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 11: Mission Impossible
Tuesday 15th June 2010
A week off school would be any kid's dream, but after spending all that time in a hospital, I was beginning to miss chemistry and mathematics…almost. Though, it was a good thing I was getting familiar with the doctors, because they estimated I would be here for at least another week or two. Considering that I was healing from being shot through the arm, I'm incredibly lucky that I'm alive to complain about this. My arm had just been taking out of the cast. It was still bandaged up around my elbow, making movement awkward and slow. The pain had dulled over the last few days, thankfully.
Still, even if I was fully healed, there was no way I could sneak out of a hospital and patrol. Luckily, Toxin hasn't shown their faces since their previous attack. Things were relatively quiet, and that just urged the tiny voice inside my head to say that something big could be on the way. Whenever I thought about them, the throbbing in my arm returned, as I recalled the exact moment I felt the bullet pierce my skin. The screams of the gang the massacre at the warehouse played over and over again in my mind. A shiver crawled up my body, and I clung tighter to the hospital bed and blanket.
I shook my head and pushed those fears away. Soon, I will have to go back out there and fight them again. Next time, I'll catch them off guard and turn the tables.
For now, my costume would have to remain in my rucksack, nestled next to my bed and starting to stink up the room, and I would have to stay in my pyjamas. I didn't mind since Jenna brought my most comfortable pair. I'm also glad that no one has looked inside my rucksack yet. I think after I told them that my lucky underwear's in there that fended off anybody who would want to have a look.
Anyway, I shouldn't be complaining about my arm, I didn't come out worse that day. Sophie was still in the other room, and from what I heard from Rachael, would remain in the hospital far longer than me. I didn't have the guts to go and see her. I don't know what to say. What could I say? There was a very high chance that she might not be able to walk again, let alone have any hopes for a career in football like she'd always dreamed.
Rachael visited as often as she could. Although, she didn't spend too much time seeing me or Sophie, always rushing off with the only explanation being that she didn't do well in hospitals. I've seen Megan a couple of times, along with Stella, who particularly seemed heartbroken to see what had happened to Sophie. Alex and Stephen, of course, would visit almost every day, bombarding me with questions about Toxin and offering me any updates of their activity, if there was any activity. As for Chloe, I haven't really seen her.
The sad thing is, I can't tell if that's because she's spending all her time with her sister, or because she's too distraught to see Sophie like that.
Jenna, who did visit every day, was going to be starting her first trial day at her new job today. I sent her a quick good luck text and she thanked me back, telling me to get well soon.
Thankfully, I was well enough to get up and walk about, as long as I didn't leave the hospital obviously. It was still going to be a while before I could expect any visitors during a school day. So, I decided to finally see Sophie. I wanted to see how she was doing, and I wondered if she felt the same about me. But what if I just make her feel worse? I'm up and walking after what happened. I might just remind her of the pain she was feeling.
I paced back and forth, contemplating what to do. I must have looked like a crazy person. Although I was indecisive, I had found myself walking closer to her room than mine. Her door had been left open. I suppose I could quickly check to see if she was asleep or too busy to disturb. Standing by the doorframe, I leant against it and peered inside, seeing her lying in her bed with both her legs strapped in thick casts. Unfortunately, she wasn't asleep, and she had glanced over, catching me despite my best attempts to scurry away and hide behind the doorframe.
''Thomas? Are you okay?'' She called out. Her voice was hoarse, but still somewhat happy. Perhaps amused by my terrible attempt at stealth.
My body was shaking against my will. I felt so nervous that I almost thought about walking away. I couldn't do that to her.
Ha, I was okay with taking on a gang the moment I leave this place, yet having the guts to visit an injured friend was too hard for me. Some superhero I am.
I finally walk into view, standing by the entrance. ''Yeah,'' I answered. I wanted to ask her if she was okay but thought better of it.
''How's your arm?'' She nodded at my bandaged limp. This was the question I dreaded. I can't say it's alright because that might make her feel bad about her legs and I can't say it still hurts because it might make her think about her legs.
''It's...er...still bandaged...''
She waited patiently to see if I had anything else to as. Afterwards, she asked another question. ''Are you still going to have to wear it when you leave?''
''I think so, yeah. Just so that the stitches don't come loss.''
She grimaced. ''Oh crap. I can't stand stitches. I hated having mine done.''
''You've had stitches?'' I inquired. She nodded before lifting her body slightly so that she could reach over and pull up the sleeve to her gown, revealing a small scar over her left shoulder. ''Ouch. How did that happen? If you don't mind me asking…'' I quickly added.
''It was only about two…I think two and a half years ago. Was in the middle of a game when I tried to go for a high ball, and some idiot lifted their foot too high and the studs caught me right here.'' She pointed to the scar. My fingers clutched and my body shuddered just from that tiny bit of description. Before I could say anything she continued. ''It was quite bloody. Chloe went mad despite the guy's best attempts to apologise. It was only when I was getting dragged off when we knew she wasn't going to knock his teeth out. I think everyone else was more freaked out by it than I was. But do you know what the worst part was?''
I shook my head, hooked on her every word as she told her story.
''The worst part was the guy didn't even get a yellow card for it.'' She chuckled.
It baffled me to hear someone call that the worst part after they've had part of their shoulder cut open. My eyes were fixed on her scar, and a question popped into my head, passing my lips before I could stop myself. ''Did you go to a hospital?''
''Oh no, they splashed some water on it, cleaned it up, and I was back on within five minutes.''
''No way.''
With a badass smirk, she nodded and carried on. ''I felt sorrier for the guy. After that, he was too scared to come near me again. As if that was his way of apologising to me. I didn't want that. In a Football game, you're expected to get some cuts and bruises,'' She paused. Something seemed to cross her mind because her eyes became distant like she was looking at me but at the same time staring into the distance behind as well. ''There was always this fear that there might be one injury that would get me. I just always believed it would be on the pitch.''
I felt myself start to choke up inside. It felt awful to see her like this, and unable to figure out what to say to make her feel better. Not that anything I could say would make her feel better. ''Well…'' I tried to say something, but nothing would come out.
My eyes stared downwards at the floor, the only level I felt worth of looking at right now. My mind was raking through any possible words I could use, even if just to make Sophie smile, however, nothing was coming to me. Now I was just standing at the doorway being awkward and probably making her beyond uncomfortable.
''Thanks for coming,'' I heard her. Looking up, I could see her offering me a nice smile, making my cheeks redden. Afterwards, she nodded her head and gestured towards my arm. ''Do you know who shot you?''
She had just gone through a personal story with me, I felt bad to have to lie to her, but it had to be done. ''Oh, no, I don't. It happened really quickly.''
''It must have been terrifying.''
''It was.'' At least that part was the truth.
''You know, Rachael was freaking out when she saw you being brought in all of a sudden. I think she was going mad going back and forth to check up on the both of us.''
I could only imagine, and I hated thinking of her being so scared and stressed out at the time. It did make me feel warm to know that she cared about me, but I never wanted that validation to come at the risk of giving her a heart attack. I rubbed my sweaty hands together. ''You've been her best friend for years…'' I began without really thinking of where I was going with that statement.
She arched her brows at me curiously, until it seemed to click what I might have indicated. ''Hey, she cares about you too.''
''No, no, that's not what I meant,'' I gasped, afraid that I had offended her. ''I just meant I understand why she would want to visit you more. She's only known me for a little bit, so…''
''You think that matters?'' She questioned, silencing me instantly. ''It doesn't matter if Rachael has known you for ten years or ten days, she's going to be as loyal as ever with people she trusts.''
''She trusts me?''
She gave me a confident wink. For a split-second, I thought I was looking at Chloe when she did that. ''Trust me, you're in her good books.''
''That's…uh…that's good,'' I said bashfully.
There was no hiding her smirk, picking up on my shyness regarding Rachael. I was afraid she was going to prod on about it, geez, it's like Rachael had her very own Alex and Steph in the form of the Derrick sisters. Though that would have to mean she would be crushing on me, and I doubt that it's like that for her. Finally, Sophie's smirk slowly disappeared. ''How has Chloe been?''
That caught me off guard. ''She…'' I hesitated, not sure what to say.
It wasn't difficult for her to figure out from my uncertainty and the puzzled look on my face that I was shocked she would ask about her sister. The edge of her lip curled downwards for a moment. ''You haven't seen her either.''
''I'm…I'm sure she wants to visit…''
''I know that,'' She quietly interrupted. ''But wanting to visit and actually visiting are two different things.''
I was lost for words and breaking apart inside. I've physically helped many people before, but how can I mentally save someone? The closest example I could think of with attempting to help is Lea, and look how that turned out.
''I don't want people to look at me and think my life is over before I have anything to say about it,'' She stated. ''I know the odds are against me. But that hasn't stopped me before. I don't care if it takes a year or ten. I want to come back stronger than ever. I might not be good enough to go professional, but…''
''You are!'' I cut in, catching her off guard. ''You are really good...better than good. You and Chloe are two of the school's best players, and you would easily make professional level. You could play for Arsenal Ladies if you wanted to!''
I thought I might have overdone it with my tone because she continued to look at me gobsmacked and silent for a few seconds before her lips curled into a smile. ''That has to be one of the best compliments I've ever received.''
I looked away shyly. ''Yeah, well, it's the truth. Honestly, I know you and Chloe have said you would want me on the school's team, but I'm kind of scared that I wouldn't be on your level.''
''No two players are the same. You have your own style that works for you and will do wonders for the team. We don't expect you to play like anyone else other than yourself.''
Before I could thank her for the kind words, something about the wording of her sentence had me thinking it over in my head. ''You make it sound like I'm already on the team.''
Her eyebrows furrowed. ''You don't know? I thought I told Stella to tell you.''
''Tell me what?''
''Hold on,'' She reached over to the desk next to her bed, grabbing a folded sheet of paper before handing it over to me. I took it from her and tried to open it, finding it a little tricky when trying to bend my bad arm. After a few attempts, I opened it and read it.
Hallblock School Football Team:
GK: Mahadi Sharr
LB: Murat Laci
RB: Jonathan Lawrence
CB: Matthew Kane
CB: Thomas Lanks
RM: Bradley Carlson
LM: Abdulrahman Abdulahi
CM: Gabriel Adenoya (C)
CM: Ylli Jahsarasj
ST: Chloe Derrick
ST: Samarge Taylor
Subs
Charlie Bennet
Zara Kimpton
Alex Chittennam
Sifan Frank
Kornel Korlensci
My jaw dropped and I felt my heart race into overdrive. Was I really on the school team sheet? I had to look at the sheet over and over again just to make sure I was reading it correctly. But it was as real as the scar on my arm. ''But...but I didn't even do a trial or sign up or...''
''You impressed Gabriel and Chloe enough that we recommended you to the teacher. Obviously, we're not going to rush you into your first game until your arm is better. But, you're there.''
''I…wow…I can't believe it. I've…I've never been apart of anything in the school before. This is unreal. Thanks!'' I stammered. Next to being Omega Kid, this was the second greatest thing to ever happen to me. Considering how unremarkable my life is been, those two things are the only options I could consider great.
''Promise me something...'' Sophie said, bringing me out of my thoughts. ''Win as many games as you can until I come back.''
''Sophie, you've got nothing to worry about...'' I was close to bouncing on my feet as I walked backwards out the room. ''I will be Pele and Maradonna combined. As long as I'm the team's defender, no one is going to get past me. I'm going to make you, Chloe, and everyone else proud. I...''
SMACK!
''Ow!'' I yelped. Without realising, I had backed up and hit my bad arm against the frame of the door.
''Are you okay?'' She asked, trying to hide a laugh behind her hand.
Although I did feel a surge of pain shot up my body, my excitement over being selected for the team shoved that to the side. ''No worries, I'm a football player now, so I'm going to be taking hits like this all the time. Nothing to it...''
''So, are you crying because you're happy to be on the team?''
''No, I'm crying because that really did hurt.'' I winced and rubbed my arm.
The next two hours was spent with me unable to contain my joy at being on the football team. I know that in secret I'm a superhero, so I shouldn't be just as pumped up. However, that's the thing, the superhero thing is a secret. Omega Kid gets the credit for it. Now, being part of the school's team, it'll be Thomas Lanks that will get respect and praise. I will be well known and loved as both Omega Kid and as myself. I felt like I had just won the lottery.
I had sent a quick text to Jenna to let her know what had happened. There was no problem, though I understand she's probably busy with her new job.
You know, if I wasn't sitting in a hospital with a bandaged arm, this moment would feel like the perfect moment. Things felt like they were coming into place and that nothing could go wrong.
''Yo, Thomas!'' I heard Alex call out as he and Steph marched into my room like they owned the place.
And the moment was gone.
''Hey, guys,'' I replied back.
''How's the arm doing?'' He asked me, sitting on the edge of my bed whilst Stephen politely grabbed a chair from nearby.
''Well, as long as I don't bang it against anything else, it should be better soon. I'm looking at maybe another week and a half here.''
''What did you bang it on?'' Stephen inquired.
''The doorframe.''
A quiet chuckle came from Alex. ''How did you do that?''
I was close to coming out with a snarky comment, but then I remembered what I wanted to tell them. ''Oh, check this out.'' I shifted myself so that I was seated on the edge of the bed next to Alex and handed him the Football team sheet from my pocket.
He eagerly took it, scanning over it curiously and I couldn't stop the smirk on my face from growing as I saw his expression change into one of complete disbelief. Stephen leant over both of us to read it and he appeared to be quietly taken aback as well. ''Holy crap, you were actually being serious about joining the team?'' Alex gasped. ''Are you sure you're not being pranked?''
''Sophie gave it to me! She and her sister are part of the team. This is real. Once I'm out of here and my arm is hundred percent, I'm going to be on the team.''
Stephen patted me on the back. ''Congrats, buddy.''
''Yeah, well done, mate. Looks like you're not completely useless after all,'' He taunted. Before I could reply he held up a hand to silence me. ''I'm joking, I'm joking.''
I still end up playfully nudging him in the side. I knew that they were happy for me deep down. Probably a little jealous, but I'm not going to fan the flames if that was the case. ''Doesn't Holloway School have a Football team? Maybe you could join and we could face each other sometime soon?''
Alex shook his head. ''Don't think so. Even if we wanted to, our school mostly focuses on rugby.''
''There's also the badminton team.'' Steph pointed out.
With a roll of his eyes, Alex scoffed at his brother. ''Oh yeah, I'm in such a rush to join the badminton team.''
''Were you being sarcastic? I couldn't tell.'' I quipped.
''Ah, I don't really care. I can't stand our school. I'm counting down the days until we leave.''
''Well, you've still got another year there. So that's a lot of counting.''
I don't know if I was misreading them, but I seemed to catch them sharing a glance between each other as if they wanted to tell me something. However, they kept their mouths shut until Alex reached for his bag to retrieve something. Then, all of a sudden, Steph threw a bunch of books and paperwork on my lap and handed me a pen. ''We were told to bring you the work that you've missed from school.''
''What? Are you kidding me?'' I groaned.
''Afraid not, buddy,'' Alex mumbled before finally pulling out his laptop and nestling it on his lap, starting it up. ''Apparently, you've already missed quite a bunch because of your lateness and absentness beforehand, so it's all built up while you've been here.''
''I was shot! How can they expect me to keep up with what I've missed from school?'' This had to be a crime. If not officially, then it had to at least be a moral crime against humanity. I know that I've missed a lot of work over the past few months because of my duties as Omega Kid, but I was expecting to catch up whilst in school, not healing and resting in a hospital bed. Something then crossed my mind. ''Hang on, how did you two even get this?''
''Oh, Rachael met up with us at Comic-City and passed it on. She wanted to give it to you herself, but apparently, she had some errand to run. See, she's thinking of you even when you're not in school…'' He teased.
''Don't even think of saying anything else.'' I scolded. ''But why the laptop?''
''To help! Obviously. But, before we get started, I wanted to show you this funny video we found…''
''That's what I was afraid of. One video is going to turn into a dozen and I'll never get started on this work, let alone finish it.''
''That's why we're here, to keep you on track. It's just one video, I promise.'' He had already opened up YouTube before I could argue.
Two Hours Later…
''Man, could you imagine having that much money?'' Alex mumbled. Staring intently at the screen.
''Don't need to, I can see it clearly on the screen,'' I replied. ''That's not a mansion, that's a town on its own!''
I don't know how and I don't know when, but that one video, which turned out to be a funny video of a racoon burgling a house, quickly became a series of videos that played one after the other. Now, we were somehow going over a list of the 'Top 10 Richest People in the World.'
''It's too much money,'' Stephen said.
Alex glared at him. ''So if you were offered a billion pounds, you would turn it down?''
''No, I'm just saying how could you spend it all? What could you spend it on? Even if I donated 95% of all that money to charity, I would still have enough money in the bank to retire happily.''
''He's got a point,'' I said.
A sigh came from Alex. ''I'm not saying that I want to be as rich as Bill Gates, or Dwayne Rostrum or even the Barks family. I would just like enough money to live a luxurious lifestyle. Go to different countries and maybe have my own yacht to relax on, that would be nice.''
''I'm pretty sure that you would have to be as rich as those people to have a yacht of your own.'' I pointed out. ''Why don't you ask Crystal for a small loan? Her family is rich.''
He scoffed. ''Yeah, right. She wouldn't even give us enough to cover our allowance, let alone rent a yacht.''
Once the video had finally finished, after making me feel a lot smaller and more anxious about the next time I pay for a takeout meal, I stopped Alex from clicking on the next one. ''Seriously, I need to make a start on this work. No more distractions.''
''Last one, I swear…''
''You said the exact same thing about the last five videos!''
''Okay, I know, but there's one more, it's important!''
I turned to Steph. ''Just to make sure it's not another random racoon video, let me ask you, what is it?''
Despite asking the younger brother, Alex felt the need to shout over. ''It's the one we talked about before. With the Prime Minister!''
My heart suddenly dropped and my skin turned cold. I had a good idea of which video Alex was talking about.
Steph clicked his fingers. ''Oh yeah, that one. It's a few days old now, but Milo White was talking about you. You as in Omega Kid!''
I avoided their gazes and slumped back against the bed. ''Yeah, I've already seen that one.''
The two shared a look with each other before staring back at me. ''What do you think?''
''What's there to think? I'm in trouble.''
''How are you in trouble?'' Alex probed.
''Gee, let's think, maybe because the head of the United Kingdom's government and parliament doesn't like me, and could probably hand out a bounty for my head any day now if I step out of line.''
''You won't step out of line. People know you're a hero, and you've done a lot of good for the city already.''
''Tell that to Lea.''
That shut Alex up. He looked to his brother, pleading for assistance to his argument. The quieter brother turned to me. ''Are you still upset about that?''
''How can I not be? I ruined someone's life, all because she wanted to be like me.''
''You can't blame yourself for that. She took things too far, and you tried to stop her. You did everything you could,'' Alex huffed and stayed silent for a moment. ''Look, I know you don't like talking about this, but I'm going to bring it up again…''
''You're right, I don't like talking about this,'' I snapped. ''You're not going to be my superhero partners!''
He slapped his hands against his cheeks and rubbed his face frantically, a growl escaping him. ''Oh my God, you are so stubborn. Look what happened to you!'' He pointed at my arm.
''They caught me off guard, I'll be ready next time.''
''Thomas, this isn't about fighting one bully, or a small group. You were attacked by a massive gang that annihilated a rival one with guns and trucks and who knows what else. This Toxin gang are way above anything you've faced before.''
I shrugged my shoulders, wanting to move on from this conversation. ''Then I'll deal with it as it comes.''
''By yourself?'' He questioned. ''Sorry, no offence, but I just don't see it. If this is about Lea, we already told you, we won't be like that…''
''What about Sophie? You saw what happened to her, right?'' After I had said that, Alex stopped arguing once more. ''What if you end up like that instead?''
''What about you?'' Stephen unexpectedly retorted.
Alex and I turned to him, both surprised by his question. ''What about me?''
''What if you end up like that? What if you get yourself killed?''
''I'm not going to...''
Alex interrupted me before I could defend myself. ''Stop acting invincible! We understand why you're doing this, to protect us. But that's the same reason why we're trying to be your partners, to protect you!''
Silence fell upon the room. I wanted to say that the argument was a standstill, but I had a feeling that the brothers would feel victorious, even if I were still going to remain strong on my part. I'm not risking their safety. I can take Toxin down myself, and no one else has to get hurt.
Then we realised something was going on outside the room. Everyone in the hall was rushing past my door, heading towards the reception area not too far away. The three of us quickly got up and followed everyone, hoping to see what all the fuss was about. Once we were there, we saw everyone looking up towards the TV on the wall. There was some breaking news coverage going on that had everyone looking panicked and whispering to each other.
Unfortunately, the TV was on mute and I couldn't hear what the newscaster was talking about. I tapped on the shoulder of a doctor at the desk. ''What's going on?''
''It's that new gang. Apparently, they've taken some people at a bank hostage.''
''Jesus…'' I gasped. Toxin hasn't made an appearance since I was shot, and now they're going to go after a bank. What was their deal? I thought they were going after other gangs, not…wait…I was finding it difficult to keep my breathing under control as something clicked in the back of my head. Were they holding a bank hostage? But Jenna is…oh God, no, please. Don't let it be hers.
There wasn't time for me to go into panic mode, as I felt Alex frantically tap me on the shoulder. ''Thomas, look!''
I did as instructed and saw that the screen had changed. Now it was showing a hooded figure talking to someone holding a hand-held camera, walking through over a group of terrified looking people huddled on the ground. I read the bottom of the screen. This video had just been posted online, live from inside the bank. I kept my eyes peeled, looking for a sign or hint that this was the bank Jenna was working at.
Just then, the doctor behind the reception desk flicked a button on the remote control, and subtitles popped up at the bottom of the screen.
''We are Toxin, and I assure you, we are more than a simple gang as many of you have called us. We are this city's salvation. For years, gangs have been tearing the streets apart, and we have come to fix that problem. It is time to reshape London, our way…killing every gang that stands in our way of peace. But don't think that we are on your side. We are with ourselves. We have some business to take care of here. We won't go into details for now. However, I will issue only one warning. Do not interfere. No police, no superheroes, nothing. Just let us go about our business, and every innocent life here will walk out of this alive!''
The camera panned around, revealing a legion of Toxins pointing guns and bats towards the hostages they towered over. Despite being slightly out of focus and moving so quickly, I could see the one person I was looking for. My skin crawled and my heart leapt into my throat when I saw Jenna. They had attacked Harrison's Bank!
After that, the video stopped and returned to the newscaster back in the studio. My head bowed and I felt like I was going to throw up.
Why would they attack that particular bank? What was the business the guy claimed they needed to take care of?
I couldn't care less. All that mattered to me now was rescuing Jenna.
I dashed back towards my room, leaving behind a bewildered pair of brothers who galloped after me. ''Thomas, what's wrong?'' Alex called out.
''That's the bank Jenna was working!''
''She might have gotten out, maybe…''
''I saw her! She's there!'' Once inside my room, I grabbed my rucksack and hurried back towards the door. ''I have to go!''
Just as I was about to leave, Alex and Steph refused to move out of the way, trapping me inside. ''You're not going with an arm like that?'' Alex scolded.
I didn't have time for this. ''Get out of the way!''
''You have one arm! You're not going to last ten seconds against them. Besides, he said no one would get hurt if we don't get involved.''
''I can't take that chance. If they don't keep their word, then I need to be there to save the hostages.''
I could tell by the determined looks on their faces that they weren't going to let me go. They might be right. But I've seen what they are capable of. They have enough firepower to blow the place up in seconds, and Jenna would be caught in the crossfire. The thought of what happened to the previous gang at the warehouse happening to her made my stomach turn.
Time was short. If I was going to make a move, it had to be now. As quickly as I could, I grabbed the pen from my bed and ran in-between both Alex and Steph, shoving them in the back. The stumbled into my room as I closed the door, placing the pen in the lock and snapping it, trapping them inside. They tried to barge the door down, but it was no use. I could hear their calls as I sprinted down the corridors until I was out of the hospital.
Whilst racing through the alleys and streets, I took out my phone and typed in the postcode for the bank. I breathed with relief when I saw it wasn't too far away. I could make it in about thirty minutes if I hurried.
Jenna's life was on the line. I made it there in twenty.
By the time I reached Harrison's Bank, my arm was throbbing and hurting so much I was afraid that I had opened up the stitches again. I really hoped that this wouldn't cost me greatly.
The street had been blocked off and a crowd had gathered outside, watching the scene like it was something out of a movie. Police cars lined the streets and policeman tried to keep the growing crowd under control. At first, I doubted that I would even get close enough to find a way inside. I shuffled around, hoping to find any kind of opening that I could exploit. This was going to have to be a stealth mission and not a frontal assault.
Eventually, I found a spot that hadn't been barricaded around the back entrance. Bonus points for the pipe that scaled up the building and close by a tall window I could fit through. I looked around for any spying eyes. Once I was sure I was safe, I put on my costume. My arm hissed at the slightest contact.
Finally, I put it on and snuck over to the wall with no one seeing me. I planted myself against the wall of the bank. Well, ten seconds in and I hadn't been shot at, that was a good sign. After hooking one hand on the pipe, I realised that my fear of heights wasn't going to be my only problem facing me. I wanted to climb it with one hand, but that wasn't going to work. Pushing through the pain, I scrambled up the pipe, almost slipping a couple of times.
A little while later, I managed to reach the window and tried to open it. It was one of those windows that didn't open from the side, but instead, peered open from the top like one of those pull-open mailboxes. The pipe didn't fully reach the top, so I had to try something that had a very high chance causing me to slip. I ascended higher, digging my fingers into the small gaps between the brick wall and stood on the curved top of the pipe. The wet surface had me fumbling about. If the fall didn't kill me, the heart attack I was about to suffer surely would.
I crawled through the window, hanging on the edge of the frame and slowly made my way inside. However, there was nothing to hold on to, and before I could stop myself, I slipped through and landed on the marble flooring. I felt the wind knocked out of my on impact, and my ribs were probably caving in. I bit my lip to stop the howl of pain as my bad arm stiffened and stung.
I was on edge, afraid that the sound had attracted some unwanted attention. The seconds passed by and no one came. I was safe for now, but I had another problem. I looked at my elbow and the blue of my costume slowly turned a dark shade of red and grew. The fall had opened up my stitches. I really hoped it wouldn't become a common occurrence to fall from windows.
Sneaking my way through the corridors, and glancing inside the open doors of offices, I kept my eyes peeled and my ears sharp. It could only take a second for me to find myself overwhelmed and surrounded. Creeping through this part of the bank, it dawned on me that I had no clue what I was going to do. I just wanted to make sure Jenna was safe, and if there was a chance to get her and the other hostages out, I had to take it.
There were voices in the distance. Loud ones. Followed by the sound of something metal banging. Slowly, I made my way over to a door with the light illuminating from the occupied room. Keeping as quiet as I possibly could, I leant against the door frame and peered around it, fearing another gunshot coming my way like last time.
In the room, which appeared to be a canteen of some kind, a group of Toxins stood against the walls, one of them banging his metal cricket bat against a cabinet. In the middle of the room was a petrified looking man in a suit, sitting on a chair. Sweat and tears poured from his face like rainfall from the amazon. He kept quiet as the hooded Toxin members talked amongst themselves, only in whispers, so I couldn't work out what they were saying.
Eventually, the door on the other side of the canteen burst open, scaring the life out of me. When I saw who had entered the room, my life had returned to my body only to be scared out once more. In stepped a giant of a man. It was the behemoth I saw at the warehouse. Now that I had something to better scale him against, I could get a rough idea of how imposing he was. All muscle and standing so tall, his head almost touched the ceiling. The Toxin symbol was tattooed on both of his fists from different sides, making one hand red and the other purple.
''You're in charge of this establishment?'' He asked in a booming voice.
The frightened man nodded his head erratically. ''Y-yes.''
The giant then stepped to the side, allowing someone from behind to walk in. I recognised the other one instantly, it was the guy from the video on the news. Though he was much smaller than the hulk beside him, he still struck an imposing figure, especially when he twirled a thin knife in between his fingers. It had to be the leader, the same one from the warehouse who called me out. Hopefully, history doesn't repeat itself.
As he approached the hostage, the leader spoke clearly with that accent. ''What's your name?''
''M-my name?''
''Yeah, I need a name to work with. What is it?''
His lip quivered as he mumbled the words incoherently. ''Frederick Sanders.''
''Frederick! Mind if I call you Fred?'' He asked smugly as he kneeled down next to the hostage until he was eye-level, still fiddling with his knife. ''Do you know who we are?''
Frederick wasn't sure if he should look at the gangster or the weapon he was playing with casually. ''You're…you're that new gang everyone is talking about. Whatever you want, you can have it. All the money you need…''
As he pleaded, the Toxin leader laughed quietly, silencing the terrified man. ''I don't think you're in any position to do such a thing. Especially when that money you're offering isn't really yours.''
Now, he was sure that the leader was the one he wanted to focus all his attention on. His eyes grew wide and his face turned an even paler shade of white. ''What do you mean?''
''You know what I mean. The money you keep in this bank, you save a good portion of it for some very good business partners of yours, don't you?''
''No, of course not. We're only a small company, we don't have any partnership deals with…''
''Don't patronise me!'' The Toxin snarled. ''You know what I'm talking about. Don't act so scared around a gang when that's the kind of company you keep.''
My curiosity was getting the better of me. I wanted to know what he was hinting at. If he was suggesting what I think he was, then there might be a reason why they attacked this bank after all.
After Frederick hadn't replied immediately, the leader groaned. ''Listen, Fred. I'm not asking for much. All I want is evidence, and a verbal confession, that you have been embezzling the money this bank gets.''
''I don't know what you're talking about.'' Frederick whimpered.
''So, if I were to mention the Creekside's, that wouldn't ring any bells?''
The hostage was silent and his face seemed to drop, earning a smirk from the Toxin in charge.
I had heard of the Creekside's gang before. I've come across one or two of their members, although they were quite recluse and would much rather concentrate gaining territory from their rivals rather than steal or cause chaos. There had become pretty infamous over the years and were a nuisance for police to follow.
The leader brought the blade closer to Frederick's ghost-like face. ''See, you're telling me no. But that look on your face tells me otherwise. I think you do know them. Not only that, but I think you had them a big loan every so often just to keep your dodgy dealings under wraps.''
''Y-you can't prove that.''
''You're right, I can't. That's why I need you, Fred,'' He clicked his fingers. From the corner, one of the other Toxins stepped forward and held out a small camera, pointing it towards them. ''I need you to confess, on camera, that you have been involved with Creekside's.''
I didn't know what to do. On the one hand, it was shocking to hear that this bank, the very one my sister had just started working at, was conspiring to fund a gang. But that didn't mean I should leave them like this. What could I do, though? I'm stuck playing voyeur unable to do anything.
Everyone waited for Frederick to make a decision, myself included, though from the looks of things he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. His head remained hung for a brief moment before stared up at the leader, suddenly looking fired up and barring his gritted teeth. ''You're going to regret this. When Creekside's find out you've gotten involved with their payment, they'll come for you.''
His threat seemed to fall on deaf ears because the leader appeared unmoved and intimidated. He actually looked rather amused. ''I find that hard to believe,'' He turned back around to the Toxin with the camera. ''Play the last video.''
Risking getting caught, I peeked around a little more to see the Toxin fumble around with the camera before turning the screen so that Frederick could watch. Even though I couldn't see what was happening, I knew what the leader was showing him. The governed look on his face dropped as the sounds of cries and screams scraped out of the camera. Pleas to stop whatever torture were going on continued on and on until it eventually went quiet.
Frederick turned away as the Toxin with the camera took a step back and the leader kneeled down once more. ''They're not coming to help you. Your partnership with them has ended.''
A shiver crawled up my spine. It was at this point I knew I was in way over my head.
''What do you want?'' Frederick snivelled.
''I already told you, a confession on camera. It's not that hard.''
''But why?'' He faced the leader, looking like a broken and beaten man. ''Why are you doing all this? Do you want to be the top gang in London?''
''No. We're not here to take over. We're here to purge,'' He said sinisterly. ''Through deals, brawls, anything, one gang after the other have tried to rise up to be kings and queens. Stomping over people that get in their way. Whether they're innocent or not, it doesn't matter. The little people don't matter in their gang wars. However, if someone with power startled the established order, and turned it into a monopoly, then only the guilty will die. That is why we have declared war on every gang. We are the monopoly now. But that's our concern for another day. Today, all I care about is you making that confession. I will get it. The only choice in the matter is whether you want your teeth to be shown or camera, or do I have to pull them out one-by-one before you're convinced.''
I'd almost forgotten to breathe after hearing his threat. I really don't know what to do at this point. I remembered what he told me at the warehouse, that I have no business here and I'm not the one they're after. He's right. I'm small fish compared to what they were after.
Letting the defeat sink in, Frederick nodded slowly. ''I'll do it.''
''Hmm, I was wrong. You do know a good deal when you see one.'' He got up and walked away, allowing the Toxin with the camera find a comfortable spot to kneel down and turn it towards Frederick. ''Whenever you're ready!'' The leader called out, staring out of a window looking towards another one.
Frederick gulped and needed a moment to collect himself before he started. ''My…my name is Frederick Sanders. I am the General Manager at Harrison's Bank in North London. We have been secretly paying money to the Creekside's gang…''
''All the details!'' The leader interrupted. ''We want to make sure it matches up with the confession we got from them.''
The bank manager shakily nodded and continued. However, my focus had now shifted to the leader and what he was staring at. The window actually showed the main entrance area, revealing the other hostages and workers. I wanted to try and spot Jenna in the crowd, but if I took another small step further, I would surely be seen. I thought about sneaking into the other room to free them whilst the leader and his giant bodyguard was here, but there were armed Toxins with the hostages as well.
I'm not going to free them without getting caught. All I could do for now was play it by ear and hope for the best.
Speaking of which, Frederick had stopped talking, finishing his confession and staring down at the marble flooring, shame splattered all over his face like blood. ''There…''
The leader remained by the window as he turned around with a smile. ''See, was that so hard?'' He pointed out towards the other hostages. ''Do any of them know about your shady business deals?''
I feared for a moment that he would round them all up like cattle. I was ready to jump in until Frederick shook his head. ''No, no. They don't know anything. I make the deals in secret…so I could keep some of the payment for myself.''
The leader's eyebrows rose slightly. ''Oh, you're full of admissions today, aren't you?''
''Are you going to let us go now?''
I saw the giant turn to stare at his leader, who responded with a look of his own. The smugness on his face evaporated slightly whilst the behemoth's expression was ground. There were unspoken words that only the two of them knew about, leaving me left to wait and pray. Finally, the leader moved away from the window, approaching Frederick. ''Well, I did already make a promise on nationwide television that I would let all the innocent lives here go if our business went uninterrupted. And they played fair, so, I will too.''
For the first time, a breath of relief escaped the bank manager and I thought that maybe things were going to go well. That is until I saw the leader clench his fist tighter around the handle of his knife.
''Unfortunately for you, you're not innocent!''
Frederick looked up perplexed. In the blink of an eye, the leader leapt forward and stabbed his blade towards the man's neck. I was helpless to do anything. I turned away to avoid seeing what was happening, only hearing the gargled screams that only last a few seconds.
Once all was quiet again, I peered around to see the leader standing over the motionless body of the manager. I averted my gaze from it and stared at the leader, casually cleaning his knife on the sides of the table as the muscled giant approached him. ''Should we leave now?''
''Not yet,'' The leader replied. ''We now open up negotiations with the authorities outside. Use the hostage as leeway to make our escape.''
''We're not going to kill any of them, are we?'' The giant inquired like he was genuinely was concerned that was the leader's plan.
''Marcus, would I lie to you? As long as they do as we say, no one will die today.'' He said before taking his leave out of the door that he had entered. The giant, who I know had a name to go with, remained where he was, striking up a conversation with the Toxin cameraman.
Okay, so as long as nothing goes wrong, everyone will make it out alive. Including Jenna. But what if the leader was just playing them? What if he does a complete U-turn and shoots them all down once they have an escape route? Or takes a few more of them as permanent hostages? I need to stick around a little longer, just to make sure everything would turn out fine.
Not wanting to get caught, I snuck around the corner of the corridor, trying to get a close as I could to the main reception area without being spotted. They probably thought they had captured everyone in the bank, so they wouldn't be actively looking for me. Still, I'm surprised that I've gone this long without getting caught.
CLICK!
Shit!
I recognised the sound of a gun clicking, and then felt it pointed at the back of my head. The cold metal made my body cave in. I didn't even hear the guy sneak up behind me. I lifted my arms in the air to show I was surrendering. ''Don't try anything.'' The Toxin scowled with a thick Irish accent.
That would have probably been the smart thing to do, although, he's was most likely just going to bring me to the other Toxins. I had a better chance of making it out alive if I took him down now while he was alone. I glanced towards my arm, blood still dripping through my costume. My punch wouldn't be as strong, but all I needed was one lucky hit.
I duck and weave my head below, used my other arm to push his weapon away and turned to strike.
BAM!
Out of nowhere, another Toxin hooked me in the face, knocking me down. BAM! The first one kicked me in the ribs while I was down and the other came around to continue the clobbering. I kicked my foot out at his to stop him. However, he ended up just grabbing my leg and pulled me along, leaving me exposed for more kicks to come my way.
BAM! BAM! BAM! All I could do was cover my face and wait for another opening, hoping that I'm not knocked unconscious before that happened.
Just as another kick was aimed for my chest, I reached out and grabbed his leg. Giving them a taste of their own medicine, I pulled as hard as I could and caused him to slip on the floor next to me. I roll my body over and kick at my holder's head. BAM! It wasn't a direct landing, only managing to hit him in the shoulder, but it was enough to force him to let go and I was free, if only for a short time.
By now, my strength was fading faster than I could process. My arm was in so much agony, it was physically impossible to move, and an unbearable surge of pain rushed through my body as I tried to stand back up.
BAM! I was punched in the chest by one Toxin while another grabbed me from behind and slammed me into the wall headfirst.
I flopped to the ground like a fish pulled from the sea. No matter how much I tried to get up and carry on fighting, my fragile, beaten body wouldn't allow me. The two Toxins must have seen that I wasn't much of a threat anymore because they went about picking me up by my arms and carrying me through the corridor towards the reception area. At least, I think that was where we were heading. My vision was so blurry everything was out of focus. The ear-piercing ringing going through my head had me fearing it would explode at any moment.
Eventually, I was thrown to the ground like rubbish, right in the middle of the reception area, surrounded by the petrified hostages and cackling Toxins. I tried to get a sense of my bearings. My vision was slowly returning, as the people around me came into focus, not that it did much good considering most of the Toxin's faces were shrouded underneath their hoods. There was one that stood out more than others, not because he was the only one whose face was out for the world to see, but because he dwarfed everyone else in the room by comparison.
''Hmm, so you're the superhero that has been running around protecting this city?'' Marcus mocked as he looked down at me, like a bug in the dirt he was ready to crush beneath his foot. ''I must admit, I always thought the name was just a way for you to bring about a positive image of youth. But, no. You really are just a kid.''
I was powerless to do anything as he reached down and grabbed me by the top of the head, my skull easily fitting in those gorilla-like palms he called hands. He hoisted me up into the air, pulled back his fist before pummelling it into my stomach. BAAAM!
I actually coughed up blood through the mouthpiece of my mask. I've never taken a punch like that before. No matter what kind of physical or mental training I did, I could not have prepared myself for a strike from this monster. Afterwards, I found it difficult to breathe, as it felt like my lungs had been crushed, along with every other organ in my body.
He nonchalantly let go and dropped me to the ground. I landed in a heap and my body jittered and shook like I was having a seizure. The watchful crowd of gangsters laughed and jeered. They were having the time of their lives whilst I felt like I was in the middle of a slow, agonising death.
No, Jenna was still here. They still had her captured. I couldn't just give up with her life on the line, along with everyone else being held hostage in this building. I used up whatever strength I had left and pushed myself up. My bad arm was shattered and threatening to crumble under the weight of my limp, bloody body. The Toxins continued to taunt me by chanting over and over again as I rose higher and higher until I was finally standing on my wobbly two feet, to which they responded with an ironic cheer and round of applause.
All except for Marcus, who eyed me interestedly, waiting to see what my next move would be. His guess was as good as mine. I was just making this up as I go.
''Look at this lads, he's still got a bit of fight in him…'' The Irish Toxin called out. I turned around to see him approaching me, wanting to volunteer himself to kick me down after I had only just gotten up.
My focus shifted away from him though as something beyond caught my eye. Jenna was there. I could see her. Sitting down with her hands atop her head, looking on with fear, unaware that she was seeing me getting the crap beaten out of. There was nothing more I wanted to do at that moment than run to hear and hug her tightly. But, I was brought back to reality as the Toxin took another step closer and threw a punch at me. I swayed to the side, but I couldn't lift my arms to counter. Instead, I leant forward and headbutt him, my forehead crashing into his nose.
He screamed and dropped to the ground, grabbing his face to stop the blood rushing out of his nostrils. ''You bastard! You broke my nose! You broke my nose!''
Now, the other Toxins weren't so sure about attacking me. Despite how battered I looked, they realised that I still had enough of a bite left in me so I could sink my teeth into them. The humiliated Irish gangster crawled away to join his posse as I turned to stare at Marcus, who hadn't flinched at all, even after my surprise attack. I knew if I was going to get everyone out of this alive, I would have to fight him, so I might as well get it over with first.
Through sheer grit and determination, I fought through the pain and slowly lifted my arms. Trembling and shaking violently, it made me feel dizzy just to move them. After a while, Marcus patiently waited as I raised my arms in front of my face and clenched my fists as tight as I could, signalling I was still ready for a fight. ''I'm not giving up until I beat every last one of you.'' I panted.
Marcus finally showed some emotion, offering an eager grin that made me instantly regret getting back up.
He stepped forward, and the Toxins circled us like a street fight, which it pretty much was. I doubt I could beat this guy at my full strength, let alone in my current state. He cracked his knuckles, the crunching sound boomed against my eardrum. I tried to keep my balance and stay on my own two feet. My thoughts constantly kept going back to Jenna, who continued to watch everything along with the other hostages. I was doing this for them…to save them. I have to forget about what happens to me.
I limped towards Marcus. He didn't even try to stop me, allowing me to proceed until I was standing right in front of him. I drew my arm back as it wobbled and flopped. It hurt so much just to tighten my fist into a ball. My eyes looked towards his beefy chest, protected by a thick purple shirt and red jacket. I was afraid that my arm would falter before I could even punch him.
He then lifted his hand to stop me and then pointed to his left cheek. ''Right here, hard as you can.''
The Toxins played up his taunt by heckling me, egging me on to hit their second-in-command. I was stunned, but also furious. They don't even consider me a threat anymore. I'm just a joke to them. How can they treat all of this like one big game? Lives were at risk. People have died. Sophie was in the hospital because of them. My sister…I can't let them get away with this.
I reeled my arm back and punched him exactly where he wanted. BAM!
The good news was I landed my mark. The bad news was it really didn't make a difference. I could feel my arm crumble in the middle of the swing, and my hand was numb before it had even connected with his face. My punch was barely a slap. The only thing I left on him was a slightly rosy cheek.
He slowly turned to face me. ''Was that your best shot? Here's mine!''
Instinctively, I held my arms up to cover my face, though they were like jelly and only reached up to my chest.
BAAAM! His punch tears through me. Despite my best attempt to block him, I'm sent catapulting across the room and crash into a wall. I drop to the ground limply, pieces of the wall breaking off and landing on me. I was fading in and out of consciousness. My body grew cold and I couldn't pick myself up.
Through muffled hearing, I could make out laughter and more applause. ''What do we do with him now?'' One of them questioned.
''I have an idea,'' The Irish Toxin called out. ''I'll grab me. Someone get the camera!''
Oh no! I knew what they were going to do, and I couldn't do anything to stop them. I felt someone wrap their arm around my neck and pull me up, gripping so hard that I could barely breathe. They dragged me across the room, keeping me in a headlock whilst another Toxin with the camera stood in front of us. I wanted to fight back. I wanted to claw or bite. I wanted to do anything that would get me out of this, but I couldn't. I was powerless.
''Is it recording yet?'' The Toxin holding me prisoner asked. It was the Irish one. In the short time that we had gotten to know each other, he had a deep grudge against me.
''Yeah, go ahead!'' The cameraman said.
''Ladies and Gentleman. We present to you a special treat…the unmasking of Omega Kid…'' He tried to grab the top of my mask. I dip my head down, rolling my shoulders and doing everything I could to keep my mask from coming off. Unable to move my arms to stop him, I seized the material between my chin and neck. The Toxin continued to cackle as I felt my mask slowly being pulled off. ''Oh, he's still fighting lads…''
GLITCH!
The next thing I knew, the Toxin screamed right in my ear and let go of me. The fall to the ground shook me up quite a bit, but I had to see what was going on. I rolled myself over to see what had happened. The Toxin screamed out, holding his hand…a hand with a knife embedded in the palm. He was so panicked and preoccupied with trying to stop the bleeding, he failed to notice a thin string that was attached to the end of the handle. As others rushed to his aid, a black blur shot out of the shadows, slicing through the Irish Toxin…literally.
Everyone stopped in their tracks as the gangster's body spun before slumping to the floor, no sign of life from him at all.
All eyes turned to the figure that had leapt out of the shadows. The Toxins circled him and drew their weapons. I was left awestruck by what I was seeing. It wasn't just a random person that had jumped to my rescue. This person, a man I assume, was dressed in all black spandex from head to toe. Darker shades of black to show off his boots and gloves, and a cape that waved before settling over his muscular body. The only other colour on his costume was the white eyes stitched on his mask.
In both hands, he held two bloody knives with strings tied to the ends, wrapping around his wrists like chains. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was another superhero! I wasn't alone anymore.
He turned towards me. I couldn't read his expression through his mask, especially seeing how there were no eyeholes or a mouthpiece like my own. ''If you can stand, free the civilians!'' He ordered.
''Get him!'' Marcus bellowed.
The hero turned around swiftly, tossing his two knives at the gang. Both weapons struck two different Toxins in their hands, causing them to drop their guns. The hero pulled back, yanking the two onto the ground. He leapt towards the others before they could even realise what was happening. Using the string, he got around another Toxin and tied it around his neck before flipping him over his body and slamming him into another Toxin with a bat. He kicked up the bat, caught it and swung. BAM! He knocked a couple of teeth out of one of them and then kicked out at another. He was an absolute beast, wrecking everyone in his path.
Still surprised by what was happening, it didn't hit me until a few seconds later that I was given a mission, to get the hostages out whilst this new superhero kept Toxin busy. All of them had rushed forward with their weapons. Those with guns were trying to find their aim and shoot, but unable to without the risk of hitting one of their own. The furthest Toxin from the superhero was standing between me and the front entrance to the bank. His only weapon was a wooden baseball. If I took a whack from that, I would surely be done for. But his eyes never diverted away from the massacre going on away from me.
Taking this chance, I hobble onto my feet, almost falling before I could properly stand up. I charge towards the guard with no chance of stopping, even if I wanted to, the momentum carried my body all the way until I crashed into him. I pushed him against the door, slamming his back into it hard. I couldn't give him an opportunity to strike back. I hooked my foot under his and tripped him up. He landed in a heap, dropping his weapon and clutching his back.
The sudden rush made my head spin, but I did my best to ignore it. Easier said than done. I was using the door to stand up. Though at least that didn't mean I couldn't open it like this. ''Go! Now!'' I shouted in a croaked voice.
Some of the hostages were hesitant, most likely fearing the wrath of their captors. Once they saw that the Toxins were having their hands full with the mysterious new superhero, they immediately dashed towards me and bolted out of the door. I lost count of the number of people that hurried past me and out onto the streets. The crowd looked on in shock, with many holding out their phones and cameras to film the commotion. I couldn't care less about that. I kept my eyes open long enough in the hopes of spotting Jenna.
I finally did…and saw that she was staring back at me.
I averted my gaze as she ran past, hoping that she wouldn't recognise me when she was this close. Her eyes were watery and her face was bright red, but at least she appeared unhurt.
Once everyone was out, I looked back inside to see the carnage left behind. Although I'm truly thankful this hero came out of nowhere to help me, it didn't make it any easier to see the dead bodies of Toxin members littered all over the floor, many of them lying in growing pools of blood. It sounded like the fight was still going on and had been taking to the upper floors.
Using anything I could for support, I made my way upstairs. I doubted I would be of much help, but I had to see what was going on for the sake of my sanity. If I could assist this hero out…well, it's the least I could do after he saved my life. Dead bodies piled up on the flight of stairs. I avoided each of them, hearing the grunting and sounds of crashing getting louder and louder. After stumbling around for a bit, I finally saw the hero at the end of the corridor facing off against his last opponent, Marcus.
They were both going full force. Marcus was obviously the stronger of the two, however, the hero more than made up for that in speed. Every time the giant would throw a punch, the dark figure would bob his head underneath and land a solid hook against the gangster's ribcage.
BAM! BAM!
Marcus let out a loud grunt. Unlike my punches, the hero's were actually having an effect. The hero wrapped the string around Marcus's wrist and jumped up to jab his knife into Marcus's chest. The gangster shifted his body away from the blade, causing it to merely scrap over his shirt and avoid causing any serious damage. Marcus grabbed the hero and spun around before tossing him into a wall nearby. The dark hero was slow to get back up, and Marcus capitalised on this.
BAM! He kicked him so hard in the stomach, he flew up into the air and Marcus was able to grab him by the neck, pinning him against the wall.
I had to do something, anything. I looked around for something to use. My arms were of no use, so I would need another weapon. Close by, I could see a trolley cart of sorts. It would have to do. As fast as I could, I walked over to it and placed my foot against it. Using the pillar standing beside me for leverage, I pushed my leg into it until it eventually started to roll forward at a decent pace. It gathered speed, faster and faster, before striking Marcus in the leg, causing his body to flinch.
This distraction gave the hero the perfect chance to counter. He grabbed Marcus's arm, pulled himself up and kicked outwards. BAM! BAM! He stamped furiously against the brute's face. Marcus let go and stumbled backwards, his hands quickly holding his bloody face while the hero took a moment to catch his breath. He turned towards me and nodded. ''Thanks.''
Marcus roared, flexing his muscles, ready for his next charge. The hero responded by holding out his two knives, looking like he was about to throw one of them. I wondered who would be brave and quick enough to make the first move. Suddenly, Marcus started to back away. ''This isn't over!'' Before he could be stopped, he rushes towards the closest window and dives out of it.
Even if I wasn't paralysed with shock, the pain my body was experiencing prevented me from going after him. Instead, the hero rushed over to the broken window and looked out. A moment later he turned towards me. ''He's gone.''
I wanted to be disappointed that Marcus, and presumably the leader from earlier, had escaped without punishment, but right now, I was just thankful that it was over. I slide down the pillar and sat on the ground, slipping into a complete state of numbness. Now that all I could hear for the time being was his voice, it came to me that he must have had some kind of voice modulator underneath his mask, altering it to sound deeper than any natural voice should be. ''Thank you…for helping me.''
''Word of advice, kid. Stay out of this if you want to live!''
''What?'' I panted. ''No way. I'm not giving up.''
''Even after the beating you just took?''
I hesitated for a moment. The memories lingering in my mind and body, and my bruises felt more painful in those few seconds. However, I shook those thoughts away and kept my grit. ''I'm a superhero. I'm not backing down from a fight, not when this city needs me the most. No one can tell me to quit. Not you, or anyone.''
He remained quiet after my little speech. It was impossible to read him under the mask, so I was left to wait for any kind of response from him that I could pick up on. Soon enough, I got the reaction that I was least expecting…him to start laughing. Not mockingly or sarcastically, but like he was actually amused by my statement. Weird, considering a few minutes ago he decapitating gangsters like it was just another day at the office.
''You live up to your reputation, Omega Kid,'' He flattered. ''I can respect a man with a sense of authority and duty. With determination like that, it's no wonder you became a great superhero.''
''Uh…thanks?''
''Relax, if you're fighting the good fight against the gangsters plaguing London, then we're on the same side.''
I didn't know what to say. I didn't know where to start. There were so many questions running through my head, and with so little time too because very soon, we heard the sound of police storming through the entrance below us.
He spoke up. ''I wouldn't get comfortable there, we need to leave.'' He reached a hand out for me, and I gladly accepted it.
After helping me to stand on my own feet, he walked over to the broken window, stepping on the frame and looking like he was about to leap out just as Marcus had done earlier. ''Wait,'' I called out. ''Who are you?''
He turned slowly to me, the air around me suddenly felt cold. ''No-One!''
Not saying anything else, he jumped out of the window. I quickly limped over and looked out onto the street, but he was already gone. ''So cool.''
''You ran out of the hospital!'' Jenna exploded. ''What were you thinking?''
I did everything in my power to avoid looking into her eyes. ''I saw the news and I wanted to help…''
''What more could you have done? The police were already there! You didn't have to run away to call for help. And what's worse is that you get mugged and attacked! You could have died or…'' Her voice cracks and she stops screaming.
After I had left the bank and gotten far enough away from all the chaos that was going on with the police raiding the place, I tried to return to the hospital, changing out of my costume. However, I could only get so far before my body couldn't push on anymore. I was forced to ask for someone to call me an ambulance and take me back to this particular hospital. Once I returned, I found an enraged pair of brothers. But they were nothing compared to Jenna when she returned and the doctors had explained to her the story I told them detailing my new injuries.
So, I sat on the edge of my hospital bed with Jenna pacing back and forth and Alex and Steph waiting outside.
''But, you're safe now…'' I whispered.
''Just don't!'' She barked, silencing me and making me jump. ''You didn't have any reason to do what you did! You were safe here. Then you go out and this happens to you. You're lucky that you weren't stabbed like that boy in your class!''
''I…I…'' I was now the one choking up. She'd never been this fierce with me before. I was terrified of her. ''I thought I could get someone to help. Like Omega Kid…''
''Grow up! This isn't a comic book! Thomas, you could be dead right now, and I wouldn't have been able to do anything to help you. Why are you so insistent on running into trouble lately? You're not a superhero. You don't have powers. You will get yourself killed if you disobey me like this again!''
''You were taken hostage! Maybe I couldn't actually help, but I wanted to…''
''That doesn't make this okay!'' She cried. Her face was red as a tomato and I was frozen, unable to talk back or look away as she continued to rant. ''You weren't involved in that situation. I didn't need your help!''
Those last few words she said stung the most. I literally felt my heart caving in. There was no strength left in me to argue or plead my case. As those words fully registered in my head, I realised that I hadn't cried in a long time. Properly cried over something emotional. Right here, in this hospital room, with an incensed Jenna staring me down, I felt tears begin to roll down my cheeks beyond my control.
Jenna looked away from me and inhaled deeply. ''I can't do this right now. I need time to think, and you need to stay in here and get better.'' She finally left the room, leaving me too shocked to move.
I felt broken beyond repair. My cuts and bruises would heal over time, especially since I was not going to be trying anything like what I did today again. However, the way my big sister dismissed my wishes to help her and treated me like a nuisance made me feel weaker than ever before. Any feeling I ever had about telling her I was Omega Kid was gone instantly. If she found that out, it would probably destroy me, resulting in destroying me too.
''Thomas,'' I barely moved even as Alex called me and he and his brother walked into the room to greet me. Any aggravation they had towards me was gone for the time being. ''You saved her in the end, and that's all that matters.'' He gave me a reassuring smile.
''But that's the thing. I didn't save her. I couldn't even save myself.''
It was the truth. If it weren't for No-One, my identity would have been revealed to the world and I wouldn't be alive to see the consequences it had wrought.
Toxin is stronger than I had estimated. I couldn't beat them alone. At least with No-One, I might have a fighting chance.
Hopefully…
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.