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.
If you enjoyed this chapter and want to know more about my work, you can like the Rurrlock-God of Power Facebook page.
The Gang War Arc
Chapter 8: Trial and Improvement
Wednesday 26th May 2010
The woman in a smart-looking business suit waited in her seat and counted down the seconds until her big moment. She calmly breathed in and out, preparing herself for her big debut. All her hard work was about to pay off. The lights flickered on around her and the woman looked forwards towards the guy standing behind the tilting camera. ''Okay, we're rolling in ten…nine…eight…''
He tallied the numbers for her, as she sat up straight and smiled for the camera, hoping to make a good first report as a newswoman. It was only going to be a short one-minute morning update for those at home, eating their breakfast and waiting for the other major stories today. But it was still important to her. She had to get this right.
Her bright red hair glowed under the brightness of the stage lights. She kept her arms down on the table and her hands knotted together, still as a rock.
''Good morning, I'm Amanda Linea, here for this special report. It's been three months since London welcome its very own real-life superhero. Omega Kid famously came onto the seen when he helped with the capture of four teenagers behind the murder of William Richardson. Jason Crews, Freddy Karlson, Charlie Bone and Michael Martin were all found guilty of the murder, and charged with life imprisonment. They were also charged with multiple acts of violence, threat and sexual harassment. Since then, there seems to be no sign of this superhero slowing down. While police may have mixed responses towards Omega Kid, ranging from a helpful youth who wants to do well, to being called a delinquent who shouldn't stick his nose in official police work. But there's no doubt that he's hit a good note with the people. Omega Kid…the people's hero!''
BAM! BAM! BAM! Three solid punches and the guy went out like a light bulb, dropping to the ground with a hard thud. Unfortunately, I wasn't finished yet, because his partner in crime came at me with a fury. BAM! I took a hard punch to the shoulder. I think he was aiming for my face, but he must have been having a difficult time with his aim after the bloody nose I gave him.
He tried to punch me again. This time I ducked underneath his flailing arm. BAM! I landed a great uppercut beneath his chin, causing him to stumble back. Before he could have a chance to recover, I crouched to the ground and kicked out at his leg, making him fall to the ground. BAM! I finished the fight by slamming my foot down as hard as I could onto his stomach. He clutched his belly and rolled around, but was unable to get back up, making me the victor today.
That was a hard battle; I'll give them that. I leant down, placing my hands on my knees and taking deep breaths. My nose felt all bunged up, and my lip was probably cut and swollen as I could feel it push against the front of my teeth. Still, better to be where I was than the two moaning and injured on the ground. But still, I would have liked to start today looking clean and fresh, because then I wouldn't have to think of some new excuses to explain my injuries to Jenna later.
Once I was sure I was okay to walk again, I turned back to face the frightened woman, who was clutching tightly onto the purse that these two tried to snatch from her. ''Are you okay?'' I asked.
She nodded nervously. ''Yes, thank you!''
''No problem.'' I smiled reassuringly at her. However, I panicked as something dawned on me. ''Hold on, what's the time?''
After giving me a perplexed look, she looked at the watch on her wrist. ''It's…8:23…''
''Crap!'' I grunted and started to dash off. Before I got too far, I turned around and shouted to the woman. ''Can you call the police for me? They'll come and collect these two up! Thanks!'' I didn't even have time to get her response. If I didn't pick up speed, I was going to be late for school again, and I couldn't afford that with how often it's happened in the past three months.
I ran through an alleyway behind an old antique shop and looked for my rucksack that would have my shirt and jeans ready. Thankfully, this area was clear of any CCTV cameras, which meant I could change here and exit without fear of being filmed. As quickly as possible, I hid behind a few large bins, and threw my shirt, jeans trainers on before stuffing my gloves, mask and Omega Kid shoes into the rucksack.
Double-checking that the area was clear again, I sprinted in the direction towards school. However, by the time I could see the building in the distance, I knew I was late yet again.
Since I started my career as Omega Kid, my school record has taken a bit of a bad hit, particularly in regards to my attendance and late arrivals. There have even been times when I've missed whole days. I've gone from my reputation of being completely overlooked in class and treated like I wasn't even there, to not being there at all most of the time. Others in the class have even started rumours about me, ranging from thinking I was in a gang to thinking I was an over-night pimp. Yeah, I've been accused of being a pimp before being a superhero…try to figure that one out for me!
Of course, Jenna has been called up about it, and she's questioned me a few times over it. I would always have some excuse waiting, by this point, I had a whole list of them to use. The hard part wasn't covering up for being late, the hard part was trying to explain the sprained hand, battered legs, bruises and cuts that I had gathered over the past few months. Those didn't help with trying to wave away the theory that I was in a gang. I was lucky, because, since the swollen ankle that Jason gave me, I've had no other really serious injuries to speak of. That doesn't mean that I haven't taken a beating a good number of times.
But when I've seen the good I've done, I knew that it was worth it. It's not like I saved the day every single day of the week, but whenever I helped, I did my best and I felt like I was really making a difference to the city.
There was a time when I stopped someone stealing a charity box from a shop…though that was where I got my sprained hand. Then there was that time I stopped a couple of car thieves, but I think that led to me getting a good bruise to the chest. Any more stories were going to have wait for another day, as I finally made it to school.
After the usual questioning over my lateness, I took my seat and went through the day, same as usual. The bright sunlight shining through the large windows made it awkward for me, as I began to feel all hot and sticky with my costume on underneath my casual clothes. The warmer weather we've been getting has made changing in and out of costume very difficult for me at times. But I had to suck it in and try to concentrate in my lessons if I wanted to keep on my teacher's good side.
It felt like heaven once lesson was over, and I could step outside into the playground, feeling that cool breeze sweep over me like stepping into a cold shower. Yeah, the costume underneath didn't make things too comfortable, but it was at least better than suffocating in the classrooms. Another thing that didn't help with the oncoming summer temperatures was that I needed to wear either a jumper or a long-sleeve shirt in order to hide my costume. I didn't want to imagine what it would be like in the blistering heat of full-on summer. Why don't Spider-Man or Daredevil ever roast when wearing their costumes?
I found myself sitting in my usual spot, by myself, watching everyone else go about their business. Some students were getting together to play a full-scale Football game across the whole playground. I thought about joining in and giving it a go myself but decided against it as I pictured me embarrassing myself in front of the whole school with my lack of any control or shooting skills.
''Hi!'' I heard Rachael's voice beside me. Turning around, I saw Rachael walk over and sit next to me.
Despite the fact we've been talking and seeing each other more and more in the past three months, I could still feel a lump grow in my throat every time she was near me. ''Hey.''
She looked at me, and her eyes narrowed. ''Did you have a nosebleed this morning?''
I rubbed the bridge of my nose and saw bits of dry blood fall off. ''Yeah…I…'' Pausing for a second, I ended up saying the first thing that came to mind. ''I ran into a door.''
A laugh escaped her. Her hand pressed over her mouth in an attempt to stop herself. ''I'm sorry.''
''It's okay, it was stupid of me.''
''You must be the most accident-prone person I've ever met.''
''I'm not accident-prone! I'm just…everything around me is hazardous.'' I said. This caused her to start laughing yet again, something that I still loved hearing from her, no matter how many times I heard it.
Since we first started talking, I've hung out with her more often and I've managed to handle conversations between us without always turning red in the cheeks too much. It did feel like she genuinely liked talking with me and seeing me in school, completely unafraid of getting stick from other students in school for hanging out with a nobody, as the kind ones would put it. Not to mention I would also chat with her a little bit whenever she had to work at Comic-City. It was still so surreal to think that she was working there, of course, nowhere near to the extent that Jenna does, but enough that I would see her from time to time.
I could feel my confidence build around her, getting to know her more, and her getting to know me. Though, she would still have those occasions when she didn't stick around for too long on certain days and sometimes wouldn't come in for school at all. I never wanted to push for an explanation from her, that was her business, and if one day she trusts me enough to tell me…well, that would be a very awesome day if she ever had that much trust in me.
''Are you okay?'' Rachael said bringing me out of my thoughts. ''You seem a little red in the cheeks.''
Oh crap, still just thinking about her was enough to make me blush. ''I'm fine, just a little stuffy.''
''Really? It's not that hot of a day. Are you coming down with a fever?'' She asked with a little bit of concern in her tone.
I smiled at her reassuringly. ''I'm okay.''
''There you are!'' A voice called out, interrupting us. Rachael and I looked over to see Sophie, Chloe and Stella approaching us. As Stella sat down next to Rachael, the sisters looked on at the Football game between the students that was still being prepared. ''Can you believe this? Game being set-up and they didn't invite us!'' Chloe said with mock offence.
Sophie hummed in agreement before turning to Stella. ''You want to play?''
''Oh, no thanks,'' Stella replied. ''I'm not looking forward to being massacred by you two today.''
Sophie looked like she wanted to persuade her friend, but decided against it. Sophie turned to her sister, who was busy putting on a pair of trainers and quickly rushed towards the other students sorting out the game. Before Chloe ran off to join her, she looked at me. ''Thomas, what about you?''
''What about me what?'' I asked nervously, already knowing what she was hinting at.
''Why don't you play a game? See what you've got!''
''Trust me, I haven't got anything. You go on.''
Again, Chloe seemed like she wanted to try and get me to agree to a game, but in the end, she shrugged her shoulders and dashed off to catch up with Sophie. Even if I was somewhat decent at playing, I knew I still wouldn't be in the same class as them, and they would surely lose the game if I were on their side.
I could feel Rachael's gaze burning into me, and I turned to face her. ''Come on, I know you want to go up there and play.'' She said.
''It's not that…I'm just afraid of looking like an idiot.''
''You could never look like an idiot.'' She stated strongly. Oh boy, here come the blushes again. I couldn't come out with a coherent reply because of the words getting stuck in my throat after her compliment, so she continued. ''I just mean that as long as you try, it doesn't matter how good you are, no one in this school is going to be perfect at Football…''
''Although Sophie and Chloe like to think they are!'' Stella injected with a smirk.
''True.'' They both giggled playfully at the sister's unknowing expense.
I really appreciated them trying to encourage me, especially Stella, since the only reason she talked to me was because Rachael talked with me…at least, that's what I thought. Along with Sophie and Chloe, they never seemed to mind me hanging out with Rachael, even if they wanted to talk with her more so than me. It was cool that they tolerated me and thought that I was nice, and they were all pretty nice too.
Stella had been a bit distant since the Jason incident. I fully understood why, since she had to go through so much with that thug, and then there was the evidence she had to give in court before he and his hooligan friends were sentenced. Most of what happened were kept privately, and I had no right to ask her what happened or what was said, even if I was there when I stopped him and heard him mention something about her family. Out of the four girls, there was no quiet one in the group, but if I were around, Stella would say the least.
Just then, Rachael spoke up. ''Is that Megan sitting alone over there?''
I looked in the direction she was indicating towards, and in the distance, I could just about see Megan sitting at a table just beyond the playground. Like Rachael mentioned, the shy girl was sitting by herself, looking downwards at something on the table. Everyone was so preoccupied with the Football game about the start, that there wasn't a single soul around Megan, leaving her very isolated and out of the way.
If I weren't hanging out with Rachael, then I would usually find myself talking with Megan sometimes. Not too often, due to her shyness and her thinking that she was bothering me just by existing. It was weird to be with something that was far more introverted than I was. But over time, she was getting noticeably braver and more open around me, realising that I meant what I said before about being her friend, and she was a good friend. I think she thought the same thing of me too but maybe found it too overwhelming if I was with Rachael and her friends, because she would never approach me if someone else was with me.
''Why don't you invite her over?'' Rachael suggested like she was reading my mind.
''I don't think she'll come over. I don't think she likes large crowds.''
''I know how that feels. But I think it'll be nice.''
''Maybe I should go then,'' Stella said and was about to leave until Rachael held out her arm to stop her friend from moving. Stella looked at Rachael and I and tried to explain. ''I just feel…seeing me might remind her of…you know.''
It made sense what she was implying. There's no doubt the memory of William would plague Megan for the rest of her life, and any connection to his killer would be upsetting for her, even if Stella was just a vague connection. How was she to know that Jason would kill? No one did! Even though I knew Jason was bad, I never thought he would go that far, so it was no one's fault other than that bastard's. I don't believe Megan held any grudge against Stella, and I wanted to prove it. ''Let's see what she thinks,'' I said before getting up and walking towards Megan.
Ducking my wave through the crowd of students that had amassed on the playground, I eventually made it to the table that Megan was sitting at. She looked up nervously when she felt a presence approach, and the thing she was staring at on the table, her phone, was covered by her protective hands but calmed when she saw it was only me. ''Hello.'' She greeted me pleasantly.
''Hey,'' I responded and took a seat next to her. ''What you up to?''
Her hands relaxed around her phone and she gazed at the screen. ''Looking on the net. Listening to some singers, nothing special.''
''Cool.''
''Yeah, cool.'' She mumbled with a small, awkward smile.
''Hey, um…'' I started, trying to figure out how to word my sentence. ''I…we…were just wondering if you'd like to sit with us.'' I gestured to the spot where Rachael and Stella were located across the playground.
Instantly, Megan's smile faltered and her body began to coil up like a retreating, scared animal. ''Oh, no thank you. I don't want to bother anyone.''
''You won't bother anyone,'' I promised her. ''We want you to hang out with us.''
''I don't know. I just…I just don't think I'll fit…you're all part of the cool crowd, and I'm…not.''
''Don't say that, you'll…'' I tried to bolster her confidence, but something she said made me stop in my tracks. ''Wait, you think I'm part of the cool crowd?''
''Well, yeah,'' She said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. ''I don't go by what other people say is cool, the good looks, the overconfident personalities, or the amount of Facebook friends a person has. I think you're cool because you're a nice person, the one most teachers like to have…''
''Not recently with my lateness,'' I exclaimed.
''But they still like to have you. Not to mention, Rachael, the most popular girl in this whole school, likes you a lot.''
My cheeks exploded into a fiery eruption and my demeanour changed right away, as I was now the one coiling away and unsure of what to say. ''Well…no, not like…I mean…''
Seeing me go into a panicked fit made Megan do the same thing. ''I'm sorry, I should have kept my mouth shut…''
''No, no, it's fine,'' I told her.
After that, both of us were silent and both trying to calm down from our little, respective panic attacks. Hopefully, by the time I returned to Rachael, my cheeks weren't looking like a pair of blooming roses. Before I had the chance to say anything else, Megan spoke up in a tentative tone. ''I'm just worried…I might…I'm scared that I might bother people.''
''Trust me, I know exactly how you feel. But I took a chance with talking to Rachael, and it paid off.''
She nodded, taking in every word. A deep, rushed breath followed before she looked at me. ''Okay.''
''Cool,'' I said, trying not to sound too excited, even though I was very excited about Megan coming over to sit with us.
We got up and made our way back over towards Rachael and Stella. Thankfully, the playground had cleared up mostly so we could walk through without any hassle, though it was a bit strange since there was supposed to be a game about to be played.
''Heads up!'' At that moment, I heard a shout and turned just in the nick of time to see the football head right at Megan's head. I manoeuvred around Megan and held out my hand, stopping the impact and causing the ball to drop to the ground safely. The shy girl next to me barely had any time to react before I was waving my hand in an attempt to calm the stinging sensation that spread to the tip of my fingers. I could only imagine how much that would have hurt if Megan got hit by that.
''Thanks.'' She said to me.
''No problem.''
I wriggled my fingers and patted my palm, trying to get the feeling back into my hand, just as someone came rushing over to me. ''Nice reflexes.'' He commented.
The person speaking to me was Gabriel Adenoya, a tall, fairly stocky person who towered over me. He was the captain of our school's football team after William's death, and if there were anyone who could match Sophie and Chloe's skills, it would be him. He seemed like a nice, friendly guy from what I'd seen, never caused too much trouble and liked to keep a good, popular image. He was a confident, but not overly arrogant kid.
''Here.'' I kicked the ball back towards him. With a flick of his foot, he lifted the ball up into his hands.
''You want to join?'' He asked.
That caught me completely off guard. Was someone actually asking me to play football? If I ever wanted to get involved with any sports team, I would usually have to resort to bribing them, which after the Marquez lessons, I could no longer afford to do. But here, the school captain was asking me if I wanted to join!
''I…eh…'' At that point, I realised the whole playground would be watching, and they would see me embarrass myself. ''I'm not that good…''
''Trust me, you've got to be better than Onder!'' He interrupted.
I had to admit, he was right there. No offence to Onder, although I never liked the guy much anyway because of his rude persona, he was a pretty terrible football player no matter how many times he played and tried to impress the girls in the school. But comparing myself to the bottom didn't mean that I was going to be any good either way.
Just as I felt like backing away, I felt Megan gently tap me on the arm, getting my attention. ''Take the chance. It might pay off.'' She smiled confidently at me, even though her voice was barely a whisper. Something inside me felt a little bit inspired seeing Megan try to encourage me.
The more I thought about it, the more I believed that I might not actually do too badly. After all, with the training and workouts that I've done over the past few months, I should be strong enough to compete in a game. I've handled maniacs with guns and knives; a game of football shouldn't make me run away with my tail between my legs. All that training shouldn't have to be just for Omega Kid. I think Thomas Lanks can show off a little every once in a while.
I turned back to Gabriel. ''Alright, I'm in!''
''Great, you'll be centre-back!''
''Wait, what?'' I gasped, but Gabriel had already sprinted off to get the game started. ''No, wait, I change my mind…''
Noticing my distress, Megan moved close to me. ''What's wrong?''
''I've never played in defence before! I've played every other position except for that one!''
''Well…maybe you'll be good…'' She looked around, becoming intimidated as everyone moved about the playground. ''I better move. I don't want to become a target again.'' She scurried off before I could say anything else.
What have I gotten myself involved with?
There was no turning back now, so I walked towards my team's half of the playground. Before I got into position, I noticed Chloe and Sophie standing next to each other, and each respectively giving me a nod of assurance or a thumbs-up gesture. At least I had some of the best players in the school on my team. They might be able to stop the other team before I get involved with anything, and I can just stand in the back and not humiliate myself.
The only other player standing in defence was Matthew Kane. I didn't know much about him other than he was a bit of a prankster and another member of the school's football team. He noticed me coming over and greeted me with a nod. ''You alright?''
''I think so.'' I breathed. That was probably not the best response I could have given to my teammate.
''Don't be so tense. Just make sure they don't get any shots away. The Year 11's don't show mercy!'' He stated passionately.
''Thanks, I'll try…'' I stopped mid-sentence and nearly did a double take when I fully registered his whole statement. ''Year 11's?''
I should have caught on sooner who our opponents were. After all, my team consisted of all Year 10's, while on the other side of the pitch, chanting out like wild men were students from the year above. As if that wasn't bad enough; while Sophie, Chloe, Gabriel and Matthew were part of the school's Football team, the rest were filled with Year 11's, and most of them were who I was facing. All stronger, faster, and more experienced than I was.
''Can I be subbed off, please?'' I whimpered.
The game started!
Already, the attackers and midfielders were at each other's throats. Flying in for tackles in an attempt to win the ball from their opponents, sometimes they were pulled off excellently, while at other times, someone got crunched painfully. I don't get it. I've face criminals, why was I scared of football players no more than a year older than me?
I could tell we were getting out-played. Even our best players were unable to keep up with the Year 11's as they broke through and were on the attack. I held my ground as Matthew went for the tackle. The older player held the ball up and tried to move around, but Matthew stuck out a leg and cleared the ball away. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief seeing the ball hoofed up the other direction, away from me.
A few minutes pass, and I was still untested. However, that wouldn't last long, as they broke through once again. Matthew went flying in for another tackle, hoping to get the same result. The Year 11 striker passed to a teammate before Matthew could get the ball, passing by him and leaving me as the only line of defence…literally.
I just wanted this over with as quickly as possible, so I lunged forward to win the ball. The player easily sidestepped me, leaving me to watch on helplessly as he took a shot. The keeper did his best to reach for it, but luckily, the ball skid off the top of the crossbar and out of play.
This was what I feared would happen, that our opponents would pass through me as if I wasn't even there and I would end up embarrassing myself. But inside of shame, I felt annoyed at myself. I made it too easy for him to get around me. I had to do better! I got back up and was determined to get the next tackle right.
Our goalkeeper sent the ball sailing down the other side of the field. A Year 11 soared over Gabriel and won the header, knocking it to his teammate, and they were coming at us yet again. I stayed back as Matthew approached the striker and held him off. They tussled and barged into one another, but eventually, the 11 lifted the ball up into the air towards me. This was my chance. I sprinted to get to the ball, but another 11 was following close by, leaping up to get the ball. I hesitated; afraid to collide with him, and once again I was left behind as the 11 headed it to another player and they heading for our goal.
That should have been mine! The frustration boiled inside me, forcing me to charge after the player to win the ball back. Somehow, I caught up with the striker, keeping close to him. He must have known I wasn't experienced, so he cockily tried to skill me up. I stick a leg out to kick the ball away, and he brings it back. I try again and again to win the ball, but he flicks it between his feet.
I don't know if he was trying to show off for the crowd of gathering students watching or just intimidate me. Instead of feeling scared, though, I felt more determined. He wanted to embarrass me, and I couldn't let that happen.
He attempted a dummy to move around me. Quicker than even I thought possibly, I pounced in and took the ball from his feet. Surprised at first, he tried to win the ball back fro me, but I cleared it down the other side of the field before he got the chance. Wow, how about that? I actually managed to win a tackle!
''Nice one!'' Matthew patted me on the back as he dashed back into a defensive position.
Outside of the area that we used as the pitch, I could see Rachael, Stella and Megan watching on. Rachael looked at me with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye. Seeing a look like that from your one and only crush was a definite confidence boost. All that fear I had before the game was long gone. In fact, I couldn't wait for the next attack to come.
I thought I was getting ahead of myself, but as the game went on, something strange was happening…I was playing well, no, good! Matthew and I halted every attack the Year 11's had. We were like an iron wall of defence, impenetrable. Soon enough, the older players were no longer trying to show off, but genuinely putting effort into trying to pass me. There was no hesitation in my play as I got stuck right in. Nothing was getting past me. I must have surprised both teams by this display. Hell, I surprised myself with this display.
Break would eventually be over, so this attack from the Year 11's would be the last. The score was currently tied, and I wanted to make sure it stayed that way. The attacker tried to sidestep around me with the ball, but I kept up with him, not allowing him any space to shoot. However, he caught me out with a dummy and pulled his leg back to take a shot. I stuck my leg out to block as he fired away.
Crap! That hurt like hell! The ball ricocheted off my leg and out of play. The force of the strike was strong enough to send me tumbling to the ground. There was definitely going to be a bruise there after that. But I didn't care, because the match was over, despite the Year 11's requests to carry on, there wasn't any time left, as lessons would begin shortly.
I lay on the ground, exhausted and numb. While this was nowhere near the length of an actual Football game, I was too tired to even stand after all that. My leg was throbbing at the same pace as my heart was beating. A shadow hovered over my face, and I looked up to see Chloe with a wide grin. ''For someone who hasn't got anything, you've sure got something!''
''Oh, I've got something…a dead leg with a Football-sized bruise.'' I laughed.
Sophie trotted over, and the sisters reached down to help pull me up to a standing position, even though I was reluctant to stand with my legs feeling like jelly. Before they could say anything else, Gabriel approached me. ''Hey man, you did well out there! How come you've never played before?''
''I just…I never thought about playing as a defender. If I knew I could do that, I would have played a long time ago.'' I answered honestly.
''Why don't you consider joining the school team?''
Twice he's caught me off-guard with questions I'd never thought I'd be asked. ''I don't know. It was just one game…''
''And in that one game, you kept out players who are in the team. You should think it over!''
''You know…I think I will!'' I said eagerly.
All these years, I was practically a no one in this school, and for the first time, I'm actually getting noticed without having to be knocked out first. I was good at something, and my nerves didn't get the best of me. But the best thing of all, seeing that proud smile on Rachael's face as she came over to congratulate me. I loved it.
''I thought you said you weren't good at football?''
''I did…well…I thought I was…I just…I guess I just gave up before I ever really knew how good I was.'' I explained to Rachael as we walked to Comic-City.
I don't think anything else that happened in school could compare to that game I had. The only other thing I could mention was that I was getting a few stares from other students, whispering and chatting amongst themselves about me. News and rumours do spread quickly around Hallblock, especially when Football is the subject. Apparently, I was the talk of the day after my surprising debut in the playground. It was pretty awesome to get good attention.
I was snapped out of my thought as Rachael clicked her fingers in my face, getting my attention. ''Sorry, my mind wandered off there.''
''You have a habit of doing that!'' She teased playfully, before continuing. ''Are you going to try for the school team?''
''I want to! I really do, but at the same time, I'm nervous that I might be just a one-time fluke.''
''You never know unless you try! I've seen Sophie and Chloe play Football for years now, so I know what I'm talking about when I see a talent. You looked incredible out there!'' She gushed brightly trying to inspire me, although she did that, she also ended up making me go completely red in the face. She must have got the subtext behind her words because immediately afterwards, she looked a little lost for words. ''I meant your Football skills looked incredible! Not that there's anything wrong with your…overall look, you have a very fine overall look. Did I just say that out loud?'' She turned to look away from me, as her hand rubbed the back of her neck.
Hang on a second? Was Rachael getting shy around me? No, I had to be reading this wrong! She merely didn't get her words out correctly and tried to correct herself. That had to be all it was. It's complicated having a crush. That had to be one of life's harsh truths.
There was an awkward silence between us after that. We didn't utter another word until we reached our destination. I opened the doors of Comic-City for her, and she stepped inside. Straight away, I could see Alex and Steph seated in their usual spot, waiting for me. ''I'll come over and say hi in a minute, I need to clock in,'' Rachael said to me before hurrying off to work.
Once she was gone, I headed over towards the brothers, not sure where to begin when talking about my day. Thankfully, they started off for me, as Alex spoke just as I sat down. ''What happened to your leg this time?''
They must have noticed the limp I was carrying. ''Football in school.''
Instantly, the two chuckled at my response. ''No, seriously, what happened? Car-thieves?'' Alex asked me.
''Bank robbers?'' Steph inquired after that.
''Phone snatchers?''
''Masked hooligans?''
''Drunk with a cricket bat?''
''The Mafia?''
The listed one possibility after the other while I sat and waited for them to finish. Ever since I told them that I was Omega Kid, they wanted to know every little detail there was about my superhero career. I could never escape the subject. It was my own fault for telling them, but it was fun to talk about…except right now there were just annoying me by not allowing me anytime to talk.
''Really? What happened?'' Alex questioned impatiently.
''I told you! I played a large-scale Football game! And I did well!''
He looked at me curiously, trying to call my bluff. But all I gave them was a smirk of confidence, and they eventually got it through their thick, but well-intentioned skulls that I was telling the truth. ''Okay, how? I thought you were useless at Football! You even admitted it many times before.''
''I know, but today was different. I played in defence, and it just seemed to click. We played against the Year 11's, most of them are on the school team, and I managed to tackle every single one of them. Then, the captain of the team said that I should consider joining the team!''
''Are you just exaggerating?''
''You can ask Rachael when she comes over. She watched the game! It was like I was processed by the spirit of Tony Adams!''
Steph raised his arm to get my attention. ''Tony Adams is still alive.''
''You know what I mean!''
''Okay, fair enough,'' Alex said with a grin and in a playful manner. ''You can take on criminals as a superhero, why wouldn't you be good at Football now? Although, I'm betting you only played well because your lady was watching, and you wanted to show off for her.''
''What? No!'' I defended myself. ''I played well because of my desire to do well, and the belief inside me that I could…''
Before I could rant on, Alex smirked and cut in. ''She smiled at you during the game, didn't she?''
''Okay, so maybe I wanted to impress her as well!'' I admitted.
''You're too easy to read,'' He chuckled. ''Why don't you just ask her out already? You like her, she likes you!''
''Yeah…I like her, but I don't know if she likes me back in that way, you know? Maybe she just wants to stick with being friends?''
''Friends with benefits, perhaps?'' Alex said optimistically. I chose not to bother with a response to that comment, as I knew that wasn't going to happen, even in my wildest dreams…not that I did dream about it…okay, maybe one time.
I shook my head to clear away any enticing thoughts about Rachael and me being…that! I cleared my throat and tried to change the subject. ''Anyways, how have you guys been?''
Alex's expression became grim. ''Crystal is staying with us, and you have the balls to ask us that question?''
''Hey, you've only got one year left with her, then she's back to America.'' I teased, wanting to playfully, aggravate them.
''You don't understand!'' He groaned heavily. ''You thought she was bad the last time she was here? She's far, far worse now that she's fully in her teenage years!''
''How can she be worse?''
Steph was the one to answer my question. ''She always invites her friends over for slumber parties while he has to hide in our rooms. Mum and dad don't care cause nothing wakes them up…''
''We, on the other hand, never get a wink of sleep!'' Alex snapped. ''She hogs the Internet and TV away for us! We have to constantly look after her stuff while she goes out shopping after school! And if we get something wrong, no matter how small, she goes full She-Hulk on us! It's like a nightmare we can't wake up from!'' He whimpered and slammed his head against the table, resting there silently for a moment before speaking again. ''Ow, that actually hurt!''
Clearly, they did not want to talk about Crystal any further, not that I could blame them since I'd probably go crazy like them if I was living with her. ''So…anything else you'd like to talk about?'' I inquired hesitantly.
Alex lifted his head to look at his brother, and Steph returned the look. They stared for a second or two before giving each other a knowing nod and turning to face me. It was like they were having a psychic conversation before my very eyes, or they were going to talk about something they had been planning to discuss with me. ''Thomas?'' Alex started.
''Yeah?''
''We've been thinking…as awesome as it is to have a best friend who is a real-life superhero, and you've done an incredible job in your first few months, it dawned on us that there may come a point where things will get really tough, to the point that you will need some back-up to help with certain situations, preferably partners…''
It fell into place before he had even finished. I know what they were going to ask, and I didn't like it one bit. ''You guys can't be serious?''
''You don't even know what I was going to say!''
''You were going to ask to be my superhero sidekicks!''
''No, not sidekicks…partners!''
I dreaded that this would happen. When I told them I was Omega Kid, it didn't cross my mind that they would ask to be superheroes as well, as they were the ones who were cynical about real-life superheroes in London. But since then, I did fear that they could get the spark to plan this kind of thing once they saw the unexpected impact I had. ''I don't know…''
They both looked at me with offended expressions. ''What do you mean you don't know?''
''I just mean that I'm not sure if you two are ready. I trained for this!''
''We can train for it as well. We'd be a big help! We already have been a big help for you! Remember when we helped you to interrogate some people to cover more ground quicker!''
I nodded in frustration. ''Yes I do, and I very much appreciate…''
Before I finished, Steph interjected. ''How about that time when Jenna called up to see where you were one night, and we covered for you by pretending we were having a sleepover?''
''I do, and…''
''How about my favourite?'' Alex said. ''That time we distracted police officers so you could sneak away from a crime scene without being caught?''
It was impossible to tell who was the most irritated between us. I understood where they were coming from, and I was very thankful for all the help they've wanted to offer me and have offered me in my short time as a superhero. I was probably coming across as a major hypocrite, and maybe I was being a hypocrite. It's not like I was against having help, I just didn't want them in harm's way.
Though their annoyance wasn't as strong, Alex was still determined to convince me. ''Come on, every Batman needs a Robin and Bat-Girl!''
Steph turned to Alex with a perplexed look. ''Wait, which one of us is Bat-Girl?''
''You obviously!'' Alex replied.
''Oh, sweet.''
There wasn't any time for Alex to continue arguing with me, as Rachael came up from behind me and approached us. ''Hey, what's up?'' She asked cheerfully.
Alex shrugged his shoulders. ''Nothing much! Just giving Thomas our usual versus's quiz.'' He covered up effortlessly.
''Versus's isn't a real word,'' Steph commented.
''You're not a real word!'' The older brother responded before slapping his hand on the back of Steph's head. Then he turned to face me confidently. ''So…Batman or Daredevil?''
I took a moment to think before answering. ''Batman!''
''Batman or Ironman?''
''That depends on if it came out of the blue. If it does, then Ironman! But, if they had been planning it, then I would imagine Batman as the victor!''
Rachael decided to chime in. ''I've got one! Who do you think would win? Batman…or Omega Kid?''
Alex and Stephen glanced at me, and I quickly gestured for them to look at anything else other than me. Alex stared up at the ceiling, while Steph reached into his pocket to pull out his phone and find anything of interest on that. Meanwhile, Rachael continued to look at me curiously, waiting for my answer. ''Uh…well, that's not a fair question since one is real and the other isn't.''
''It's just a bit of fun. I've heard a lot of people compare Omega Kid to Batman.''
''Really?'' I probably sounded a bit too excited and please with that rumour, but I couldn't help it, people compared me to Batman? How awesome was that?
''Is that so?'' Alex mumbled sarcastically whilst continuing to stay up at the ceiling. ''Do those people mention anything about him needing a Robin or Bat-Girl?''
BAM! He yelped and nearly jumped out of his seat after I kicked him underneath the table. ''Oh sorry,'' I said with my own tone of sarcasm. ''My leg must be still flinching after the Football game earlier, hope I didn't hurt you too much.''
Instead of words, he merely gave me a death glare to end all death glares, before looking away. I think that taught him not to be cheeky when trying to hide my identity.
Rachael looked on bemused until she fixed her stare back onto me. ''As I was saying, I thought it'd be a fun little thought. So, come on Wonder Kid, do you think Omega Kid could take Batman?''
I knew this wasn't a fair fight, and I love Batman, but I decided to have a little fun with my answer. ''Omega Kid could totally take Batman! The Dark Knight needs all of his gadgets to save the day, all Omega Kid needs are his bare fists…or gloves.''
Rachael laughed at my add-on. ''I think that too…''
''Whoa!'' Steph gasped out of nowhere, getting all our attentions.
''What's up with you?'' Alex asked.
Steph finally glanced away from the screen on his phone and looked around at each of us as he spoke. ''I was just trying to look for the news report they had on Omega Kid this morning, and I found this instead!''
He leant across the table and held his phone out by stretching his arm as far as he could, allowing all of us to look at the tiny screen and the news report that had just been uploaded a few minutes ago. A reporter stood outside of what looked like a burnt-down building, with the windows blown out and the outside walls charred and breaking apart.
''This is now the fifth attack related to gang violence in the past week alone, and authorities are no closer to finding the culprits. All they can confirm at this time is that the building you currently see behind me was used by one gang to distribute and sell illegal drugs. The bodies of the gang members burnt along with the building, but those investigating the scene believe that they may have been killed beforehand, with multiple gunshots wounds. What's more disturbing, is a symbol that is left behind, carved onto each of their bodies. Due to the graphic images, we are only allowed to show you an artist's illustration of the symbol…''
The screen changed so that we could see an image of the symbol they were talking about. A closed fist coloured in red was pointing upwards, and below it was another closed fist that pointed downwards, except coloured in purple. As the image stayed on screen, the voice of the reporter continued off-screen.
''Police believe this to be the symbol of a rival gang that may be possibly fighting for land. Warnings have been sent out for people to stay indoors, and make immediate contact with police officials if anyone knows more about these attacks.''
''Jesus,'' Alex mumbled, echoing all our thoughts.
''You could say that again,'' I said. I had heard about these gang attacks over the past week, but never fully looked into it as I just assumed it would subside like most gang attacks in London go. But from the looks of it, this gang might be looking to go on a full-scale war if this was their fifth attack in only a week. Maybe it was time for me to get involved…maybe?
''Oh crap!'' I heard Rachael moan. She was currently fumbling in her pockets as if she was looking for something. Her groans grew louder the longer her search went on for whatever she was looking for. Eventually, she stopped and turned to me. ''Thomas, can you do me a favour?''
''Sure,'' I said nervously.
''Can you tell Jenna that I'll be back in half an hour? I just need to run home and get something I forgot to pick earlier!''
''Is it serious?''
''No, no, just something that helps with my…'' She stopped and looked in conflict with herself as if she was trying to think of how to explain it to me. ''Just something I need. Tell Jenna I'm really sorry, and I'll be back as soon as I can!'' By the time she finished, she was already rushing out the door.
Alex turned to look at me. ''Does she always do that?''
''Yeah, sometimes. Especially in school. I don't know why. Since I can remember she's missed lessons or had to leave early for some reason.''
''And she's never told you?''
I shook my head. I did worry about her. A part of me wanted to ask her, or maybe ask one of her friends about this, but I knew it wasn't my place to ask.
Steph raised his hand. ''You don't think Rachael knows about…'' He gestured towards his phone, and that's when I felt like slapping him across the head for once.
''Really? You think Rachael is a gangster?''
Even Alex laughed at the absurdity of it. ''And you guys call me the superstitious one!'' Once he got that laugh out, he became serious again and looked at me. ''Speaking of gangsters, what do you plan on doing about all this? You've never handled anything this big before!''
''I'll just…'' I spoke before thinking and ended up saying the first thing that came to mind. ''I'll just deal with it as it comes.''
''Are you sure you don't need help?'' Steph asked with genuine concern.
''I'll be fine.''
It was hard to tell who was more unconvinced. Alex was right about one thing; I've never handled anything this big before. A gang war was something I hadn't prepared myself for. But on the other side, I felt pumped that I was moving onto fighting bigger evil. This was my chance to end a gang war, and my mind was buzzing at the thought…but was I ready?
To Be Continued...
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.