Okay, so after the first teaser chapter, I really wanted to bring in some more exposition and also I just really felt like writing more. So think of this as a part 2. This chapter takes place directly after the first chapter. It's quite a bit longer than the previous chapter so I hope you enjoy a bit of a longer read this time around. Enjoy! :)
({No POV})
Bob walked into the bedroom after tucking Jack-Jack back in and saw Helen laying in bed under the covers and staring up at the ceiling, her arms above the covers and resting on her stomach.
Her whole facial expression radiating an intense state of deep thought as she kept staring at the ceiling.
Bob kept surveying his wife but resolved to slide in bed on his side. He was about to lie down when he decided to look over and ask, "Are you okay, honey?"
A moment passes before Helen closed her eyes and sighed before admitting, "What are we going to do with him, Bob? He just turned 17 a week ago and he's been doing this ever since Edna made him that new suit last year."
Bob pursed his lips, knowing this issue has been upsetting her, before responding, "Well, you just said it. He's 17 and… I was a lot like him at his age. I know what it's like to crave that freedom to work on your own."
Helen gave Bob a look, making Bob put his hands up and reply in defense, "Hey, I'm not saying I like what he's doing either. I'm only saying that I understand where he's coming from. Besides it's not like Dash is a bad kid."
"And that's also part of the problem, Bob. Dash isn't a bad kid. Honestly… he's a really good kid. All our kids are good kids. But Dash, he's… Ugh, but he's just so cocky, so overconfident, and so stubborn. No matter what we tell him about waiting until he's 18 to go out by himself, he just won't relent! Grounding doesn't do anything. I'm just afraid he's going to do something stupid to get caught and thrown in jail or worse hurt… or even killed!"
Helen flung her hands to her face in motherly frustration and concern.
Bob hesitated for a moment.
Even though as a father he shared many of his wife's concerns about what their son was doing, but he knew further adding to it wasn't going to help.
Slowly he put a hand on Helen's shoulder and said, "I know, honey. We're just going to have to find a way to keep a closer watch on him."
"How, Bob? He goes off and does things in the city when we aren't even around? Not to mention his powers don't help since they practically aid him to get there and back faster than either of us can manage in any vehicle. We'd practically need a military grade jet to keep up with him now." Helen replies, still sounding incredibly frustrated, as Bob replied back in a similar tone, "I don't know?!... We'll…. We'll figure it out."
After that he leaned forward and placed a kiss on her cheek before lying down and turning off the lamp on his nightstand.
3 hours later
Bob was fast asleep, letting out the occasional loud snore.
Helen; however, was still awake but her husband's snores were not the cause. Her mind was still going a million miles an hour.
She took one long glance toward her husband before stretching herself to slink out bed without disturbing her husband's deep sleep.
Helen walked lightly on her toes as stealthily as possible as she made her way out into the hallway. She looked to her right and saw the door to Jack-Jack's room cracked open slightly, faint orange light from underneath the door.
She peeked into the room and saw Jack-Jack in a deep sleep with his mouth half open and his arm clutched around his stuffed tiger like usual, night light on in the corner of the room.
Helen smiled slightly as she shut the door. Then she looked at the end of the hall.
A red door decked out in several football posters:
Dash's room.
Helen cautiously approached the door and hesitated at the doorknob. She looked over her shoulder before grabbing the knob and turning it, peering into the room as she did so.
She looked in and scrunched her nose for a second at the smell of teenage boy aroma and smelly football equipment. She recomposed her expression as she glanced around, seeing her oldest son's room surprisingly clean aside from the stale odor.
She then looked over at her son's bed, looking completely untouched. She scrunched her eyes together for a completely different reason.
Dash snuck out… again.
Helen sighed to herself in frustration.
She looked determined for a moment and looked like she was about to run after him when she froze. She looked hesitant. As much as she wanted to go after Dash and ask him to come home… she knew it wasn't a smart move shortly after an argument.
She bit her lip as she thought.
Her eyes closing before opening, a clear thought reflected in them.
Helen walked to the phone in the kitchen and looked at the clock and saw it was 30 minutes to midnight. She hesitated before dialing a number.
The dial tone went off several moments before it cut and Violet asked in a confused tone, wondering who was calling late, "Hello?"
"Vi, sweetie, it's me." Helen said, smiling to herself a little.
"Oh, hi mom!... What's going on? Is everything okay?" Violet said, sounding slightly concern.
Helen was quick to respond as she said, "No, no. Everything's okay… Sorry, if I woke you up."
"Oh no, I was up. Actually I just got home. Tony and I had a date night but he had to go home after since he's opening tomorrow at the restaurant." Violet explained, making Helen smile a little.
Violet moved to an apartment in the city with some friends when she went off to college in the city and has been living the life of a very regular college student.
Classes, roommates, part-time job, and most recently… engagement.
Violet and Tony's relationship had gotten off to a strange start due to Violet's initial reluctance and then that being followed by the memory wipe fiasco prior to their original first date. But, ever since that follow up date to the movies, Tony and Violet have been dating all through high school, college, and about 3 months ago announced they were engaged.
But, Helen and Bob were happy to see their daughter enjoying her life and they had no complaints about Tony since they had nothing to dislike about him since everyone thought he was a nice guy, and he knows about Violet and the whole family being supers now and has no problem with it.
Also, the fact that he's good at keeping a secret was definitely a virtue they appreciated.
Helen decided not to jump right in and decided to make a bit of small talk since it had been awhile since they had time to talk as she inquired subtly, "I'd guess Saturdays would be busy for the Rydinger's. What did you do tonight? Dinner and a movie?"
"Actually they had a dinner and dance type party at the student union. It was only $5 a person as long as you reserved your spot. It was fun!" Violet commented.
Helen smiled a little again as she finally grounded her expression enough to ask, "That's great, honey! Listen… could you do me a favor before you go to bed?"
Violet was silent for a moment before replying, her tone with an obvious hesitancy to it, "Oh-kay? What is it?"
Helen sighed as she started, "Its Dash."
Across town
(Dash's POV)
I looked at the streets below and kept walking back and forth on the rooftop.
UGH… I'm still mad! I just can't...
"Fancy seeing you here?"
I whipped my head around until I relaxed when I saw Violet. Although seeing her in a super-suit after 3 years… more surprising than seeing her here.
"Fancy seeing you out in a super-suit?" I said back, just as dry.
Violet just shrugged at me as she said, "Fair."
We were silent for a little bit until she said, "Dash, just… what are you doing? Why are you even out here?" "Well, why are you here?" I spat, totally knowing where this was going.
Violet crossed her arms and gave me a look as she said, "To stop you from doing anything stupid." "Don't… you… dare…" I ground out through my teeth, wishing everyone would just leave me alone.
"Dash, listen. What you're doing is like driving a car without a license. It's illegal!" She says, sounding totally annoyed.
"Oh, don't give me that stupid its like driving a car thing. UGH! You're just as bad as mom! I'm tired of people telling me how or when I'm allowed to use my powers! I'm not a kid! I know what I'm doing!" I yell, fed up with everyone telling me what to do as I got in her face.
"Dash, stop being a turd and listen! I get you want more freedom! Seriously. But, you could go to jail or get seriously in trouble getting caught doing what you're doing! HOW MANY TIMES DO WE HAVE TO SAY IT?!" She practically shouts in my face.
It was silent and I'm pretty sure if we both had Jack-Jack's laser eyes we would be burning holes in each other's heads right now. I was just so pissed off and frustrated that I didn't even want to look at her.
I was done as I said, "Just leave me alone, Vi."
It went dead quiet again before I heard Violet sigh and say, "Okay, if you want to keep being like that? Fine. But, whenever you're ready to stop acting like a narcissistic, idiotic jerk… I'll be waiting."
I heard her walk away and I glanced behind me to see her gone. That or she turned invisible too.
Ugh… whatever… I wish everyone would just get off my back.
({No POV})
Dash was looking back down to the streets, kicking a few stray pebbles on the roof out of frustration. However, none of the previous activity went unnoticed.
A shadowy figure in the distance clenched their fist and let out an intrigued, "Hmm…"
3 days later
(Dash's POV)
Ugh… stupid Trigonometry.
I've been looking at this same stupid problem on my homework for forever. And I've never been good at math.
The only reason why I really try hard at it is to make sure I have good enough grades to play sports and also so I don't get lectured at home by mom and dad. I rolled my eyes as I kept gripping my hand into my hair, pretty much wanting to rip my hair out at this stupid triangle... and cuz of other stuff.
Right as I wanted to rip my homework to pieces on the library table I was sitting at, I saw a pencil come in front of me and a hand with a wrist loaded in woven wristbands and bracelets going up her forearms.
Then quietly I heard, "Just use Pythagorean theorem."
I didn't need to look up to know who it was, but I just sat there staring at "A^2+B^2=C^2" being written on my paper.
My eyes were wide as I put the numbers where they were supposed to go, remembering when we learned that forever ago in like 7th grade. I went through the problem and FINALLY got it.
I turned back to say 'thanks' but… nothing.
She was gone... Well not gone, but she was far away in the furthest table from anyone else in the library.
Remember when I said to mom how no one's ever seen me out in my super-suit out on my own?
Well… one person saw me.
7 months ago
({No POV})
A car flipped over in the street as Sizemik, a young yet powerful villain with the power to manipulate seismic waves into wreaking havoc on the city in order to attain whatever he wants, raged through.
His yellow and green suit fully making him stand out as he walked through the streets. Thrusting a fist into the air as he concentrated on cars and laughing when he saw them get launched into the air from shifting the ground and land upside down or completely destroying other cars.
One particular car narrowly missed a group of nearby civilians who scrambled before running away in terror.
"Oh c'mon! Leaving so soon?" He starts in his taunt from under his helmet that fully covered his face, "I'm just getting warmed up!"
He looked down the long stretch of road before raising his hands and then clapping them together. There was a rumble before the street split down the middle in a jagged fashion before up heaving, causing pipes to burst and structures to collapse.
Sizemik chuckled when he noticed a bank nearby fall to his actions and started striding toward it. He continued to make his way over until he noticed a familiar blue streak of a blur he remembered all too well closing in from the distance.
Not that Sizemik ever personally saw him, but he knew who was coming.
The media named hero, Blue Streak "aka Dash".
As vain in his abilities as he was, Sizemik knew his track record with Blue Streak wasn't the best and would rather avoid the situation of getting the crap kicked out of him by someone he can't even see, so… he decided to avoid said problem.
Immediately Sizemik saw a civilian walking out of an untouched book store in the direction where Dash was coming from.
Sizemik smirked wickedly to himself under his helmet as he said deviously to himself, "This outta keep Blur Boy busy."
He snapped his fingers and a semi truck was catapulted off the shifting ground and flipped through the air.
The civilian, a high school aged girl with wavy rusty brown hair pulled back in a ponytail with a few stray strands hanging in her light green eyes that were trained on a book, was oblivious to what was happening around her.
It wasn't until gravity was pulling the semi truck back down to Earth and she was engulfed in its shadow that she noticed it.
Her whole body locked up in shock as her joints buckled and the book she just purchased inevitably dropped to the sidewalk.
(Dash's POV)
He's right there… he's… CRAP!
I saw some girl just standing there as a truck was about to come down on her.
Hey, what the… Seriously?! MOVE!
They still weren't moving so I grit my teeth and ran as fast as I could before pretty much tackling her out of the way. Well, I wrapped one arm around their body and my other I put higher so I could protect their head as I practically launched us into an alley like mom and dad taught me when saving people.
We landed and I heard the semi truck explode behind us.
Even though I felt kinda good about what I did… this ruined everything!
If sleeping beauty over here didn't freeze up, I could've stopped Sizemik!
I was so pissed as I looked up at her and started, "Hey, what the…" I was about to yell at her and ask if she was either crazy or totally stupid or both when…
Wait, Melanie? Melanie Frickowski?
I know her!
Well, kinda know her.
At least I've been in school with her since we were in 6th grade when our elementary schools merged in junior high.
She kept staring at me and… I just kept staring at her too. I didn't know what to do?! I've never saved someone I actually kinda knew before other than my family!
Honestly, for me, saving total strangers is WAY easier than saving people you kinda know to be honest.
Probably cuz at least strangers don't know who I am when I'm not being a super
Sure we aren't friends or even really talk at school or anything, but… I felt weird. Yeah, I'm wearing my mask to protect my secret identity but… I mean, WHAT IF SHE KNOWS ITS ME?! I got kinda freaked out as I quickly stood up and lifted her up to stand in front of me.
I even made my voice deeper to try to sound different as I said, "Are you alright, Me-miss?"
I felt like smacking my head against the brick wall next to me for almost slipping up by almost calling her by her name like an idiot.
SERIOUSLY DASH?! ARE YOU TRYING TO GET CAUGHT?! I'm so screwed.
But, luckily she just nodded as she crossed her arms and said, "Y-yeah… thanks."
I was too freaked out to do anything as I decided to cut this short before I do anything else stupid to make her realize who I am.
"No problem." I said, trying to make my voice deep again, even though I just realized how stupid I sounded right now.
I tried not to think about it as I ran off trying to catch up and find Sizemik.
Present day
But, weirdly… that's not the first time she's done this with me. '
And there's a reason why I say weird.
Hey, I've got nothing against Melanie. But, straight up... man, she's just so weird. At least for as long as I've known her, but according to everyone else who knew her said she's always been like this, like since Kindergarten.
Melanie's always been really quiet, anti-social, and a total loner.
She never talks to anyone and even though it sounds really sad… I don't think she has any friends.
All she does is read all the time and whenever she is around other people, like in class or in the hall during passing periods, she pretty much avoids being near anyone and everyone as much as possible.
I'm not even kidding.
I literally see her constantly with her hands folded together or crossing her arms, keeping her head down. It's almost like she doesn't even want to look at or even touch anyone either.
One time I saw her almost bump into someone during passing period and she practically almost juked around this guy better than most running backs just to avoid touching him.
It's SO weird, man.
But… it kinda sucks too.
She used to get bullied a lot in junior high. Look, I think she's weird too as much as the next guy, but… I hate bullies. And it only got worse when Debbie Edmunds was just on her all the time in 7th and 8th grade.
And one time… I couldn't take it.
4 years ago
({No POV})
Dash walked out of the boys locker room, gym being his last class of the day, and started to make his way out to his locker.
He was turning the corner as he saw Melanie with her back against the wall under the staircase as Debbie and 2 other girls were laughing at her.
Debbie smirked as she taunted, "What's wrong? Are we getting too close? Oh no! I'm Melanie and I can't touch anyone or I'll flip!"
The girls all laughed and one even started shoving Melanie on the shoulder and Melanie looked horrifyingly uncomfortable and tried to get away as she shut her eyes, looking like the epitome of distressed as she grit her teeth and shut her eyes even tighter, practically demanding, "PLEASE STOP!"
"Or what, huh? What are you gonna do, freak? Or should I say Freak-kowski!" "Nice one, Deb!" The girl to Debbie's left said, high fiving Debbie and the group all started laughing uncontrollably now.
Melanie, who looked like she wanted to phase out of existence and… almost looked like she was in pain, put her back fully to the wall and slid down to the floor.
Dash practically clenched his fists as he practically demanded, looking angry, "Will you guys lay off?"
At that moment everyone turned to look at Dash, looking initially shocked, including Melanie. Debbie turned to Dash and said, turning her mean girl energy back on, "Oh look, Freak-kowski's got a boyfriend."
Dash had to fight his face from going red in embarrassment at being pulled into this. But, he was too angry to just take that as he said, just getting to the point, "Debbie… just go away already!"
After a couple moments of silence, Debbie rolled her eyes and said, "Fine! Whatever, let's go."
After Debbie and her friends walked past Dash, Melanie was just sitting in a fetal position with her hands on the top of her head, looking like she was still trying to get herself together.
Dash tilted his head.
Even though he didn't totally understand what that was all about… he still felt pretty bad for her.
He walked a little closer as he said, trying to keep it cool, "Just forget them… hey, you okay?"
Dash took another step closer and reached out to give her a hand up like he'd do for a teammate in football.
But, Dash jumped back when Melanie immediately put her hands out in front of her and scrambled away from him until she finally got to her feet from the floor as she said, sounding skittish and almost frantic, "Fine!... I'm Fine! Thanks!"
After that she crossed her arms tight in front of her and spirited away, leaving Dash there with the most confused expression on his face.
Present day
Worst part about that is that Debbie kept calling her 'Freak-kowski' and now that's all everyone ever calls her.
Yeah, again, I think she's weird too like everyone else thinks but... that's just low.
At least the only good thing is that most people just leave her alone now. And I think that's weirdly what Melanie wants.
But, it's still so weird.
Ever since that happened she's done nice things for me sometimes. Mainly helping me with my homework totally out of nowhere like she did just now.
Again, weird but… its cool, I guess?
I still think about it though just cuz it's kinda freaky.
I mean, she probably just has the worst social anxiety ever or something. But… why didn't she freak out after I grabbed her and tackled her out of the way a few months ago?
I shook my head as I tried to finish my last math problem right as the bell rang.
Okay, so I hope this fills out a bit more of Dash's dynamic with having a bit more of a rebellious streak when it comes to his family being against him going out on his own for obvious reasons, but Dash is just stubborn and bent on having that independence that it's affecting and straining his family dynamic in a way. But, I also was trying to reinforce that Dash is still that good person but just a good person going through a bit of a phase. And as you may have noticed… quite a bit of foreshadowing in this chapter. However all will be explained eventually. ;) Anyway, thank you so much for taking the time to read and constructive reviews are always appreciated. Happy 4th of July!
Stay Classy and have a safe weekend!
Dexter1995