Omega Kid
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the Kick-Ass comic or film written by Mark Millar, or any guest characters from other Kick-Ass fanfic's they are owned by their own writers and creators. However, original characters in Omega Kid belong to me.
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Chapter 6: Sweet Revenge
Thursday 25th February 2010
I was crazy…that was all I could say about myself. You could say brave and noble, I say crazy and stupid. But I had to do it.
But just the thought of facing Jason again brought back memories of that punch he gave me before, it still hurt.
Before I headed out to begin my search, I thought of Jenna and the promise I made her about not doing this kind of thing. I know I was breaking it, but I had to do this, for William, Megan…and even for myself. As much as Rachael tried to convince me earlier that it wasn't my fault, and I really wanted to believe her, the guilt was still eating away at me. If I didn't stop Jason tonight, and someone else got hurt or even killed, I would never be able to forgive myself. So, I climbed out of the window…well, attempted to, but after seeing how high the climb-down would be, I decided to sneak out the front door instead.
Tonight, either Thomas Lanks' life would end, or Omega Kid's life would begin...deep, huh?
My area could be pretty intimidating at nighttime. Although, considering how protective my big sister was, it was no surprise that I rarely ever went out any time after dark. It didn't help that it was so damp and foggy outside, I could literally feel the icicles build up around my costume. The cold breeze cut through the material and goose bumps spread throughout my body. I should probably invest in some extra padding or something underneath, as I would rather not freeze to death before I even get to my destination.
As I said before, I did have a fairly certain idea of where Jason and his posse could be hiding…half a dozen fairly certain ideas of where they could be hiding. Over the years, I've unfortunately come across certain places where Jason and his gang would hide out in certain areas. I'm sure I'm not the only one, but I never stick around long enough to ask. All it would take from Jason was one threatening look, and I would run back home whilst making sure I wasn't being followed. Michael could reveal the whereabouts to those hangouts to the police soon, so I had to work fast to make sure that Jason wouldn't get away.
However, by the third deserted hideout, I was beginning to think that they had left the city and were long gone. The hours ticked by seamlessly, and if I didn't find them and get back home soon, then Jenna would wake up and notice me out of the house. I can't worry about that now. All I care about is finding Jason, and making him pay for what he did. I don't care if I had to hunt him down, every night, for the rest of my life.
Then, I came across an alleyway that was another usual hideout for them. I hid behind a car on the opposite side of the street, waiting for any sign of activity. At first, the alleyway seemed dead and abandoned, leading on into a never-ending tunnel of shadows and mist. I was about to leave to check out the next place, when I saw two people walk down the street, heading towards the alleyway. The taller figure was hidden beneath a thick raincoat and a hoodie, while the other was a woman dressed in more revealing attire, a short skirt and sleeveless top. It couldn't have been someone she wanted to wear, as she was shivering from the cold while the hooded figure had his arm tugging around hers, pulling her along.
Staying as low as possible behind the car, I watched the two approach the mouth of the alleyway, stuck in between two derelict corner shops, and the woman halted, clearly reluctant to go any further. The hooded figure turned to stare down at her, and that's when I saw his face…Charlie Bone, one of Jason's friends. He didn't appear to be all that bothered with the woman's protests and pulled her into the alleyway. It looks like I've found them…now comes the hard part.
In order to get a better idea of what I was dealing with, I knew I couldn't just charge in through the front, I would have to climb up the buildings and get a birds-eye view of the situation, not something I was looking forward to, but it had to be done. I darted across the street, heading towards one of the shops next to the alleyway, and before I had any second thoughts, I hopped off the wall and reached up to grab a pipe that stretched around and up the building. Thank you, Marquez, for those few, very overpriced lessons.
Climbing up a pipe was much easier than a bunch of rock-thingies. My feet planted on the wall, and my hands gripping tightly around the pipe as I shuffled up and refused to look down. Soon enough, I reached the top and pulled myself over the edge, thankful that I could stand on solid ground…well, in this case, solid roof.
I quietly walked along the roof, keeping my head down and trying to blend into the shadows as best as I can. The dim streetlights couldn't reach the roof of the building, so as long as I didn't make any noise, I was hidden. But now comes the part that I dreaded…needing to look down at the alleyway to see what was going on.
Just standing up and edging closer to the edge was already making me sick. My head was spinning, and my body felt like it was going to tip over and plummet to the ground below. Taking a deep breath, I flopped onto my below and crawled over to the edge. I probably looked stupid doing this, but as long as I was alive afterwards, it didn't matter. Finally, I peeked over, and at first, the fear consumed me with the height making me feel nauseous and unbalanced. However, that feeling faded when I saw what was happening on the ground.
Charlie and the woman with him walked along the alleyway, coming across Freddy Karlson, who was seated on a battered, torn-apart sofa with two other women by his side. His arms coiled around both their shoulders, holding them close to his body, which they didn't seem to like judging by the disgusted looks on their faces. As Charlie walked past, Freddy stretched out his hand and the two high-fived while sharing a laugh at the women's expense. Littered around the two were stacks of discarded cigarettes, empty beer bottles and cans, a Cricket bat, and even a clutter of money notes that they just carelessly rolled around in like they were a bunch of billionaire playboys having the time of their lives, as if they didn't care that they were the most sought-after criminals in the area tonight.
The place was so overrun with drugs and alcohol, the awful smell escalated up to the roof where I was hiding. I tried my best not to cough from the unpleasant taste, keeping my hand over my mouth and forcing myself back to stay hidden. If I gave away my position now, then it was game over.
I looked back over to see what else was happening. After their high-five, Charlie continued walking further down the alley, until he came across two badly beaten boys that lay against the wall, unable to move. Their faces were bruised and swollen up to at least twice their size. Charlie leant over so that the woman he was keeping by his side was forced to gaze at their bloody faces, revolting her. The other two women on the sofa with Freddy looked on in horror, but Freddy forced them both to pay attention to him only. It made me sick just watching this. Those two guys had to be the boyfriends of the women with Freddy. At least it looked like they were still alive, although, at this point, I think they would prefer not to be. This was worse than I thought, not only did I have to look out for myself, but now I had others that needed to be protected as well.
A bit further along into the alley, Jason leant against the wall, taking a puff of his cigarette and looking like he was staring off into his own little world…I wouldn't be surprised if it was hell. Sitting on the floor next to him was another woman, she looked quite tall, but the darkness made it impossible for me to see her face. I could only just about hear her voice speak up. ''Why did you do it?''
Jason looked down at the girl and shrugged his shoulders. ''He mouthed me off and tried to pick a fight with me, so I defended myself.''
''I knew William, and I know for a fact that's not true!'' The girl stated strongly.
''I didn't want to kill him. It just happened, it's no big deal…''
''Don't!'' The girl shouted, getting the attention of everyone in the alley. She stood up and turned to face Jason. It surprised me to see that she was actually taller than the murderer, but that wasn't the biggest surprise I got, as once she rose up and I could get a better sight of her face, I was shocked to see Stella Diana was the one confronting him. ''Don't say it's no big deal! You didn't see the school, but I did! I saw William's parents and his sister, and they were destroyed by what you did!''
She might as well have been talking to the brick wall behind Jason because he didn't look at all interested in anything she had to say. ''I thought you were on my side?''
''How can I possibly be on your side? You're a killer.''
''So? What do you want me to do about it?''
''Turn yourself in!'' As soon as those words left her mouth, Jason, Charlie and Freddy all started laughing at her.
Stella stood there, silent and looking like a helpless pup that didn't know what to do next. Suddenly, Jason tossed his cigarette to the ground and advanced towards Stella, causing her to back away from him. I was afraid he was going to seriously hurt her until he started talking. ''Do you really want me to turn myself in?''
She appeared to be at a loss for words. ''I…you…''
''No, shut up for a second!'' His tone grew harsher as he spoke and his hands were raised, causing Stella to flinch. ''You're supposed to be smart, so think about this, if I'm put away in some prison, how am I supposed to get you money for your mother?''
''I can just…''
''What? Find a job? By the time you do that, she'll probably be dead. You need money now to pay for her treatments, and no one in your family is helping your dad pay. I was willing to help you get the money, and all you had to do was be mine.'' His hand reached her face and his knuckles grazed against her cheek, stroking her like a pet as she cowered away slightly. ''Aren't you grateful? For the past year I've been helping you, and now you want to abandon me, and any chance of getting money for her?''
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I felt powerless as I watched Jason threaten her, frozen and unable to come to grips with how inhuman Jason was about all this. All this time, I thought he was just some school bully who went a giant step too far but seeing how he was acting and treating the situation, a terrible thought dawned on me…has he done stuff like this before? Beaten up and even kill people just because he wanted to, and saw it as no big deal. And Stella has been forced to go along with this for a year now? God, I felt so sorry for her.
It hurt to watch her unable to speak up again as Jason took another step closer, with his hand now moving up so that it was stroking her hair. ''We need to leave, tonight. Thanks to Michael, the police will find us soon, so we need to leave the city now. I know where to go next. Get your things, but don't let anyone see you.''
''What?'' Stella gasped. ''I can't just leave my…''
''What good will staying do for your mum? If you don't come with me, then you can kiss that money goodbye. Here…'' With his other hand, he reached into his pocket and pulled out some money, placing it in Stella's hand. ''This is the money William had, it's yours…''
She instantly jumped away from him and the money fell to the ground below. Her expression filled with shock and hatred, probably just a bit more than mine right now. This was beyond heartless.
As Stella stared down Jason, Charlie and Freddy laughed amongst themselves. ''If she doesn't want it, we'll have it!'' Freddy called out.
Jason ignored his comment and looked down at the money. ''Pick it up!'' He demanded.
''No.'' She replied.
Suddenly, he lunged at her, gripping her hair tightly before pulling her and throwing her down to the ground as she screamed in pain. Freddy and Charlie cheered on as Jason held Stella down, ignoring her pleas for mercy. ''I've been good to you, and this is how you repay me? Now, you are going to do what I say and come with me, or I'll cut you next!''
That was the breaking point for me. I saw red. He had gone too far but was still deranged enough to keep going. I didn't even take a moment to consider my actions, as I grabbed a brick that was wedging out from a small wall nearby and tossed it down at Jason. It wasn't a great shot at all, as it landed far away from anyone and into a pile of bins, causing a loud crash that echoed throughout the whole alleyway. That probably was a good thing though because I might have stupidly hit Stella. They all stopped what they were doing, and looked around like a bunch of deer's caught in headlights, while I backed away from the edge of the roof to keep out of sight.
''What was that?'' I heard Freddy call out.
''I don't know,'' Jason said, followed by a moment of silence. ''Were you followed?''
''I don't think so!'' Charlie answered.
''Yes or no?'' Jason questioned angrily.
Taking a chance, I inched a little closer to peer down to the alley, watching as Jason stormed towards Charlie like he was about to lay a beatdown on him. Right now, Charlie was the looking fearful and hiding behind the woman he brought with him. ''I didn't see anyone, so I thought I wasn't being followed.''
''You fucking idiot!'' Jason pushed Charlie in the chest with both arms so hard he went flying and crashed to the ground. The woman, now free from his grasp, tried to make a run for it, but Jason was quick to react and seized her wrist before pulling her back. ''Don't even think about it.''
''What do we do now?'' Freddy asked.
''Get your things, we're leaving now!''
'Stupid, stupid, stupid!' I repeated over and over again in my head. I felt like hitting myself against a brick wall. Why did I think that would work? It wasn't going to work, and even if I did somehow hit Jason, then I would have ended up killing him. Or worse, I could have hit Stella or the other women and their wounded boyfriends. Now they were going to make a run for it, and there was still no sound of the police arriving anytime soon. But if I didn't do something, who knows what he could have done to Stella? I was stuck between a rock and a high place…I mean hard place.
Jason and Freddy got to work collecting every little thing they could while they pulled the girls further down the alley, making sure they had no way out to escape. One of them went over to help Stella, who held her head and was crying her eyes out, not that I blame her, I would too if I was in her shoes. Meanwhile, Charlie managed to pick himself back up, obviously angry about Jason's attack on him. ''Hey, how do we know I was the one being followed?''
''You were the last one here!'' Jason pointed out.
''That still doesn't prove anything! You can push your bitch around, but don't think you can go up to me like that…'' Charlie argued and walked towards Jason. The two looked like they were about to start a fight, which would be good for me, as that would slow them down. Jason stopped what he was doing, reached behind his back and pulled out a handgun from his back pocket…
What? A handgun? Are you kidding me?
Everyone backed away from Jason, looking on with fear, including Freddy and Charlie, who I'm guessing had no idea about the gun. Charlie raised his hands in defence, and his face paled until it was as white as a ghost. ''Where did you get that?''
''It doesn't matter. With Michael snitching on us, I think you can understand that I'm a little pissed-off right now. So you better think twice about starting with me!''
Charlie gulped and took a few steps back. ''Come on, put that down. I'm sorry, alright?''
Jason kept the gun pointed at him for a few more seconds like he wanted to put his message across as clear as daylight. Finally, he lowered his gun, and Charlie breathed a heavy sigh of relief not having to stare down the barrel any longer. Jason marched over to him. ''Make yourself useful and get the girls. If we do get caught by the police before we leave, they can be our leverage.'' Jason then turned to Freddy. ''Fred, you're with me. There should be a car here that we can jack.''
At this point, it seemed like Jason was ready to kill anyone and everyone who got in his way. There couldn't be anymore stalling for the police to arrive, if anyone was going to stop him, then it had to be me. And now seemed like the perfect opportunity, as Freddy followed Jason out of the alleyway like a good henchman, leaving Charlie alone to get the girls.
I looked down to see another pipe that trailed down along the wall, and that was all I had in order to get down. Time wasn't on my side, so I had to move quickly, which made the situation all the more difficult, as I tried to use my hands and feet to scale down as quietly as possible. However, because of the cold dampness of the night, the pipe was slippery, and my foot missed, causing me to nearly lose my grip and fall. There was no safety mat to protect me this time, and even if I miraculously survive the fall, I'm sure Jason wouldn't hesitate in finishing me.
Slipping and sliding, I was making slow progress down the pipe. However, I soon encountered another problem, as the pipe on this side of the building didn't go all the way down. My legs dangled downwards, unable to find anything else to step on. I knew that I had to look down if I wanted to descend. I held my breath and checked over my shoulder, and right away, nearly had a heart attack seeing how high up I still was. It was like there was no end to the height, and I could feel my fingers lose their grip like the ground was swallowing me up. I felt so nauseated, I was afraid that I was going to vomit for a second.
''Hey, Jason!'' I heard Charlie call out. I didn't want to look down anymore, I just wanted to close my eyes and climb back up. But I had to see what was going on, so sucking up any little bit of courage I still had, I glanced back down and saw Charlie stand beside the girls while also pointing towards the injured boys that were still sat against the wall. ''What are we going to do about them?''
Jason stopped in his tracks and looked at the boys, his expression unreadable as he reached into his pocket. ''I honestly forgot about them.'' He said before holding out a knife and walking towards them.
The two girls that were around Freddy's arms a minute ago started screaming hysterically and tried to run and help their boyfriends, but Charlie immediately grabbed the Cricket bat that lay on the ground and used it to push them back and threaten them if they tried anything else. They, like myself at the moment, were powerless to watch. Jason approached the boys with his knife drawn, no hint of emotion on his face as he was ready to kill again.
Stella scurried to the side to drift around Charlie, however, he was too quick and stuck out a leg to trip her up. She dropped to the ground and tried to get back up, but didn't get far, as Charlie stomped on her back and kept her planted to the ground. He then looked over to Jason, like he was asking for permission from him. Jason then nodded, and Charlie lifted up his bat, ready to strike the girl on the ground.
My fear disappeared for that flash of a second. I watched Charlie lift up that bat like it was playing in slow motion. I had one chance of saving her, and it was going to hurt me just as much as it was going to hurt Charlie…I jumped.
Just when the bat was being brought down with tremendous force, I landed right on top of Charlie, knocking him off of Stella and causing the bat to miss her by a few inches. While I did make the landing on Charlie, and it softened the blow I took to the ground, it still hurt like hell, and the pain from my bad leg flared up once again. There was no time to worry about that. I stumbled back onto my feet and turned to face Charlie, who hesitated when he saw me, probably taken back to see a brightly costumed vigilante had just used him as a trampoline.
I lunged at him, just as he swung his Cricket bat towards me. I dived close to him and blocked his arm with my own. BAM! BAM! I gave him two solid punches to the face and chest. He was dazed for the moment, which gave me the chance to reach for his bat and twist it out of his hand before swinging and striking his face. SMACK! He collapsed to the ground, out of the fight.
I can't believe that actually worked. One down. Looking to the end of the alleyway, I saw Jason with a bewildered look on his face, staring at me as if I was a ghost. The knife was still clutched in his hand. However, instead of attacking me like I thought he would, he looked back at Freddy, who seemed just as surprised as the rest. Once Jason gave him that steely glare, Freddy didn't hesitate, he retrieved the knife from Jason and sprinted towards me.
Before he got to me, I rolled behind another bin, hoping to have some kind of cover. It wasn't much protection, but it had to do for now. Freddy stabbed with the knife, trying to hit me. The weapon scratched the bin as I moved around. BAM! I kicked the back of his knees and he was about to fall to the ground, when all of a sudden, we both heard Stella scream. ''Look out!''
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Thankfully, Jason's shooting wasn't the best. The first two shots hit the wall close to me, and I ducked behind the bin again while the third shot blasted right through the metal tube, but luckily missed me. He had me trapped. The bullets could easily penetrate through the bin, so I would have to keep moving until I find some other form of protection, or he runs out of bullets. However, it wasn't going to be that easy, because in trying to protect myself from Jason, I completely forgot about Freddy.
Turning my head in the nick of time, I saw him slashing at my head with the knife. I ducked under, however, in his other hand was Charlie's bat, and it was aimed right for my ankle. SMACK! I yelled in pain, instantly crumpling to the ground whilst still holding the bin as a shield. It felt like my ankle was shattered, and the whole foot was going to fall off. My whole leg was throbbing from the impact; there was no way I could stand back up after that. That wasn't the worst part, though. The worst part was that Freddy hit my good leg, the one that luckily avoided Michael's wrath from before. So now I had two bad legs to fight with.
Jason approached me with his gun ready. I rolled to the side and tried to keep the bin with me as some kind of defence as he opened fire. BANG! BANG! BANG! He just missed me, and the bin did its job by deflecting two of the shots away from me. I was then trapped against the wall, unable to get away from Jason's line of sight. CLICK! CLICK! Nothing came out of the gun. At this point, I couldn't tell if my heart was racing or if it just stopped completely. Jason reached into his pocket, possibly to look for more ammo. ''Keep him down!'' He commanded to Freddy.
Like an obedient dog, Freddy was on me in a second. He swung the bat at me, and I spun around to move the bin in between his racket and me. CLANG! His attack was strong enough that the bin started to bend downwards, these things weren't exactly made for defence in a fight, but it was doing the job now and that was all I needed. He pushed down on top of me, crushing me beneath. There was only one thing I could do right now. I kicked up right in between Freddy's legs as hard as I could. He screeched in a high-pitched voice and backed away.
The bat dropped from his hands onto the ground, and he dropped to his knees. His head bowed down as he tried to tend to…himself. While I did have to use my bad foot to kick him, and it hurt me a lot, there was still enough force in that, I'm certain he won't ever be having kids or even grandkids afterwards. But the fight wasn't over yet because Jason had finally gotten the ammo he was looking for from his pockets.
I reached over for the Cricket bat. Using it for assistance, I struggled to stand up as Jason got his gun ready once again. Oh well, I've pretty much been improvising throughout this first, so I did the first thing that came to mind…I threw the bat at his face, at least this wouldn't kill him like the brick would have. SMACK! This time, the stump end of the bat struck Jason in the face. BANG! His first shot was diverted to the ground.
Using the wall for support, I limped as quickly as possible at Jason, hoping to make it before he regained focus. One hand was over his bloody face when he looked at me, rage burning off him like fire from the Sun. I went for it and tackled him in the stomach, knocking the gun right out of his hand.
My legs were like jelly, and I couldn't toss him to the ground like I wanted. Instead, he wrapped his arms around me and threw me onto the floor with ease. I tried to get back up before he could get the gun. BAM! But Jason charged at me and kicked me in the stomach. I tried to crawl away from his relentless beating. BAM! BAM! BAM! Kick after kick on me, leaving me helpless to do anything. He wasn't going to stop until I was motionless beneath his feet…and that's exactly what happened.
My movements and grunts of pain ceased, and Jason slowed his hacks until he came to a stop. He stood over me, panting heavily, before laughing maniacally, believing himself to be victorious. He didn't care if this was another death under his name. It's like this guy loved the thrill of bringing harm and death to others. It was sickening.
Now, I know what you're probably thinking right now, how can I still be narrating the story if Jason's just killed me? There's an easy way to explain in just two words…playing possum.
Jason turned away from me, probably to get his gun back, and that gave me the perfect opportunity for a surprise attack. Telling myself to deal with the pain that was about to come to my legs, I stretched my legs out around his and flipped myself over so that I could trip him. He fell face-first to the ground with a painful sounding thwack.
He appeared dazed, and I made my move, hopping onto my knees and punching him in the face. BAM! I tried to punch him again, but he grabbed my fist and hit me in the stomach. BAM! I was now off-balance once again. About to fall back down to the ground, I tried to take him down with me. BAM! I head-butt him in the face, causing him to stumble back and try to get some breathing room. There's no doubt that he was going to have a hard time seeing now, with blood pouring from his face, including a cut above his right eye from the bat I threw earlier.
Hobbling at him, I bent down to his chest and tried to spear him into the wall behind, but he was stronger than me and easily pushed me back. BAM! He punched me. BAM! I punched him back. BAM! BAM! BAM! Any sense of strategy, planning or backing out was thrown out of the window, as this had now turned into an all-out street brawl. Neither of us was giving up until one of us was down for the count. Unfortunately, even with my training, Jason was still the stronger one.
BAM! He punched me in the face once again, probably cutting open my cheek as I could feel the blood leaking through my mask. I staggered backwards, out of the alleyway and on the edge of the road. I tried to bring my arms up for protection, but I was too weak to even move them, I had nothing left in me. Both my legs were shaking and about to give out. My vision blurred so much that it looked like there were three Jason's facing me down. I couldn't even get my bearings straight; everything seemed to be spinning out of control around me.
There was no time to breathe because Jason was running towards me yet again, ready to end this. I couldn't block or fight back anymore, so I did the only thing I could right now…dodge. I stepped to the side as he threw a reckless punch at me, just managing to avoid the attack. My leg was stuck out, causing him to trip over it and fall onto the road. The back of his head connected with the ground.
I couldn't stop myself from flopping to the ground. I was beyond exhausted. I was broken. I half expected Jason to come at me again, but he didn't get back up after his trip, instead, he remained on the ground. It looked like he was trying to find the strength to get up, however, that blow to the head must have done some serious damage because his arms were waving about slightly on the ground. His face was bloody and bruised, though I wasn't one to talk, mine was probably the same under the mask.
Just when it seemed like I'd won, I heard a commotion coming from the alleyway, and that's when I saw Freddy approach me with the knife in his hands. He waddled towards me awkwardly, obviously still sore from that kick. A smirk appeared on his face when he saw that I was struggling to get up. I gave everything I could just to take Jason down, there was no more strength left in my tank for another fight.
''Hey!'' A voice called from behind Freddy. He turned around and had no time to react as Stella swung at him with a broken pipe, hitting him right in the unfortunate place yet again. Just like before, his hands clutched over his private place and he crashed to the ground like a chopped down tree. His cries of anguish made me uncomfortable, even after all the hits I've already taken, I would much rather be in my position than his. Stella kicked the knife that he dropped to the side, moving it out of harm's way.
Now that Jason and his gang were all down and out, it finally registered in my mind what had just happened…I won! I actually managed to beat them! Yeah, it was extremely difficult and painful, but it was so worth it. Never, not even in a million years, would I have thought this would ever happen. It felt amazing.
''Are you okay?'' I heard someone ask me. I looked over to see Stella cautiously approach me.
I nodded slowly, every little movement I made hurt. ''Better than okay,'' I said, still soaking in the glory of my surprising victory. ''Thanks for the help.''
''Don't mention it.'' She said to me before looking over at Jason.
He coughed a few times and his head moved a little so that he could get a better sight of me. He glared at me menacingly. ''I'm going to kill you…you son of a bitch…you're dead…'' He then turned to Stella. ''And you…I'll kill you both…you…'' His pupils rolled upwards and his body jerked twice before he slipped into his dark subconscious mind. It looked like he was going to live; all he needed was some medical help. But as soon as he does get better, he'll be put behind bars for a long, long time.
Hopefully, that'll be the last time I see his ugly mug. I grunted while trying to stand up. I felt Stella pull my arm over her shoulders and she lifted me up. ''Thank you,'' I said.
''We should call you an ambulance?'' She stated worriedly.
''Don't worry about me, I'll be fine!''
''You might not be! You could have a broken ankle and internal bleeding. And that doesn't even include all those hits you took to the head, you could…''
''It's okay, I'll…I have people that will look after me.'' I lied, hoping to relax her. Going to the hospital might have been the sensible thing to do, but I knew that the hospital would have to unmask me and get my identity, and I wouldn't get a warm reception from Jenna if she found out what I did. ''Are you okay?'' I asked her.
''Yeah…'' She said weakly, whilst also peering towards Jason's unconscious body like she was afraid he was going to jump up and start attacking again. I knew there was more to the story, about Stella's connection with Jason and the situation with her mother and needing money. But it wasn't my place to ask, she needed some time after a night like this. Also, if I asked one too many questions, she might piece together who I was.
Glancing behind her, I noticed the other two girls comforting their beaten, but alive, boyfriends, while the third woman was on the phone to call for help. That was my cue to exit.
As I started to limp away, Stella called out to me. ''Wait! Who are you?''
A smile grew on my face hearing those words. This was going to be my first introduction, so I had to make it sound good. Thankfully, I had heard enough epic speeches from anime and movies to know how to make one. ''I am the silver lining that brings hope to the world. I am the one who will face the darkness at any cost. Protecting those who wish for peace. Stopping those spreading war. I am the Silver Guardian…the God of Heroes…I am Omega Kid!''
Not bad for something I made on the spot. Stella stared at me dumbfounded, unsure of how to respond…okay, maybe my speech was a little cheesy, but it sounded cool in my head. At least I got my name out. I limped away, heading for home. Stella stood there like she was afraid I was going to collapse before I left. But I was fine as I walked through the night, filled with pride at what I had just accomplished.
The last thing I heard before I left the area was Freddy's continuing cries of anguish. ''Oh God, you hit my balls into my stomach!''
Friday 26th February 2010
It was after two in the morning when I finally made it home and snuck in through the front door, which I had left unlocked when I left. My costume was stuck to my body because of the damp coldness and the dry blood that coated me all over. I quietly stumbled into my bedroom, taking off my costume and placing it under the bed and hiding it under my stack of comics. I could wash it over the weekend when Jenna was working and stitch it up if there were any tears.
Next up was sneaking into the bathroom so that I could wash my face and tend to my ankle. I had to keep the lights off so that I didn't wake Jenna. But even in the darkness, I could still see the cuts and bruises that littered my face. I washed as silently as I could, rubbing my face tenderly with even the slightest touch causing me to hiss. I leant against the sink to support myself. Typical luck, just as one leg was starting to heal up and get better, the other was now injured. I can't tell whether my ankle was twisted or sprained, but at least I knew it wasn't broken like I first feared.
The last bit of blood from my face washed away down the sink. I grabbed the towel and patted each stinging cut. Suddenly, the light flickered on, nearly blinding me as Jenna stood by the doorway. ''Thomas, what are you still doing up? You've got school in the morning?''
Crap, now what? I looked like something that emerged from WWE. She rubbed her sleepy eyes, and then it dawned on her how battered and bruised I was, so I had to think of some kind of believable excuse quickly. ''I fell out of bed!''
The bemused look on her face said it all. ''What?''
''Yeah…I think I sprained my ankle, look!'' I hopped on one leg, holding out my swollen ankle for her to see. Not the best idea, as my other leg was still banged up, so I nearly lost balance. I managed to regain it, while Jenna held out protective arms, ready to catch me if I fell. ''Sorry if I woke you.''
''Let's get something for your ankle, sit down.'' She instructed me.
I did so, sitting on the edge of the bathtub as she rushed to find something to help with the swelling. She returned with an ice pack and pressed it against my ankle. Chills ran up my spin upon contact. ''Thanks.'' I shivered.
''What happened to your face?'' She asked me. ''And don't tell me that happened because you fell out of bed.''
''Uh…in school…''
''You didn't have those bruises earlier!''
''They…just started to form now. I was asleep, and they started hurting, so that's why I got up to check on them!''
''I thought you said you fell out of bed?''
''I did…when I tried to get up…I slipped and fell...and in the process hurt my ankle.'' I am such a terrible liar it actually hurts.
Jenna didn't look like she was buying my story for one second. She stared at me with questioning eyes. ''Okay then, how did you get those bruises in school?
''Rock-climbing!'' I blurted out.
She was taken back by my answer. ''Really? Why were you doing rock-climbing? You're scared to death of heights!''
''I know…it's…I was thinking that maybe it was time to conquer my fears. I hate being afraid! I don't like feeling bad about myself, and I thought if I faced my fears I might be more confident in myself and do better with…life. I don't want to be some weak, shy kid who can't defend himself or stand up for himself.'' I meant for this to be an excuse, but nothing I said in that statement was a lie. Even tonight, I almost froze up and quit because of my fear. If I hadn't fought on, then Jason might have gotten away and others would have ended up dead. I can help people, but I can be a greater help if I wasn't scared.
I was brought out of my thoughts as Jenna took a seat next to me, just about fitting on the side of the bathtub while keeping the ice pack pressed gently against my ankle. ''Is this because of what I said before? After your fight with Jason?''
''I didn't fight Ja…'' I didn't dare finish that sentence. Instead, I went back to reply to her query. ''Kind of.''
She sighed lightly. ''Thomas, I didn't mean to bring you down or upset you. I was just really worried about you. Jason was a crazy young man before what happened William. We knew that already. So when I got the call from your school that you and he had a…scuffle, I got really worried that you might have been hurt. And you were, not because you're weak, but because there are people like Jason who aren't afraid of hurting people just for laughs. While I believe you should have stayed out of it and let the teachers handle the situation, you did a noble thing wanting to help.''
''Thanks.'' I smiled.
''And look, if you really want to do rock-climbing, that's fine. However, I am going to have a word with the school about safety, because you still should not be getting bruises like that…''
''No!'' I stopped her. ''It's not the school; it's a student who I asked for help. He's just a bit…rough and tumble with his teachings. It's nothing I can't handle. You don't have to worry.''
''Are you sure?''
''Yeah.''
That look of concern never left her face, as her eyes shifted from looking at me to checking on the ice pack over my ankle. I think she wanted to say more and ask some other questions about my bruises, but as she let out a long yawn, I figured she'd be too tired to probe any further. ''Do you want to take the day off school tomorrow?''
''Don't you mean today?'' I teased.
It took her a second to get the joke, and when she did, she nudged my shoulder a little. ''Don't be a smartass.''
Normally, I'd jump at the chance to have a day off. Images of Rachael flooded my mind. I had finally started talking with her, I couldn't waste the chance to keep the conversations going, and I figured that she might hear about Stella and thus might ask questions about her friend's superhero saviour. I'd love to hear what Rachael thought about there being a superhero. I shook my head at Jenna. ''No, I'll be fine.''
''Really?'' She questioned in a shocked manner. ''I would have thought you'd be begging to take the day off.''
''I just feel like going in tomorrow. I feel like tomorrow will be a good day. You know like those horoscope predictions?''
''You've been hanging around with Alex too much.'' She chuckled. ''Come on, let's get you into bed, tough guy.''
With her help, I limped back into my bedroom, and I've never been more relieved to lie back on a soft, comfy mattress and relax. My sore body sunk into the bed, wrapped in luxury and warmth at last. Jenna took the ice pack and headed out the door. ''Thank you,'' I said.
Before she left, she turned to me. ''While you're up, you can make a start on that homework you didn't finish today.''
''Really? Now?''
''Well, now that you've said you're going in tomorrow, you might as well do it!''
''I'll do it tomorrow.'' I yawned. That was without a doubt my easiest lie.
Jenna smirked at me. ''I thought you might say that. I also think that you wouldn't want anyone in Comic-City to find out that you twisted your ankle from falling out of bed.''
I stared back at her grimly. ''You wouldn't…''
''If you do your homework, I won't.'' She winked before leaving to head back to bed. I can't believe her. I'm injured, and she uses that to get me to finish homework after midnight, I'll have enough of that to deal with when I go University in a few years. Despite the blackmail from my sister, I couldn't find the strength to complain. I was so knackered by my heroic actions that I fell asleep in no time. Hey, when you fight your worst enemy and his gang and was pretty much a punching bag all night long, sleep won't take long to set it.
I'll do my homework tomorrow.
To Be Concluded…
If you'd like, you can follow my original stories on Wattpad. My penname is Thomas-LF. Thank you for your time, if you do read them, I hope you enjoy them.