Whack, thud, whack.
"Bro, would you stop that? Some of us are trying to sleep."
Lash caught the ball, and instead of throwing it back against the wall that acted as a headboard, he lay down. He heard his roommates—all three of them—grumbling as they resettled into their beds, but he paid the no mind. Instead, he picked up the bright orange rubber ball and rolled it in his hands. The texture was familiar, and the object slid over his palms eagerly. Without his permission, his mind returned to the days of when his body could be like rubber. The feeling of his cells stretching as he pushed himself to the limits. Memories of when Speed bet he couldn't stretch across the entire school in his freshman year, memories of his successes at save the citizen. Hell, even memories of the various girls he snuck out to say wafted through his mind like uncatchable smoke.
"And what do I get to show for it all? An over-filled cell and likely a lifetime of misery," he muttered, ensuring his voice wouldn't carry.
His mind flickered to the Popsicle and Stronghold. Even Peace featured occasionally. Somewhere after the 8-month mark red stopped coating his vision when he so much as thought their names. A deep sense of understanding wormed its way into his mind and infected his body. They did the right thing in stopping them. As much as the glimmer of hatred still flickered whenever he admitted that, even in his own mind, he knew in his super flexible bones it was the truth.
"What benefit was I even going to get? I only had—"
"Lash, if you don't shut up and go to sleep, I am going to come gown there and kick your ass, got it?"
Quick as a whip, Lash retorted. "I'd like to see you try, Merrick," he snorted, as if the very idea was so outside the realm of possibilities, that it wasn't even worth considering.
Merrick snorted and muttered something Lash couldn't quite catch. Smirking in victory, Lash turned to face the wall. Forcing his eyes shut, he pulled his itchy, threadbare blanket up to his chin and tried to get some rest before his session with the psychic tomorrow.
One month later
Lindon Williams prided himself on being a patient man. He knew how to breathe through the most difficult of situations—something he had no choice about with his wife being a yogi—and knew how to keep his temper from boiling over. He knew how difficult and shallow-minded people were, yet he still deluded himself into thinking there was a chance, even a small one, that his proposition would go through.
So much for being the all-powerful warden.
"I'm sorry Lindon, but these boys are just too dangerous to be allowed to roam free. They are dangerous, something you should be aware of considering your daughter—"
"Let's leave my daughter out of this and focus back on the topic at hand," Lindon said, clenching his fists below the table.
The head of the parole board opened her mouth to disagree, but seeing the sternness in the man's eyes, and feeling the way the earth moved in warning against any rebuttal, she shut her mouth.
"Of course, Lindon. As I was saying—"
"Amanda, I understand what you are saying. These boys were dangerous, the key word being were." Amanda opened her mouth again, but though better of it when he shot her another stern look. "I have been watching them, and they have made enormous strides to better themselves. Especially Lash. He usually stays awake most of the night, staring at the wall, pondering his choices. Mallory has reported her mind scans during their therapy sessions show that he is genuinely remorseful, which was the entire point of sending him to prison.
"Now, since he has learned to see the error of his ways, prison will not longer help him rehabilitate. He has been working incredibly hard, and any more time here will only create a hatred for the system that will manifest in criminal activity. We have to let him free while he is still repenting otherwise, we risk him turning into the supervillain we have labelled him as."
"And what of Stefan Harris? You said the speedster was regretful as well?"
Lindon shot the other women, Aurelie Braun, better known as the ex-sidekick Brilliance, a thankful smile. The woman had bright platinum blonde hair tucked into a neat bun that showcased her kind-looking face. She had a way with words that illuminated people to the truth of the situation, fitting considering her powers over illumination, which was very useful.
"Mallory said so herself, and you know she is the best psychic in the city," Lindon said, running a hand through his too-long brownish-red hair.
"Forgive me for my questions, but, Brilliance, don't you think you are a little close to the situation? In fact, Amanda, why was she even allowed on the committee when she has such a close personal connection to the convicts? The same for Lin—"
"Thomas, I thank you for your concern, however I am more than capable of making these decisions myself." Amanda said, her glare cutting.
Thomas shrank back into his seat, suddenly finding his hands the most interesting things in the world. Lindon forced his smile to disappear before meeting Amanda's eyes. He watched as the hazel eyes deepened to a startingly gold as she kept his gaze captive. Used to her power, he let her comb through his words and mind, knowing that she would come up with a single answer. Slowly the glow faded, and she nodded stiffly, making her black bob cut hair bounce with the movement.
"I believe the report and his words. I agree that the boys' cases should be reviewed, and after a meeting with the panel and a few with Mallory, we can consider the next step." She paused to adjust her glasses. "As I am sure you are aware, we cannot send these boys out into the world unattended, so what is your plan?"
Lindon smirked, not even bothering to hide it. "Trust me Amanda, I have a plan. Just aren't sure how much you will like it."
Hey everyone, I hope you enjoyed this prologue. A few things about this are that I've decided that Layla's dad has superpowers too, as it serves my story better. I will explain more things as the story goes on, but the story ends with a happily ever after, just be aware there is polyamory in the story and couples at the start may not stay the same throughout. Until then, I hope you enjoyed, and would love to hear any thoughts you have!