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 13: Meet Hellrider
Tuesday 20th July 2010
One guarantee with I.T class is that students rarely use the computers do actual school work. Instead, it was online to play games, send each other spam emails and if a student was really lucky and found a way to hack the system, find pictures of topless women. Although considering parent's evening was tonight, it was funny to see that almost everyone was more inclined to work properly. Thankfully for me, I'd finished the repetitious work a while, and that meant I had time to follow the news to see if there were any new updates regarding Toxin or Douglas Carbone.
Things had been unusually quiet. The number of police on duty had increased over the weekend just in case there was any new attack by Toxin or any other gangs, but all was peaceful. Honestly, that troubled me more. I still couldn't understand how no one from the gang had been found yet. They were calculating and clearly planned ahead every step of the way, meaning they left no traces of their whereabouts.
Yesterday, I never had much of a chance to do anything because I was bombarded with curious students wanting to see my arm. News had quickly spread about me being shot, then again, it was to be expected considering I spent a good few weeks in the hospital and I returned with a few bruises and scratches. They were fading gradually, but it was enough for people to take notice for a few hours. Today, on the other hand, I was the forgotten again. Once people realised I didn't have a story to tell, I was ignored. I didn't mind though because that allowed time for me to think of a plan.
I doubt that I can defeat Toxin alone. Especially with Marcus leading the charge, and I could only dread what Douglas Carbone was like in a fight, especially with the way I saw him butcher the Harrison's Bank manager. I would need No-One's help. He could fight well and seemed to tolerate me, so that's a start. The only problem was finding him. I haven't heard anything from him since I last saw him. Has he just disappeared? Was his appearance just a one-time thing?
''Are you okay?'' A timid voice spoke over me, startling me and dragging me out of my thoughts.
I turned to see Megan standing next to me. ''Yeah, I'm fine. What's up?''
''The computer I was on wouldn't start, so I needed to find another. You don't mind if I sit here, do you?''
''Not at all, please,'' I offered, pulling the chair out for her as she took a seat and started up the computer.
''Thank you. I'm so far behind, I don't know if I'm going to finish everything before we break up for summer holidays.''
''We still have until the end of the week. You can do it.'' I encouraged.
My words couldn't get through to her. She typed her username and password frantically and waited for the system to kick, all while a stressful look was plastered across her face. ''But parent's evening is tonight, and I'm worried if I don't finish, Mr Hoggins will say something to my mum and dad.''
It was going to be more difficult to encourage her after hearing that point. Our I.T teacher was quite strict when it came to punctuality and results. That's why today I decided to not run late for school and finish all my work before focusing on my Omega Kid duties. ''You're one of the nicest students at this school. I'd be beyond shocked if a teacher had anything bad to say about you.''
She smiled bashfully. ''Thank you. Stella said the same thing.''
''See, you're not going to doubt her, are you?'' I grinned. Further away, on the other side of the classroom, I could see Stella waving in my direction and then pointing towards Megan. ''Speaking of…'' I nodded my head, gesturing for Megan to turn around and see what she wanted.
Once Megan spotted her, Stella made some motions to her own computer and then Megan's, silently communicating with us without drawing Mr Hoggins's attention. He was silently stalking the classroom like a hawk, making sure that everyone was getting to work. It took a few seconds for us to get Stella's message, but eventually, Megan logged into her computer to find a message from Stella waiting. She opened it, and up popped a silent home video of a cute rabbit sitting on a living room carpet. A few seconds of nothing went by before the rabbit hopped high in the air unexpectedly before collapsing on its side and resting. The sudden quickness of it was enough to cause Megan and me to burst into a fit of giggles.
We quickly silenced ourselves before Mr Hoggins noticed, and Megan minimised the video as he marched right past us. As soon as he was gone, Megan looks over to Stella and the two shared a warm smile before turning their attention back to their respective computers. Megan tried to suppress more giggles as she turned to me. ''Sorry, I love rabbits.''
''Who doesn't?''
Megan hummed and then seemed to drift into her thoughts. ''Stella is more of a guinea pig person. But, I love guinea pigs too, so that's good. Actually…'' Without another word, she quickly Google-searched a picture of a guinea pig family, shaded the colour to make it purple and then proceeded to email the picture back at Stella. Once that was done, she turned to me. ''Our favourite colour is purple.''
I couldn't stop a quiet chuckle from escaping me. ''You and Stella seem to be getting along.''
Her eyes lit up and her smile went from happy to beaming in an instant. ''We are! Thanks to her, I got an 'A+' in biology. She is so smart, I felt intimidated by her presence. But she's been so cool and patient with me through everything. Even after we finished the assignment, we just started meeting up and going to each other's houses. She's an animal-lover. She wants to be a doctor when she's older. She also works out too. She let me squeeze her bicep…'' She gushed before she stopped herself and her cheeks shone multiple shades of red.
The cheerfulness she displayed was irresistible. I couldn't stop myself from smiling, but I wasn't going to laugh in case she took it the wrong way. ''That's cool.''
Seeing that I wasn't going to tease her, she eased up and smiled warmly at me. ''It is cool,'' But, then smile faltered and she rubbed her chin nervously as something seemed to plague her mind. ''Although, I think I make her uncomfortable.''
''Why do you think that?''
Megan hesitated for a moment and briefly checked to see if anyone was listening. When it was certain we had no other listeners, she leant in closer to me. ''I think she still feels guilty about Jason.''
It made sense this would be brought up. Chloe mentioned something like this a while back. However, the fact that it was Stella who was seemingly the more troubled of the two left me slightly puzzled. I wanted to ask Megan something, but I was afraid of stepping over the line. It wouldn't be the first time I upset Megan, and I still felt awful about that before. But, I was too curious to pass this question. ''Are you uncomfortable? You know, about Jason and…everything.''
She didn't answer right away, not that I expected her to. Her eyes remained locked to the desk in front of us as she finally spoke. ''Stella doesn't make me uncomfortable. Not even a little bit. Sometimes good people get caught in situations that are out of their control.''
I know that feeling all too well. I can't imagine how Stella must have felt when she heard what Jason did. Even if she wasn't part of it, she must have thought that there was something she could have done to help. Once again, a feeling I'm familiar with.
Megan sniffling brought me back to reality. It looked like she was ready to cry, but she held it together as she continued. ''I miss William so much. I want to think about him without thinking of Jason. It's hard. He…he was always looking out for me. When things were dark or confusing for me, he wouldn't be afraid to barge in and talk until I was feeling better. It's nice to have an older brother who does that.''
''Yeah…'' I replied. Things might not have been going swimmingly between Jenna and me but I'm not going to hold it against her forever. I wanted to take Rachel, Alex and Steph's advice to keep moving forward and not let the weight of everything hold me down. I was dreading parent's evening tonight with her, but I think a talk was needed between the two of us to patch things up.
''You know,'' Megan continued, her smile slowly returning. ''Being friends with Stella reminds me of that. There are moments when I feel myself breaking and she's there to help. Likewise, I think she has her bad times too. I do what I can, and I think I help.''
''I'm sure you do,'' I interjected.
Her smile brightened. ''It's nice, not only to be with good people but people who don't mind me being around them. I really feel like I'm part of the cool crowd.''
''Do you still consider me part of the cool crowd?''
She smirked and then playfully poked me in the chest. ''You're darn right, I do!''
After we shared another quiet laugh together, Megan noticed a new message popping up on her computer. She opened it and a drawing appeared, a rabbit and guinea pig smiling together with a purple circle around them. Megan glanced back over in Stella's direction, and we saw the taller girl smiling back before focusing on her work.
Megan's stare lingered for a little longer before she turned to me. ''Stella doesn't make me uncomfortable. On the contrary, I feel the opposite with her.''
''I guess you just have those people you're fully compatible with.''
''Like you and Rachael?''
''Don't you start,'' I laughed and she did as well.
We almost jumped out of our skins when we heard someone coughing behind us. Turning around, we saw Mr Hoggins staring down at us with his arms folded over his chest. ''Sorry!'' Megan and I mumbled simultaneously.
''Don't let me catch you talking again,'' He said sternly before focusing on me. ''It would be a shame if I were to give you detention when you have your big game coming soon.''
His threat was understood. I nodded and gulped loudly. Once he was satisfied, he resumed wandering around the classroom to find other chatty students. ''He gives me the creeps,'' I mumbled under my breath.
''You're on the football team?'' Megan inquired excitedly.
''Believe me, I'm just as surprised as everybody else.''
''I'm not. I knew you had it in you.''
''Then you know me better than I know myself.''
The classroom was alarmed by the sound of the door bursting open and another teacher emerging, beckoning Mr Hoggins to come forward. He scanned the room, giving a silent warning for us to remain quiet whilst he left with the other teacher. He and the other teacher left, closing the door behind them and were discussing something. Their voices drifted away into nothingness. As soon as he was out of range, the class burst into a chorus of talking and laughing. Everyone was moving about so that they could talk with their friends.
I turned to Megan. ''If only I put on a bet for that to happen.''
''I think everyone would have had that bet. Not that I gamble.'' She emphasised.
It wasn't hard to spot Stella in a crowd. I noticed her approaching and gestured for Megan to turn. She quickly did and greeted her. ''Hi.''
''Hello, what are you two talking about?'' She questioned.
I shrugged. ''Just random things. Parent's evening. School work...''
''Thomas is on the football team!'' Megan beamed before timidly looking at me. ''Sorry, I couldn't stop myself.''
''It's okay.''
Stella nodded. ''Yeah, I know. Chloe told me. I think she's looking forward to seeing what you've got.''
''Hopefully, what I've got is good enough.''
I noticed Stella's sight drawn specifically to my scarred arm. I wanted to wear something to conceal it, but with the warm summer weather we've been having, I've been relegated to only wearing short-sleeves to stop me from melting. ''I'm sorry about what happened to you?''
''Oh,'' I hid my arm and shrugged. ''It's…it's fine. I'm okay.''
''It's not permanent damage, is it?'' She asked worriedly.
I shook my head. ''No, no. It's a little awkward moving it, but that'll pass. I only look worse cause I left the hospital a few weeks ago and got mugged.''
''Rachael told me about that. Was it Toxin again?''
''No…I…I didn't see them. It happened pretty quickly. It was coming up to night, so it was dark too.''
Her eyes narrowed and she gave me a puzzled look. ''Oh? Because from what I heard it happened during the day. The same time Toxin attacked that Bank.''
My inability to tell convincing lies was more destructive to my superhero career than any gang could ever be. ''Uh…no, well, it might have been dusk. So it was getting darker.''
Stella and Megan hardly looked convinced and I don't blame them. It's the middle of summer. It wouldn't have been dark until long after my fake story had supposedly taken place. Fortunately, probably out of sympathy, Stella seemed to drop the subject and waved her hand. ''It's okay, don't worry about it. I don't want you to think I'm interrogating you.''
Before I could say anything else, we noticed that everyone seemed to be moving towards one side of the classroom. All the students were crowding around one computer. I shared a perplexed look with Megan and Stella before we joined the growing crowd to see what was going on. Trying to get the best view that I could, peering my head through the arms of others, I saw that one of the students had gotten onto YouTube and was watching a news debate going on between two anchors. The banner at the bottom of the screen displayed: Is Omega Kid doing the right thing?
Why is it that every time I turn on the news I fear the worst? More so than a person usually would.
Maybe because I knew these two reporters were on opposite ends of this debate. Piers Wilson had made no secret about his hate for me. Calling him unbiased would be an understatement. He may be a fan of facts, but he wasn't afraid to get his thoughts out. The other anchor was a new edition, Amanda Linea. She'd actually come across as quite supportive of Omega Kid from what I've seen.
''I truly fear for this city,'' Piers said grimly. ''Vigilantism is an appalling and unlawful act. However, what makes this situation worse is that it's being spearheaded by a boy, most likely not out of his teens, who thinks he is a superhero.''
''He is a superhero!'' Amanda responded. ''For five months now, Omega Kid has been doing everything in his power to help people and fight for good. It is true that he has worked outside the law. But the fact that he's not with the law yet continues to do what he can to make people safe shows that his intentions are noble. He could put on that mask and do whatever he wants, but he's out there helping his community.''
''This is the problem right here. Omega Kid has put himself on a pedestal, whether it was his intention or not. Others are going to emulate him. We have already seen evidence of that with this mysterious masked individual who was at Harrison's Bank during the attack, and previous reports of a girl who disfigured a bike thief with a sword. There are going to be others like him. Others that think they are above the law because people like you are making it seem like Omega Kid is above the law. There is a cause and effect!''
''I understand this, but what if there were more to this? Toxin would have been on our streets, fanning the flames of this gang war, whether there was an Omega Kid or not. This new superhero at the Bank could be Omega Kid's ally, or maybe it was someone else who had the same idea? After the explosion of people dressing up as superheroes in America and other parts of the world, we knew it was only going to be a matter of time before it happened here. Omega Kid just happened to be the first.''
Seeing this person who I didn't know, and didn't know me for that matter, risk everything to defend me when I was unpopular celebrity number one was actually quite heartwarming.
Piers still didn't look convinced and took another shot. ''We can't focus on what-ifs now! The reality of the situation is that Omega Kid is trying to take the fight to Toxin. It's a fight that he can't win. Our police force is better equipped to handle this. If Omega Kid continues this one-man army routine, he could endanger more lives by antagonising Toxin further. What if it comes to that? Shouldn't he be held accountable for…''
''You say not to focus on what-ifs, then centre your argument around a what-if?'' Amanda countered, stopping her opponent in his tracks. A few people in class quietly laughed at his expense and I have to admit, that was pretty cool the way she verbally backhanded him. ''Toxin is here. In my own humble opinion, I don't care if it's one police officer, or one superhero, as long as someone is fighting back, I feel we have a fighting chance of bringing down their leader, Douglas Carbone. There's hope as long as one person keeps fighting.''
Suddenly, a voice in class chuckled. ''Shame he's a retard!''
My blood boiled at that unneeded comment. ''Hey!'' I shouted before I could stop myself from letting it slip out.
Everyone stared at me, putting me on the spot as someone emerged from the crowd to size me up. The voice belonged to Onder. Since Jason's arrest, he's tried to take the mantle place as this school's tough guy, even though he wasn't nearly as physically intimidating. ''You got something to say to me?''
A huge part of me was itching to insult him and show that I wasn't afraid. However, the last thing I needed was to get in trouble just before parent's evening, so I kept my mouth shut. I shook my head and raised my hands defensively. I could hear a few disappointed moans from my classmates, hoping for some kind of action to happen.
That didn't seem to sit well with Onder, who pushed me in the chest, causing me to stumble back slightly. ''What? Now you've got nothing to say?''
Before I could do anything stupid, Stella stepped in between us and glared at Onder menacingly. ''Leave him alone.''
He hesitated, stopping in his tracks and staring at Stella for a moment before looking around the classroom, pleading for assistance. Even if he wasn't apprehensive about going against someone taller and physically fitter than him, he wouldn't dare lay a hand on one of the most popular girls in school. Stella glanced over in my direction and offered a sympathetic grin, while I nodded back in appreciation.
''What? He your new boyfriend now?'' Onder taunted. Stella froze and I felt something inside me snap. He must have thought that with everyone watching, he needed to do something to make himself look tough. ''Don't want to wait for Jason when he comes out of prison?''
Disbelieving mumbles filled the room. How could he take something that far? The fear that appeared in Stella's eyes was painful to witness. She didn't deserve that. She was just sticking up for me. Seeing her so hurt, even Megan got involved, standing before her friend and locking eyes with Onder. ''Don't say that to her!''
Her tone was too soft to be threatening. Onder laughed at her and took a step closer to her. ''You want to start now?''
Stella looked ready to jump in to protect her, but I got there first. Before he could touch Megan, I lunged at him, grabbed him by the shoulder and pinned him to the wall behind. There were gasps of shock from everyone, not expecting me to do something so bold. Onder struggled to break free from my grip, shocked to realise how strong I was. ''What do you think you're doing?'' He spluttered.
''Apologise to them!'' I demanded.
''Ha, so cause you've got a gangster scar you think you're a big man now?''
''I said apologise to them! Now!''
Instead of doing what I said, he continued struggling against me. He adjusted his body to knock me off-balance and push me away, but I held strong. To get my point across, I pulled him back before slamming him hard against the wall. Different noises came from the crowd behind me. It was a mixture of surprise, excitement and worry. I was beginning to worry too, but I had been provoked to the point where I wasn't thinking straight.
I felt a hand grab my arm, easing me away. ''Thomas, that's enough,'' Stella said to me.
''But, he…''
''He's not worth it! Just leave him.''
She never let go of me, waiting for me to ease up and release him. This moment of calm was what I desperately needed. She was right. This really wasn't worth it. I had bigger things to worry about and getting myself in trouble of a petty squabble was the last thing I needed. I exhaled and eased my arm away, giving him the chance to move. I wanted to give him one last warning. ''If you say anything bad to…''
Onder spat in my face. Surprised by what just happened, I backed away from him. I was about to wipe my face clean when I noticed his fist clench. He swung at me. I leant backwards, dodging his attack. My instincts kicked in and my body was on autopilot. I forced my arm out of Stella's grasp and punched back.
BAM!
I got him right in the jaw and he collapsed to the ground, crying out in pain and clutching his face.
I stood stiff as a board, shaking uncontrollably while a few people cheered and others gasped.
Unfortunately, that was the moment Mr Hoggins returned, bursting into the room to see what all the noise was about and stopping in his tracks when he saw Onder rolling about and moaning on the ground. ''What is going on in here?''
''He punched me!'' Onder whimpered through his hand-covered, bloody mouth and signalled me out. ''Ah, I think I lost a tooth!''
Mr Hoggins looked up at me. At first, not believing that of all people, I would be the one to start or finish a fight. But, when he saw my clenched, trembling fist, it was like being caught with a loaded gun. ''Outside! Now!'' He instructed with a booming voice.
I huffed and accepted my fate. My gaze drifted to the side to see Stella and Megan staring at me like I was a completely different person. In that split-second I retaliated, I was. They were fearful of me. Even though I stood up for them, it was a punch that didn't need to be thrown.
I'd never been inside the head teacher's office before. A year ago, I never would have thought that punching someone's tooth out would be the catalyst that sent me here. Yet, here I am, sitting on the opposite side of the main desk with the big man himself, Jeremy Hamilton, never taking his eyes off me. ''You want to tell me what happened?'' He started.
I sighed. ''I'm sorry…''
''First of all, I'm not the one you should be apologising to. Secondly, that didn't answer my question.''
And I thought Mr Hoggins was the intimidating one. I've never interacted with Mr Hamilton before. I think this is the first time he's ever addressed me in person. I've never gotten into this kind of trouble before, and I've never done anything outstanding to warrant his attention. ''I spoke back to him. He pushed me, and Stella and Megan tried to stand up for me. But then, he made comments to them and I defended them.''
''You defended them by punching him in the face?''
''He was going to hit me first!'' I snapped. ''I reacted. It was a reflex.''
He arched a brow at me. ''A reflex when a punch comes toward you is to get out of the way. You took it a step further by punching him back. That's the reflex of someone who's been involved in a few fights. As far as I can recall, this is only your second incident, unless there are others you want to talk about.'' He probed like an investigator trying to get a confession from me.
''I wouldn't call the first one a fight. I got knocked down in one punch.''
''So did Onder today.''
He cut my argument off instantly. He was right. I'm no longer the weak student who can't stand up to bullies, even if that's what I want everyone to believe. I can't make that excuse anymore. If I get myself in a fight, I have the strength now to see it through to the end. After all, with great power and you know the rest. My eyes wandered around the office before falling onto a phone sitting on his desk. ''Did you call my sister?''
''I was going to after I heard your side of the story. You said you spoke back to him. What did he say to set you off?''
''He was…'' I hesitated momentarily. ''He was…he said some stuff about Omega Kid. I called him out and then he tried to provoke me.''
''So he insults a stranger and that gets you provoked into a fight?''
I wasn't doing myself any favours with my story. No matter how I sounded, if I wanted to keep my secret, I would have to come across as a loose cannon. ''He's a stranger who's getting unfairly treated. Besides, I didn't even insult Onder. I said one word and he…you know the rest.''
Mr Hamilton didn't look impressed with the attitude I was displaying. I didn't even mean to come across like that, but I was so tired of hearing one bad thing after the other about me, I couldn't hide my frustration. ''Your sister is attending tonight's parent's evening, correct?''
''I think so,'' I answered. He didn't look satisfied, so I nodded. ''Yeah, we're coming.''
''Good, because I want to have a talk with her regarding a few things.''
''Like?'' I asked.
''Half a year ago, I'm not going to lie; I would have had trouble remembering your name. I heard you were a good student. Quiet and never looked to cause trouble. Since then, I'm hearing your punctuality and grades have dropped. I don't know what's caused this, but it has to be talked about. I don't want to see another student go bad.''
That last sentence stuck with me. Did people really think I was going bad? From a certain point of view, it was hard to argue. Megan brought it up before that there was a rumour I was apart of Toxin. I brushed it off, scoffing at how ridiculous that sounded. But with everything that's happened, I wouldn't blame people for thinking like that. I had changed so much in the short space of time since I became Omega Kid. But what other student that went bad could he be referring too?
Did…did he think I was going to be like Jason? I couldn't imagine him ever being a good person. Not only with what he did to William but also how he treated Stella. In my mind, he was always like that. Was he?
I was fiddling with my hands and staring at the floor, remorse overwhelming me. ''I can't defend what I've done. But, I promise it won't happen again.''
''I hope not.'' He said understandingly. ''You'll be kept back for an hour with Mr Hoggins. I'll let your sister know...''
''She's working late tonight. She won't be home until just before parent's evening.''
''I'll still let her know,'' His eyes scanned the room like I had done before. ''Have you ever been in here before?''
''No, sir. This is the only time I've been here.''
''Good, let's keep it that way.''
I suppose one-hour detention wasn't the worse thing. That would give me enough time to go out on patrol for a few hours. Hopefully, nothing happens between then and parent's evening. After the turbulent few weeks I've had, nothing can surprise me anymore.
The battered window shutters swinging in the wind smacked against the crumbling wall, the beating sound matched the heavy breathing of the man draped in shadow. He lifted himself up with the wall-mounted pull-up bar, resting his chin on it before lowering himself and repeating the action over and over again. A heavy layer of sweat drenched his ripped upper-body. Every muscle in his body was burning, not helped by the heavy barbell plates that were hooked into his trousers and weighed him down every time he lifted himself.
He persisted never the less. His tired grunts echoed throughout the small room. At least he didn't have to worry about any neighbours. The only problem that arose from a small, compact room in an apartment with no air-conditioning was the burning heat, not helped by the summer weather. However, this just spurred the man on as he proceeded with a few more chin-ups before letting go and stomping on the ground.
The room rumbled and shook with the weighted plates threatening to break into the room below. He flexed his muscles to ease the tension before unhooking himself out of the weights. Licking his dry lips, he walked across the room, stepping over the only piece of furniture in the room, a ripped bed mattress. All he had surrounding him were training equipment, limited to the pull-up bar, a dumbbell rack nestled in the corner, and a TV on the other side of the room which he watched as he marched over to the sink to splash water on his face.
''…I feel we have a fighting chance of bringing down their leader, Douglas Carbone. There's hope as long as one person keeps fighting.'' Amanda stated firmly.
Piers Wilson shook his head. ''Alright, but this now raises another question, what will happen if Omega Kid is killed? Don't quote me on what-ifs again, hear me out on this. Say Omega Kid and this new superhero were gunned down by Toxin. How would this affect the people? What will Toxin do after that? Will they be enticed to increase their attacks? These superheroes have gotten involved in this war and might not be ready to deal with the consequences.''
The man scoffed as he finished washing the sweat off his body. ''Damn straight. First time I've agreed with that prick. If these so-called heroes know what's good for them, they'll stay out of the way.''
After cleaning himself off, he glanced back over at the TV. The news channel had changed angles, showing another female news anchor talking about the Toxin leaders while displaying headshots of Douglas Carbone and the second-in-command, Marcus. He took particular interest in Marcus's picture, his eyes burning into the muscular beasts photo with fury. As his hands clenched the sink, his mind was flooded with memories.
Those memories were faded and fractured. But, if he put the pieces together, he could see events from years ago play out before him. He could imagine Marcus towering over him, smirking with gleeful joy while fire surrounded them. Everything in sight was blurred and out of focus, yet that smell of smouldering ash never left.
With the stealth and patience of a rampaging bull, the man stomped towards a dark corner of the room and reached for a large box hidden underneath a table. He pulled the box out and slammed it on the table, shaking it and almost knocked off a sheathed katana resting on it. Opening the box, he grabbed a set of red and black body armour. He finished with his attire before grabbing two more things, a black full-face mask with a red skull painted over the front. Finally, his weapon of choice, a long red bow-staff.
Having everything he needed, he stormed out of his room and down a dusty flight of stairs. The flickering lights in the hallway gave any homeless men and women that stumbled in the rundown apartment building for shelter a quick glance at the masked man. For many of them, it was like watching a demon from hell about to go on the hunt. He walked out of the broken entrance to the building, making his way towards something covered under a black sheet that was being sniffed by a few wandering foxes. All the man had to do was strap the bow-staff to his back, and the noise startled the animals causing them to run.
He grabbed the sheet and removed it, revealing a black and red motorbike. He got the keys from his pocket, ignited the engine before taking a seat and riding off into the distance. The engine roared throughout the city, giving his prey a chance to run and hide.
''Shout, shout, let it all out…'' I mumbled under my breath as I got some practice by jabbing the air. If there was one good thing that came out of my scuffle with Onder, it was that I knew that my right arm was good enough to throw a punch without throbbing in pain. That meant I could do some shadow boxing on the roof of a corner shop to get myself back in shape. I've been out of action long enough. I wanted to get back to my best so that I was ready for my next battle with Toxin.
When I returned home after my detention, Jenna still wasn't home as I predicted. She'd left out some frozen dinner for me to cook, but I decided to save that for later and hit the streets as soon as possible. So, here I am in the now.
Standing on top of the shop, I felt a cool breeze sweep over me. The sun was now hiding behind a few grey clouds drifting in, meaning we would be getting some rain soon. It didn't matter to me. I wasn't going to be on patrol for long. If nothing happens, then nothing happens. A part of me wanted to stay out and skip parent's evening, knowing that it was going to be a dreadful experience to hear how poorly I've done while Jenna listens. My incident earlier doesn't help my cause.
Can't one thing go my way for once? That's all I ask, just one thing.
I was dragged out of my thoughts by the sound of a can rattling on the ground nearby before hitting my foot. I turned instantly fearing the worst.
''Hold your horses, friend,'' No-One said casually, holding up his hands in good faith as he stepped out of the shadows.
My eyes widened. ''You? No-One?''
An amused chuckle escaped him. ''What did you call me?''
''No-One. That's what your superhero name is, isn't it?'' I questioned. He was quiet, doing his best not to break out in laughter while I felt like a complete idiot and almost considered jumping off the roof to save myself further embarrassment. ''Oh…when you said no one, you literally meant…sorry…''
''No, don't sweat it,'' He waved his hand jokily. ''I like it.''
''Really? I mean…what about your real name? I mean real superhero name?''
''I don't care about names. They're not important to me. I'm not looking to become a celebrity.'' He approached me with a confident swagger, not the least bit hesitant about approaching me. I couldn't say the same about me as I remained on guard. He took notice of this and snorted. ''Relax, if I wanted you dead you wouldn't have seen me coming.''
''Well, good to know you don't want me dead.''
''Of course not,'' He patted me on the arm making me flinch. It was still difficult for me to make sense of his accent. It clearly wasn't any English one I was familiar with, but he was very articulate if English wasn't his first language. ''Mind if I call you Omega Kid? Or would you like me to think of a name for you to even things out?''
I gulped and shook my head, not sure if I was feeling flustered or intimidated by him. It might have been a mix of both. ''Uh…Omega Kid is fine. Um…''
''Relax,'' He smacked my arm again, firmer than before, almost knocking me off balance. He had quite a bit of strength to him, although I've already seen that in bloody action. ''I said before we're on the same side. I won't bite.''
''I know…it's just…''
''Never talked with another superhero before?''
I nodded but stopped myself halfway. Even though his mask completely covered his face, he was expression enough that I got a faint idea of how he was looking at me. He tilted his head to the side slightly and waited for me to say more. How much could I talk about with him? I suppose if I leave out names, it wouldn't be too bad. ''Well…you're the first superhero I've talked with who seems to know what they're doing.''
He folded his arms over his chest. ''That's where you and I are like two peas in a pod. Planning ahead is more than half the battle.''
''Actually…lately, I feel like I haven't planned enough.''
''How so?''
''I don't know how much of the news you've heard…''
I was silenced by another strong pat he gave me, this time on the shoulder and he left his hand there, gripping tightly as if trying to reassure me. Although, all I could think was that I didn't want to get involved in a game of tag with this guy. ''If I listened to every single person in my life who was against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.''
''But you have the skill to back you up.''
''So do you. You wouldn't have made it this long if you didn't.''
''I think it's more down to luck. If it weren't for you, I doubt I'd be here talking with you on this roof. I'd either be in a jail cell or in a coffin.''
He walked around me, looking out towards the city. In the distance, we could see the skyscrapers and taller buildings of the central city, a contrast to the shops and flats that surrounded us. ''You're not at all what I expected, Omega Kid.''
I shuffled anxiously. ''What do you mean?''
''You've only been active a short time, but you've quickly gathered a reputation. I wondered what it would be like to meet you. Would you be the heroic, unstoppable machine that many people thought you were? It turns out you're something better. You're more human. You really are just a kid.'' There wasn't a hint of sarcasm or cruelty in his voice. He was being genuine and praising me for who I am, despite not being what he expected. Unlike Alex or Steph, who know me personally, No-One's words really hit home and made me feel like I was actually doing some good. It's a feeling that I've struggled to regain for a while now.
''Thank you,'' I smiled. ''I really needed to hear that.''
''Anytime, kid.''
''You know, you're not what I expected either.''
He turned to me. ''What did you expect?''
''Well,'' I paused, trying to think of a way to explain myself without it coming across as insulting. ''With your costume and the way you fight…''
''You thought I'd be a stoic badass who licks the blood of his enemies off his knives?''
I gulped. ''You don't do that, do you?''
''I don't mind getting my hands dirty, but that's not my style.'' He let out a bellying laugh. I couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy with how unconcerned he was about slicing through people to get the job done. Noticing that I had gone quiet, he snickered. '''You don't kill?''
I shook my head. ''No.''
He waited for me to elaborate, but there was nothing more I could say. I could never go through with actually killing someone. For a moment, he was quiet too before shrugging. ''It's a nice thought, but sometimes you've got to do what it takes to win.''
''I guess. That doesn't mean I like it.''
''You don't have to like it,'' He responded. Something about his posture and tone grew rigged and tense. ''Sometimes the only way to truly get rid of a problem is to exterminate it.''
''But when do you know if you've gone too far? If you keep killing, when do you differ yourself from gangsters and criminals?''
The brush of the wind strengthened and the clouds began to darken everything around us. We still had a few more hours before nightfall. However, the oncoming storm had other things to say about that. The cold air prickled my skin through my badly stitched costume, causing me to shiver while No-One endured the elements without any trouble. ''What is a gang?''
''Huh?''
''How would you describe gangs?''
Despite being puzzled by his offhand question, I thought of my best answer. ''A group of people…''
''A group of people who take everything they can get their hands on,'' He hissed. ''Whether it be drugs, weapons or land. They take and steal without any regret. They're not concerned with whoever gets in their way. On the contrary, they make a habit of creating rivalries to pillage more land from one another. It's an endless battle for dominance.''
''Like a monopoly,'' I said and he nodded slowly in response. I don't know why that word specifically came to mind, but it sounded right for what No-One was describing. ''Is that why…'' I stopped myself.
It was too late to seal my lips and move on. I had caught his interest, and the dark superhero turned to me. ''Is that why…what?''
I groaned at myself. I've got to get better control of this big mouth of mine. ''Is that why you became a superhero? To fight gangs? To fight Toxin?''
''I told you names aren't important to me,'' He chortled. ''One gang, whatever the name, is one too many for my liking. I don't have a particular grudge on just one.''
''I was just curious because you've only shown up once to stop Toxin.''
''That was just right place at the right time. I think you of all people can agree with that.''
''Yeah, but…where have you been since then?''
''I could ask the same thing of you.''
My face dropped. ''I got my ass kicked pretty badly before. I needed time to heal. I think you of all people can agree with that.''
Another amused laugh escaped him after I echoed his previous sentence. ''Well, even when you were beaten down, you got back up and kept fighting. I like that about you. You're not a quitter.''
''But I'm still a loser.''
''Ah, teen drama. I remember it well,'' He chuckled and it was hard for me to resist a little laugh too.
Maybe I was making a bigger deal out of this mess than I needed to. My problems weren't going to leave by complaining about them. As much as I did actually enjoy talking with Alex and Steph about being Omega Kid, there was something relieving with talking to someone who is actually experienced in all of this. It was like having a mentor to teach me.
Things didn't stay quiet for long as No-One sighed heavily. ''Whatever's bothering you, you'll figure it out.''
''I hope so. I knew it would be intense, but this is more than I could have ever imagined. Every passing day, I feel like I'm in over my head and can't win this fight alone.''
A loud clap from No-One almost scared the life out of me. I turned bewilderedly as he pointing at me and laughed. ''That was what I was waiting for. If you wanted to team up you should just say.''
''You…you want to team up? With me?'' I asked disbelievingly.
''Absolutely! You've got spirit and grit. But like I said before, I respect a man with a sense of authority. You and I can work together to bring down the gangs of this city, together. What do you say? Sound like a good deal?'' He stretched his arm out and offered me his hand.
At first, I was too stunned to move. Was something finally going right for me? I no longer felt hopeless about my odds. I finally had help without the worry of endangering my friends. I extended my trembling arm and shook his hand. My first real superhero team up. It was too good to be true.
CRASH!
That came from the alleyway below us. We hurried over to the side of the building and gazed down to see what was happening. It took me a second to get used to the height. Disgust rumbled throughout my body as we witnessed three thugs causing trouble with a homeless man who was trying to get away from them but seemed to have stumbled over a rubbish bin. The thugs surrounded him and cackled while pouring bottles of beverage over the poor man.
No-One straightened himself up next to me. ''Ready, partner?''
I nodded excitedly. ''Let's go!''
We were about to make our move when a thunderous sound came rocketing down the street leading out from the alleyway. Glancing in the direction of the sound, I could see a red motorbike charging downwards and roaring past the alleyway. My ears were pierced by the sound of the vehicle screeching to a halt before turning swiftly and coming to a stop at the entrance.
The three thugs had stopped with their drunken beating as they were blinded by the headlights of the bike. It was also hard for me to see the biker properly with the lights on. When they were finally switched off, and the biker got up and approached the thugs without any hint of fear, I gasped in shock. If my eyes weren't deceiving me, it was another superhero! After so long of it being just me on my own, there's a bunch that appears all at once.
Even No-One seemed taken back by this sudden appearance. ''You know him?'' He asked me.
''No. And I'm guessing you don't either?''
''Well, I asked you first.''
''You're right, dumb question for me to ask.''
We watched from high up with great interest. This person certainly looked prepared for combat. His costume appeared to be more armour than spandex, as his mask was like a full-face helmet with a red skull painted on the front. He slowly stalked his way through the alleyway, waiting for the three thugs to make a move. When one of them started stumbling towards him, the hero halted.
''Check this guy,'' The thug slurred. The other two laughed while they stood over the frightened homeless man. Despite the hero's intimidating appearance and demeanour, the thugs were too drunk to care. They laughed and mocked the hero for a solid minute. He just stood there, silently and imposingly standing there and waiting for the first thug to get closer. ''Get lost, dipshit.''
''You think you're funny, do you?'' The hero growled.
''Yeah, I do!'' The thug hooted and raised his arm so that he could pour more of his drink onto the hero's head. He was slow to react, and for a split-second, I worried that we would have to jump in and save him.
Before anyone could blink, the hero grabbed the thug's arm, bending it downwards forcefully. The thug screamed in pain, dropping his bottle. The hero used his other hand to grab a red bow-staff strapped to his back and slammed it on the thug's foot at the same time the glass bottle shattered on the ground nearby. Without mercy, he tossed the thug to the side, leaving him to whimper in pain. As the other two thugs watched in shock, the hero charged at them. I guess he doesn't need help after all.
BAM!
He smashed the staff against one thug's knee, causing them to crumble to the ground. The final thug tried to use his bottle as a club, but the hero dived under his reach and came up to grab the thug's hair tightly. He spun him around before throwing him against the wall. Bits of hair daintily floated out of the hero's vice grip. But, that thug wasn't done yet. He tried to get up, using the wall for support. Before he could get up, the hero kicked forward and stamped on the guy's hand with his boots. Not only were the hand crushed, but the bottle he was holding shattered and glass surely ripped whatever was left of his skin.
I couldn't help but cringe at the brutality, while No-One looked quite impressed. ''Looks like he's got things under control.''
''Yeah…'' I mumbled. I agreed with my partner on that front. The thugs were on the ground, out of the fight with the hero standing over them victoriously. Why couldn't I shake away the feeling that this wasn't over?
The homeless man that had been saved stood back up, dripping wet and reeking with a stench of alcohol so strong, I could smell it from up here. He stared warily at the hero. ''Thank you, kind sir. Thank you.''
He didn't respond to the man he saved. Instead, he walked over to one of the thugs and grabbed them by the back of their neck. ''Do me a favour…'' He called out to the homeless man. ''Get out of here. You don't want to see this.''
A chill flowed through my body, and the homeless man felt the same way because he didn't hesitate to run out of the alleyway and leave the hero to continue his assault. He hoisted the injured thug up before throwing them back down to the ground.
''Still think you're funny?'' He barked and the started stamping his foot on the thug's back. The guy was crying out, begging for him to stop and then for someone to help him when he realised this 'hero' wasn't going to stop. ''What's wrong? Not so funny when you're the one on the bad end of the shit stick?''
''I'm sorry,'' The thug whimpered between gasps. It was hard for him to speak as he kept getting trampled on. ''Please…please…stop…''
''Did the people you hurt say the same thing? Did you stop when they asked you? No, you didn't. Because you kept laughing like it was some damn joke!'' He shouted.
BAM!
He kicked the thug in the ribs, causing him to clench his body and shake violently. Even as the thug was lying on the floor, thrashing about with no way to defend himself, the costumed brute circled him like a vulture. He hovered his foot over the thug and punted him until he was on his back. Before he could turn, he found a heavy boot pressing on his chest and holding him in place.
My stomach churned. I couldn't watch this anymore. I turned to No-One. ''We have to stop him.''
No-One didn't respond. With his mask on, I couldn't tell what he was thinking. Wasn't he repulsed by this act? I know he's killed, but that was in a life-or-death struggle. This hooligan, whoever he was, was brutally beating a dead horse. The homeless man was saved. There wasn't a need to continue this. It wasn't the actions of a hero fighting in self-defence…it was the reflex of a killer.
Then, to my shock, No-One turned around and walked away. ''We don't have to see this.''
I stood rooted to the spot, not believing what I was hearing. ''You're not going to do anything?''
''We don't have to do anything. He's got this handled.''
''He's going to kill them!''
''I know he's taking it quite far. I would have killed them quickly to save the pain…''
''That's not the point! He doesn't need to kill. I thought we were partners?''
''We are,'' He stated and placed a foot on the edge of the roof. He continued talking while retrieving his stringed knives from his belt buckle. ''But I just don't see us gaining anything from this fight. I'd rather wait to fry the bigger fish. Leave this one for tonight. Hope to catch you soon, kid!''
I couldn't stop him as he jumped over the edge, using the string to break his fall as he climbed down the scaffolding. I almost jumped down to go after him, but that would take too much time, and it didn't look like he was going to join this fight anyway. I hurried back to the side looking down on the alleyway. The masked hooligan still had the beaten thug trapped under his boot.
Ignoring my vertigo, for the time being, I started climbing down a drainpipe that connected from the roof. I held on tightly as the wind threatened to knock me off. I slid downward almost losing my grip a few times as I looked down to see the masked figure lift his staff into the air. Without hesitation, he pressed the end of the staff into the thug's mouth. He muffled and coughed, choking on the weapon as he clawed at whatever he could get his hands on.
He would suffocate before I climb down, so I did the first thing that came to mind. I jumped off the drainpipe and landed right on top of the brute. He grunted painfully as we rolled along the ground before crashing into the wall. My body screamed in agony. I really hate how it's starting to become a habit of mine to leap from tall buildings. I noticed him starting to stand back up and I quickly bolted upwards, desperate to stand between him and the thugs before he could go on the offensive again.
When he turned and spotted me, he froze, probably shocked to see me of all people stop him. I could understand his confusion. I would never have seen myself protecting thugs who had done a wrong from a superhero. However, this guy was no hero that I could respect.
''Okay, you need to calm down,'' I attempted to reason. ''You won. You can go home.''
He scoffed at my demand. ''Why should I listen to you?''
''Look at them,'' I gestured to the wounded men behind me trying to get up. ''They can't fight back. There's no need for you to take this any further!''
''They're still breathing, aren't they?'' He questioned me. I kept my lips sealed. ''Then I haven't taken this far enough.''
I was about to say something when I heard movement coming from behind. I turned to see the three limp away, deeper into the alleyway and disappearing around a corner.
''You're letting them get away!'' The brute shouted.
The sound of his rapid footsteps alerted me. I shielded my body and prepared myself for a fight. However, he was too quick for me, and I was caught off guard by his weapon.
BAM!
He smacked my leg with his staff, causing me to collapse to the ground. I bit my bottom lip to stop myself from screaming as my leg was thumping in pain. While I held my injured limb, he towered over me with a clenched fist. ''That was a warning shot. Stay out of my way if you know what's good for you!''
BAM!
He gave me a solid punch in the face, knocking me back down. While I rubbed my jaw trying to ease the pain, he sprinted after the thugs. ''Crap, didn't see that coming''
I lifted myself up and tried to stretch my leg out, hoping to get some feeling back. Pain shot through my body like a bullet…probably not the best simile to use after what I've been through. While I rubbed my leg and prayed that a bruise would be the worst, I reached for my phone to call for help.
''999 Emergency…''
''In an alleyway off of Commerce Street, there are three people attacking a homeless man. Please hurry!'' I hung up and tried to stand.
Using the wall for support, I wobbled and skipped after them. My body bucked with every step. I don't know how I was going to fight with my leg being this bad. It got to the point where I was able to jog, but I needed to hurry if I wanted to catch it. It didn't take an idiot long to figure out his tactic of going for the legs to stop me from following him. Soon, I could hear commotion going around another corner. Silhouettes on the wall painted the story for me. He had caught up with them and was giving them literal hell.
I peered around the corner to see two of the thugs lying on the ground as the brute advanced towards the third. One had his teeth knocked out and the other held his leg that appeared to be bent out of shape. This guy really wasn't going to quit until they were all dead. He raised his staff again, prepared to strike them down. Using whatever strength I had, I ran up behind him, ignoring the best coursing through my leg to the best of my ability.
I barged into his back, knocking him off his feet. He tumbled to the ground but sprang back up immediately. He glared at me and I heard a grunt reverberate under his mask. ''I thought I told you to stay out of my way!''
''And I thought I told you that you won!''
''Trust me, I'm the last person you want to mess with.''
''Funny, I was going to say the same thing to you,'' I warned.
In the distance, we could hear the sound of thunder rolling in. The sky above was dark. Hopefully, this was foreboding for me in any way. The masked brute stood up straight and began twirling his staff between his fingers, either trying to show off his skill or intimidate me. I was having none of it. He picked the wrong day to mess with me. ''That's real cute.''
''What is?''
''The tough guy act you're trying to pull. I know you don't really have that side to you.''
''What makes you so sure?''
''You've made the news enough times that I've already got a good judgement on you. You're nothing but a cocky boy scout who got lucky and thinks he's the top bulldog.''
''And what are you supposed to be then?''
''A wolf!''
A flash briefly got my attention. Seconds later, thunder tore through the sky above us. I know that I've made jokes about being struck by lightning, but that didn't mean I wanted it to be a reality. My attention was brought back to my opponent as he paced up and down the alleyway, like a predator waiting for the time to pounce. I shook my head. ''I don't care what you think of me!''
''It's not what I think, it's what you are!'' He shot back. ''You think cause you're the first superhero here you own this city? You think your name is stamped over it like it's your property?''
''No, but neither is yours. Whatever it is!''
''The name is Hellrider. If you don't walk away right now, it'll be the last name you ever hear.''
''What do you have to gain from killing them?''
''Three more vermin off the street.''
''That's going too far!''
Another flash of lightning and roar of thunder boomed, closer in sync than the previous ones. I flinched as I felt a drop of water splash on my forehead and more droplets appeared all over my costume, as well as bouncing off the ground. In just a few seconds, a light drizzle became a heavy downpour. A typical summer's day in London.
Hellrider stopped pacing and smashed the bottom of his staff on the wet ground in frustration. ''Did you see what they did? They attacked a homeless man! Assailing someone who couldn't defend themselves and had no one to turn to!''
''I know. I saw it.''
''You saw it?'' He leant closer. ''And you're defending them?''
''I'm not defending them because they deserve it. I'm defending them because they'll get their proper punishment when the police arrive.''
''Good luck with that.'' He laughed coldly before changing his tune when he saw me smirking. ''What did you do?''
''I called the police already. They're on the way!''
''You're bluffing!''
''Stick around and you'll find out.''
I could hear the material of his gloves rubbing against his staff. His grip tightened in anger, and I was waiting for him to take out that anger on me at any moment. The rain beat down on us heavier and heavier. A chorus of thunder cheered for us while lightning clapped soon afterwards. An enraged roar erupted from him as he stomped his foot into the puddles that were already beginning to form. ''Alright, if we do things your way, what happens next?''
''They go to prison…''
''Wrong!'' He bellowed. ''There's no credible witnesses. They won't believe the word of a vigilante or the homeless. Those three will get warnings and be back on the street to terrorise someone else before they even lick their wounds. Oh, and speaking of, those injuries they have will be a good sob story to get them out faster.''
''Those injuries are your fault.''
''Then step aside and let me finish the job.''
I gritted my teeth. No matter what I said, it wasn't going to get through to him. Not only did he have a thick mask, but apparently a very thick skull too. ''I'm not moving!''
He was silent and inert. I wondered if he was going to make a run for it before the police showed up. Actually, that's what I hoped. He grasped his weapon tensely. That was the exact moment I knew to get ready for a fight. ''Fine, if you want to play it like that, then I'm going to take my anger out on you!''
''You can't be serious?''
''Oh, I'm always serious. Especially with people like you, who think they're better than everyone else.''
''Pot meet kettle!''
In a flash, literally and figuratively, he charged towards me once again. Like before, he swung his staff for my leg. I lifted it out of the way, stepping back as he readjusted himself to swing again. I couldn't move back in time, so I decided to move forward. I rushed into his body and grabbed his staff to hold it under my arm. He grabbed my side and slammed me into the wall. My arm surged with pain as he tried to crush me. Finding some space, I kicked myself off the wall and shoved him to the ground. We rolled over each other, completely drenched in the water from head to toe. I still hadn't let go of his staff and he wasn't going to release it. With my free hand, I aimed a punch for his face.
BAM! BAM!
The good news is I connected.
The bad news is that he also got a strike with his free hand, hitting me in the jaw again. The worse thing is that I came off poor because where he had a protective full-head mask. I didn't have much to pad his punch. I was forced to let go of his weapon as I crawled away from him. He regained his composure first and sprinted towards me while I staggered away dazed and numb.
I was forced to back peddle, doing everything I could to avoid his strikes as he swung the staff over and over again. Unfortunately, I ended up back into the other wall and trapped myself. I coughed and almost vomited as he jabbed the end of his staff into my stomach. He reels a fist back and tries to take another swing at me. With my head lurched forward already I ducked underneath to dodge his attack.
BAM!
I elbowed him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him and forcing him away. Reacting quickly, I reached forward, grabbed him and threw him into the wall. He yelped and slipped down onto his knees. I thought I had him pinned, but he surprised me by leaping back up and smacking his mask under my chin. My teeth clattered together, and the blood rushed to my head so quickly, I thought I might pass out. The taste of blood worried me greatly and I even saw it pour out of my mouth and onto my hand.
''Is this it?'' He jeered. ''All that talk and this is the best you can do?''
Wounded and out of it, he took this opportunity to charge at me once again. Right now, I was working with the first ideas that came to mind. And unbelievably, Onder gave me brief inspiration. I spat a glob of blood onto Hellrider's mask, blinding him long enough for me to grab his arm and throw him over my body and onto the floor. He rolled away but was slower to get up, stupefied by my sudden counter. ''So, am I still a boy scout who got lucky?''
He slammed his fist into the ground furiously, groaning almost as loud as the thunder in the background. In an instant, he got back up and ran at me. I threw up my fists and jabbed. He grabbed my arm and pulled. Using the momentum, I lifted my knee.
BAM! BAM!
While his elbow smacked into my face, his body jerked erratically after I connected my knee into his back. Off guard and off balance, as I fell, I was able to drag him down with me until we both crashed to the ground. The puddle under me turned red. This was a ruthless, barbaric street brawl. Neither one of us was going to quit anytime soon. At least, not until one of us was too broken to continue.
Despite his body quaking from the pain, he pressed his hand down into the puddle and pushed himself back up. Doing so, I noticed that his bow-staff was out of his reach, sitting on the ground nearby. I might have found a way to knock him down and keep him down for good. I lunged for the bow-staff, stretching my arm as far as it could go.
BAM!
All I got was a kick in the ribs. I curled into a ball and clutched my aching side. Glancing upwards, I spotted him about to stomp on my head. I rolled out of the way, hearing his boot trudge into the ground and feeling the water splash against my mask. Talk about a close call. He was now coming at me without his bow-staff. I could only manage to get back on one knee before I was forced to hold my fists up to defend myself from his punches. His strong blows knocked me about, making my body sway. He became more aggressive with every punch and I became more frustrated. All I wanted was for one thing to go right for me today, and just when it seemed like it was, I came crashing back down to Earth. The hits I was taking no longer mattered to me. Words uttered by people, friends, the news, that hurt more than anything this brute could dish out.
The alleyway illuminated brightly from the lightning striking overhead. Thunder shook everything around us. Hellrider seemed startled, and that gave me enough of a gap to spear him in the stomach and shove him to the ground. BAM! BAM! BAM! I got a few quick punches down onto his chest. While he wore padded protection, I made sure my punches were strong enough to make him remember them.
His arm reached up, grabbed the side of my head and then slammed my head into the ground next to him. Thankfully, the puddle cushioned the impact, only slightly. I wiped the water out of my eyes and scuttled as he did the same in the other direction. My hands flayed about and in doing so, I felt something that caught me off guard. His bow-staff!
I quickly grabbed it and used it as a cane to stand back up. However, to my surprise, he was already on the attack. This time he speared his body into mine and charged towards the wall, ramming me into it. My body jolted and I lost my breath for a moment. The staff slipped from my hand. With a quick gasp, I caught it in the nick of time and slammed it onto his back. He grunted but didn't let go.
BAM! BAM!
He threw two punches into my stomach. I buckled, losing my foot, but not before having the last word. I whacked the staff into his arm, hearing a bone-crunching sound followed by him shouting profanities and slumping away. Holding his arm tightly, he glared at me while I tried to get back up. Easier said than done, because not only was I slipping and sliding with the continuous rainfall, but also my body threatening to give up on me. He charged at me, still clutching his battered arm, so I thought I had the advantage. I swung the staff at his weak side, but he surprised me by grabbing the staff with his hand and swinging me into the wall, forcing me to let go.
Falling backwards, I landed against a rubbish bin, knocking the lid of it off. Running at me with his staff veering towards me, I reached over to grab the bin lid and blocked his attack with it. Safe for now, I swiped my leg against his, causing him to fall to the ground back first. His body arched and his slow movements encouraged me. If I could stand, this fight was mine. But, that was the problem. I couldn't stand.
The rain pounded on us like boulders. He would try to use his staff to pick himself up, but he would just slip back down and be forced to try again. I wasn't having any better luck. I tried to use the bin next to me as leverage. The higher I got, the more my arms and legs throbbed, causing me to stumble at every painful attempt to get up. In between the drums of thunder, I could hear us both panting. Blood dribbled down from my mouth. His arms shook erratically. We were both a mess.
''I'll give you this,'' He puffed, gradually getting back up. ''You've got a bit of fight in you.''
I spat more blood out of my mouth and onto the ground. ''If you think I've got anything positive to say to you, you're wrong!''
My knees shook as I found myself standing back up. I stared at him, watching as he also got back up, pointing his staff towards me. We paused as a new sound blasted over the rain, the sound of police sirens.
I finally had something to smile about. ''Looks like I wasn't bluffing.''
Grunting like a wild animal and shaking his arms, he sprinted in my direction. I steadied myself, ready for the next attack, even though I wasn't sure if I could fight back anymore. ''Move it!''
''What?'' I asked perplexedly.
Without another word, he reeled his staff back and swung…but not at me. I followed him as he moved around me and his weapon collided with one of the thugs standing right behind me and about to jab a broken bottle into my back. The thug was lifted off his feet and flew a good distance before crashing in a heap, unconscious. I never even noticed that he got back up, let alone managed to sneak up behind me.
But one question remained. ''Why did you save me?''
After that quick burst of energy, his body wavered and looked ready to fall as he slowly turned to face me. Like No-One, I couldn't read his expression under his mask. He could be thinking anything for all I knew. Finally, he chuckled grimly. ''So I could see that look on your face when you realise that I was the one in the right.''
Any sense of gratitude I had for him saving me was dashed in that instant. He just wanted to prove a point? And I still don't believe he was in the right. Before I could say anything, he started limping away back in the direction we came from. ''Don't think we're finished. This isn't over!''
''Wait!'' I called out and tried to follow. My legs went numb and I almost buckled. Even the rain, which had calmed slightly, was starting to hurt my body with every drop. I hobbled after Hellrider, hoping to catch up with him before he got away. However, I knew it was too late when I heard the engine of his motorbike roaring. By the time I rounded the first corner, I witnessed him speeding off out of sight. The sound of his vehicle drowned out by the incoming police.
That was my cue to make my own leave, hurrying out in the other direction and across the other side of the street. Turning back, I spotted two police cars skidding to a stop. I continued moving, doing my best to overlook the pain until I was a safe distance away. My body stung as my drenched and bloody costume clung to it. I don't know how I'm going to explain my beaten state to Jenna when…
Oh crap, I forgot about parent's evening!
If my brain wasn't rattled from the numerous punches I took, it would have been from the revelations that there was another superhero in town, and now he most likely had a grudge against me. It was like staring in a crack reflection. He seemed to be my opposite. Ruthless, bloodthirsty and with a temper ready to blow at the slightest aggravation. Then again, I've discovered I seem to have a short fuse lately. Also, I can figure out why he would save me. In fact, he could have let the thug shank me and then there would have been no one to stop him crushing some skulls.
He said he wanted to me to realise he was right. But that was a weak reason. I don't agree with him, and it didn't feel like he wanted to prove a point. Maybe there is a droplet of heroism in him, lost in an ocean of boiling rage.
I couldn't think of that for now. I needed to get to Hallblock as soon as possible and hope that I didn't miss the entire event. I checked my phone, only to find it damaged from the water, so that wasn't going to do me much good. Thankfully, the rain helped to wash away the blood and dirt that smeared my face. However, I had a new problem. Well, it was an old one resurfaced. I peeled my costume off my body and inspected my arm, which had begun throbbing and stinging painfully. The tissue around the scar was bruised and blood seeped from the stitches. It could have been worse, but if it kept getting hurt like this, I was worried there might be some permanent damage in the future.
Changing into my clothes and setting my costume in my rucksack, I travelled to the school. Taking the quickest bus route and then limping the rest of the way, I came upon the street leading to the school, and the worst-case scenario had happened. Everyone was already leaving. Parents and students alike were getting in their cars and walking down the street to their homes. I stood fixed on the spot, letting the pitter-patter of the dying rain hit me.
I spotted Rachael further down the street standing by the car with an older woman and man. She was too far to notice me and I didn't want to approach her. Not only was I not in the mood for talking, not even with her, she seemed busy discussing something with the two. The woman I guessed was her mother. It wasn't hard to figure out seeing how similar they looked. However, figuring out the identity of the man was trickier. At first, I thought it was obviously her dad. But, her parents divorced quite messily if rumours were to be believed. Also, from the way she spoke of her dad before, it sounded like they rarely met, if at all.
They got into the car and drove away. A chill clawed up my spine and caused me to shiver. The bitter cold gripped me enough that I actually rubbed my arms to try and warm myself. There was no point sticking around, so I made my way home.
I would have taken the bus back if my Oyster card hadn't run out of credit, and I had no spare change to top it up. That about sums up the day I've had. The walk home was slow and hard. My leg pulsed the longer I trekked and my arm was sizzling. The least I can say is that my home is within walking distance from the school. Although, I hesitated when I noticed the lights were on inside. Jenna was home and I prepared myself for a tornado of emotions.
I dug my keys out from my rucksack and opened the door. Instantly, Jenna came running out to see me. She looked ready to explode, rushing towards me before stopping when she got a better view of the state I was in. Her face dropped from fury to worry. ''What happened? Are you okay?''
''Yeah…I…I got mugged.''
''Again?'' She shrieked and placed her hands on my arms. I hissed at the contact despite my best attempts not to. The sound caused her to flinch. Her eyes scanned me frenziedly, searching for any serious damage. She spotted a trickle of blood running down from my scar. ''Was it the same muggers from before? Are they after you?''
''No, they…'' The last thing I needed was to make up a story that went too deep for me to cover. ''I was stupid. I had my phone out and…one guy tried to take it. I put up a good fight though.''
She wasn't amused by my tone at all. ''Why is this happening to you? What didn't you call me?''
''My phone got damaged. Did you try to call me?''
''Of course!'' She screamed. ''You weren't home and your headteacher called to say you were in detention for getting into a fight, so I assumed you were at the school. But you weren't. I was so worried, I didn't know if something happened to you or…''
It felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest seeing her breakdown. This was far worse than the time she blasted me in the hospital. I offered her a reassuring smile. ''Jenna, I'm okay…''
''No,'' She stopped me. ''No, you're not okay. This is not okay! I don't know what is going on with you, but it's scaring me. I can't have this. Every time you're late home or I can't call you, I'm afraid that something's happened to you. Then, I find something has happened. How am I supposed to find any of this okay?''
My body withered under every word. Hellrider's words earlier might have bruised my ego, but seeing Jenna pouring her heart out felt soul-crushing. I just wanted this conversation to end. I couldn't bear it anymore. It hurt to see Jenna hurt, and any scrap of confidence I still had left in me was disappearing. ''Jenna, can we talk about this another time?''
I panicked as she let out a frustrated sigh. ''You can't treat this like it's nothing, Thomas.''
''I'm not. I just want to sleep and…''
''No, I'm going to call the police and you're going to identify this mugger.'' She marched over to the phone.
Before she got far, I reached out to grab her arm and stop her. ''You can't. I didn't see him properly. It was raining.''
''How is it that you're never able to see these people?''
''I don't expect these things to happen!'' I shouted, wanting this argument to end. If this is what it takes to end it, then so be it. ''I don't want these things to happen to me. It just happens and I hate it as much as you do!''
She rubbed her palm against her head, clearly irritated, though not nearly as much as I was. Following a slow shake of her head, she turned to me. ''You can forget about playing for the school football team this week.''
My jaw dropped. ''What?''
''Not with that arm. You'll make it worse if you play!''
''It'll be fine.'' I pleaded.
''That's not the only reason,'' She reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper, handing it to me. ''Because I was waiting for you, I wasn't able to talk with your teachers. Although, the head teacher gave me the brief overview and this report card.''
I took the paper, unfolded it and looked over my grades…
Thomas Lanks:
Maths: C-
English: C
Science: E
I.T: E
Geography: E
History: D+
R.E: B-
P.E: C+
Music: F
It was worse than I thought. I knew that my grades had dropped, but this was abysmal. Even Science, which Rachael had told me before hand I got a 'D', had dropped. Then again, with a gang war going on around me, a superhero who abandons me before a fight and another who initiates one with me, school took a back seat in my mind. I placed the sheet on a cabinet nearby and started to walk around Jenna, heading for the stairs.
''You've got nothing to say to that?'' Jenna questioned. I remained silent and she waved her arms. ''Thomas, this problem isn't just going to solve itself. If we don't talk now, how do you expect things to get better? They will get better, but not if you don't listen because at the rate you're going, it'll be too late.''
I reached the stairs and slowly walked upwards, my hands gripping the beam tightly. ''I'll manage. And I'm also going to be on the school team this week.''
''No, you're not. I'm putting my foot down.''
''You're not stopping me.''
''Why are you so insistent on…''
It happened. I reached my breaking point and snapped. I twisted my body to face Jenna and exploded.
''Because all I want right now is for one thing to go right for me. It's all I want. I'm sick and tired of people telling me things will get better and they never do. I don't want to hear it anymore, not from you or anyone. I've tried! I really have! But it feels like no matter what I do I just make things worse. I don't care about what a bully does to me, or if I get into a fight with some punk. It hurts much more when people I care about make me feel like I'm a burden, to the point where I believe it!''
I stormed up the stairs, refusing to wait for Jenna to say something, although it appeared she remained silent after my outburst. Once I got inside my room, I closed the door behind me and started punching the wall with enough force to leave a dent. But I didn't actually stop until my arm ached and couldn't keep its strength.
Rachael was wrong. Talking with someone about how I was feeling didn't hurt. I couldn't blame her for this though. It was my fault. I went into this without thinking. The weight on my shoulders has grown and I've broken underneath. People have been hurt. People hate me.
And it's my fault.
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.