Defenders of the Creek
Chapter 2: Realizations Within – J.P.
Another day in October, the leaves going in a more cooler color palette. Another day in school for our heroes of the stump when school let out. J.P. could not really focus on school at the moment. No, the factor of self-aware was at the forefront. J.P. could tell he was not alone as he could see some of his classmates looking spaced out. Being told you're basically a minor character in someone else's grand story…was not really a bombshell you want to drop on some impressible kid. Being called a main character, may have been worse as J.P. saw it. His fellow students were mixed on it. Some stayed out of his ways, others worshipped him, and some outright despised him. J.P. was simply swallowing it all down, keeping an aloof on his face as school ended. He hurried to leave…unaware of being followed.
He was already down the street when he realized he was being watched. With a bit of a struggle, he got his trusty mace scanning the area around him.
"Well for someone with little training, you got a bit of a brain in your noggin." A voice said with J.P. swung his axe to his left only to be blocked with a sword.
J.P. blinked to see a falchion locking with his mace. The source of the voice and the sword staring right back at him. A dark brown young lady a few years his senior with dark brown hair with bangs framing her face and a low ponytail. She was rather slim, but fighting fit as she towered over J.P.
Her white motorcycle jacket contrasted her burnt orange sleeveless sweatshirt, dark colored jeans, silver belt, and crimson colored boots. She jumped back and sheathed her blade.
"Who…who are you?" J.P. asked.
"Connie. Connie Maheswaran. You must be J.P." Connie said as J.P. relaxed.
"Oh that's a relief…you must be friends with the Gray Shadow." J.P. said putting away his mace.
"Grey-Oh right…that he calls his superhero name. Well, we're not exactly friends. We're more associates. His group works with me. I'm apart of the Crystal Squadron." Connie explained. "Either way, we should get going. I do have to work up your friends."
Connie got out a capsule out of her pocket, clicked it, and tossed it onto releasing her vehicle of choice, a reddish hovercar with soft blue streaks. Connie got in the driver's seat which J.P. following as she took off driving.
"Miss Ma-"
"J.P, I'm soon to hit 17 in November, but I'm not that old to require formality." Connie said gently.
"Yeah…Connie, how do you deal with being a warper?" J.P. asked earnestly. "It's overwhelming."
"Being one isn't really easy, and I had to bury a lot of issues. Sure, I had the advantage of having one of the most powerful of warper families drop their son in my world's lap…but it only was a numbing agent. Sure, I have to live with the fact I'm fictional. But being a reality warper frees you in a way. However, in your case, your whole town is aware and that's not exactly something I've experienced. For me, it was mostly a secret that few people were let in on until my original world was ending." Connie mused. "Best advice I can give is seek out the psychologists who specialize in easing people into being reality warpers. While most don't go to them, there are some that do. Didn't your school get a new school psychologist?"
"I should look into that…" J.P. said wistfully.
"Don't be too hard on yourself. You were literally thrown into a combination platter of a world." Connie said in earnestly. "If not what happened to me, I'd be freaking too."
(A/N: Connie being a source of comfort never truly changes. It's nice to be able to write her character considering the massive cast of FusionFall Infinite. Going into a bit of depth in how J.P. feels, and his new struggles was rather interesting. He's a kid who's confined of reality were essentially shattered into dust. Next, we jump an hour back for Kelsey's chapter.)