event. Kat and Ana fawned over the moment. Before much longer had passed, Danny and Mona were heading back...they had school in the morning.