Yeah this one took longer than I intended, I've been tired recently. But I got it out! Hope you enjoy! And to address a helpful review, this will not be a Spider-Man clone, as this is taking cues from many tropes and sprinkling my own ideas.
The shadows of fear and the sounds of sin painted the dark streets of Royal Woods industrial district at night.
Whispered threats and silent cruelty were obscured by ignorance and complacency.
And the little rain that came out to wash away the evil was not much better at it herself.
Hovering almost like a phantom across the street, half trying to adapt to her new found abilities, half translating her pain into her movement, Lori Loud, the eldest loud sibling, now the unofficial vigilante of her city, clung her hoodie closer, trying to see through the thick smog. She hadn't seen any criminal activity yet, but she didn't need to see it to know it was out there.
Waiting to be punished.
A weary sigh passed her lips. "Are we sure this is enough? I don't feel like I'm doing that much. And it's taking hours to find even a single crime before it's done."
Her brain was quick to respond. "Lori, you're doing it again, you're giving up when it gets hard! You just need to work harder to get to them first!"
Lori nodded to her inner voice. "I guess that must be true. Usually my first instinct is false. And by usually, I mean always."
Crossing a closed store front that still showcased it's mirror, Lori looked at herself. The black hoodie and mascara she had worn as a mask of power now only brought her shame. Shame for the mistakes she had made, for the life she had almost took, and for the life that laid in the hospital thanks to her selfishness.
"Lincoln…", she thought, remembering the words he had said, about power, about responsibility.
"Do it for him.", Lori reminded herself, her fist clenched, and she kept on her search. "I just have to do the hard work. That's the next right step."
But each step she took revealed nothing to stop, no way to make up for what she had done. Was she too slow? Was she too fast? Was she going about this the wrong way?
Suddenly, as she stopped by a wall to catch her breath and keep her eyes open, the late nights really taking their toll on her, she heard what she had been listening out for.
"This isn't how the boss plays, Doctor Nevio."
A small man with even smaller glasses, mousy hair, and a coffee stained labcoat was on the ground of an alleyway, knees in the damp puddles, shaking in fear, hands clasped together in prayer. He stared right down the barrel of a gun, and he was sure he'd heard the fateful click three times already. "P-P-Please… Please don't k-k-kill me…", his voice shook like it was being mixed in a blender. He grasped for metaphorical straws. "I-I-I changed my mind! That doesn't mean I'll tell! You know how scared I get! Especially of her!"
"She's the least of your problems, doc. I'm the one calling the shots here, and it's mighty tempting to hear one split your noggin!", the thug holding the gun, a big, burly type, broad shoulders and a narrow mind, grinned in the way a predator does with a prey trapped in it's claws. It was all too easy and too fun. It was less about his job and a lot more about how fun it was to taunt his victim.
"Boss wanted info. Wanted codes. Wanted to know about what's powerin that freakin thing. Boss is kinda interested to know what it feels like in his hands. Coulda helped, doc. But now I gots to kill ya."
Lori's eyes narrowed, as she tried to ready her body for action. "Not on my watch.", she thought, as she made her way towards the thug.
"P-P-Please! I have so much to live for, I think!", Doctor Novio tried to make his case, desperately searching for an escape to burrow to. But there was none.
The thug's trigger finger was seconds away from doing the deed. "Sayonara, sucker!"
But just before it was too late, with Doctor Novio shivering on the ground like a scared child, Lori rushed in and smacked the thug back onto a trash container, a pained shout uttered from his lips.
Lori looked back at the doctor real quick, and wondered if she should say something to calm the terrified man down, tears streaming down his eyes. "No, no, focus! What matters is taking this guy down!".
Lori tried to look as big as she could as the thug got to his senses again, hovering above the ground, looking like a dark angel again. She tried to growl, hoping it didn't sound silly. "Leave him alone!"
The thug seemed confused at first, before remembering what the boss had mentioned in recent meetings. "I guess they're already crankin out freaks. Nothin I can't handle.", he told her, his bald head shining in the night.
"I mean it! Stop now!", Lori tried to sound serious and grown up, but she struggled to make her voice sound dark, and sounded more like, well, herself when she was trying to stop Lola and Lana from fighting.
"Oh, and will I get pwunished?", the thug cooed, before grabbing Lori from the sky and smashing her onto a wall. Doctor Novio, who had almost been in a state of shock up until now, panicked and backed off a bit, still too distracted and scared to run.
Lori grunted as she stuck to the wall, still hovering off the ground. "That actually hurt. I think my invunrability can only go so far, especially when I'm this tired." She had no time for self pity though, as she told herself with frustration. She had to just get this done.
Going for a punch, she narrowly missed, the thug barely ducking out of the way. He wasn't as lucky the next time, though, as Lori used her new position to kick the thug hard in the chest, sending him flying again.
"You really do pack a punch, kid.", the thug admitted, barely standing up, his chest throbbing from the pain. He had to use what little wits he had to gain an advantage, cause she seemed barely hurt, and more than determined to stop him.
This was only reinforced by Lori flying over to the thug, picking him up, growling again, and throwing him next to Doctor Novio, who again jumped in fright. A couple more punches from the vigilante, and the thug now had a black eye, not that you could really see it.
Lori's ferocity was fine, but her method was sloppy. Whoever this girl was, the thug could tell that she was new at this, and fuled by something. Maybe guilt.
"Can't beat you in a fist fight, perhaps. But I gots some brains, I do."
Lori raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? Just stand down. I won't ask again."
"No need to ask me. I'm goin'.", the thug replied cordially, grabbing Doctor Novio and throwing him towards the road, that of course NOW had cars driving on it.
"Shit!", Lori thought, as she immediately flew towards Novio to save him from a grisly fate, the thug bolting the other direction to get away from her.
Car horns and lights flashed, nearly blinding her, as she swooped over the cars and grabbed Novio at the last second, the little man clinging to her body.
Lori was reassured and glad she had saved him, but a quick look back told her what she feared: The thug was gone from her sight. She'd have to track him down now.
"This isn't good enough, Lori! You need to catch that man so he can't hurt anyone else! So he can't hurt anymore Lincoln's!"
Lori grunted, and quickly dropped Novio off. The sound of scuttling footsteps echoed, but she didn't pay attention to it.
"Thank you for sa-sa-saving me!", Novio said, looking awe struck. He had just seen a person fly, seemingly because of the serum! How he hoped to study her somehow!
Lori had no time for pleasentries though. She merely turned to the direction the thug had ran to, and flew off, faster than a speeding bullet, gone in a flash.
Faster and faster, the blinding lights passing her by, until Lori could see the thug, who wasn't as fast as thought, though to be fair, she was pretty fast too now thanks to her flight.
"I said… Stay down!", Lori screamed, crashing into the thug with her elbow, sending them flying towards the edge of a building.
The thug couldn't believe it. "How… How…"
Lori simply punched him in the face, over and over again, just hoping he'd finally get knocked out so she could leave him for the police. Punch after punch, each one as determined as the last.
The thug, barely awake, coughed out "You're… How are ya still goin'? What the hell are ya?"
Lori didn't answer. She simply stared in anger at his lot. The lot that hurt Lincoln, the kind of lot willing to kill that innocent doctor. She almost felt tempted, but she remembered the lesson she had learned. She would not kill him. But she would enjoy seeing him punished.
"There's someone outside!", a voice called, belonging to a nightshift policeman, and a flashlight nearly revealed Lori. Hiding her face, she flew away instantly, leaving the nearly faint thug in her wake.
"The hell? What was that?", the officer asked, as he approached the thug, who shivered and trembled.
Somewhere, in a building in the alley where the fight had begun, a man was watching.
He stroked his chin in thought, the blueprint underneath him as straight as could be.
"How… Interesting…", he remarked, grinning in anticipation.
She could still hear the thug's breathing. She could still feel his fear.
But was it enough?
Lori's eyes were barely open as she gripped her third, maybe fourth? Cup of coffee, her nightgown wrinkled from a restless sleep, her eyes showcasing a few telltale rings.
"That doctor seemed really scared, and thankful, but I ignored him. Maybe I should have stuck around a moment to make sure he was okay. I mean, he literally almost died!", she thought, but her other voice was quick to retort.
"Lori, you're overthinking again! What matters is that you stopped that guy, and one less person got hurt by you. The rest is unimportant. You're not supposed to intervene too much anyway, you always mess things up!"
"I know, but it took hours to find that guy! What if I had taken another turn? Maybe I should get a better system, maybe I should…"
"No! You're not gonna start overcomplicating! I know you'll just find excuses that it's too hard, and this time, we're not giving up! People need you! They need your powers! Just use them, just do the work!"
Lori groaned, and downed the coffee. How was she gonna get through school like this? She could barely make the strange shape in front of her. She waved at it.
"…Lori, you okay, dude?"
Lori snapped out of her stupor, and finally recognized the shape as her sister Luna, with Luan and Leni right behind her, all gripping their own cups of coffee. They all seemed tired too, but not as much as her.
"Oh, um… Totally! I just… Couldn't sleep at all! In my bed! Which is where I was!", Lori lied horribly, hoping that they would fall for that, her eye twitching a little.
Thankfully for Lori, they did believe it, but for other reasons. "Yeah, Lincoln's got us like that too."
Lori's face darkened with sadness, a pang of guilt in her heart. They weren't getting sleep because of her inaction. "…Yeah… It's… Hard to sleep because of him."
Leni placed a comforting hand on Lori's shoulder. "It's okay, Lori, we're here for you!"
"Yeah, Lori, it's okay to be EGG-hausted!", Luan joked, holding an egg next to Lori. Lori smiled weakly. "Thanks, guys."
But inside Lori's mind, there was nothing else but the mission. She had to get school and everything else out of the way already, so she could go back to hunting for criminals. The stupid overthinking had to be silenced. Results were what mattered right now. "For once, Lori, just do what has to be done. Just for once.", she thought, her resolve tightening.
"At least so far there's one thing I know for sure I don't need to overthink! No one has any idea I'm even out there! I've been awesome at that!", Lori patted herself on the back, a little bit of a smug grin on her face, as she sipped on her now probably 5th cup of coffee.
"And in breaking news, does Royal Woods have it's very own superhero?"
Lori spat out her coffee, eyes wide, before noticing the odd stares she received from the other sisters. "Heh, heh, um… This coffee's just really hot! Owch!", Lori lied, nervously edging towards the TV with the other sisters, Lynn Sr. and Rita also watching on curiously at the broadcast.
Katherine Mulligan, who was delivering the morning news, stood outside of the alleyway Lori had been in, and next to her was a girl Lori thought looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it.
"Oh my gosh! That's my drama club friend, Lyberti!", Luan suddenly remarked. "I wonder what she's up to!"
Lori nodded. THAT'S who that was. But what did they mean by superhero, and why did her heart pound like a marching band drum?
"Is this thing on? Hello, Royal Woods! I'm Katherine Mulligan, here with the morning news, and, look up in the sky, because it's partly cloudy, with a chance of superheroes!"
Lori gulped. They were DEFINITELY talking about her, then.
On the screen, the found footage began to play. It was shaky and wobbly, clearly ameaturish, but that didn't matter at all, because Lori, in all her hooded glory, could be seen flying around, kicking the thug with clear super strength, and saving the doctor from the traffic below him. It was evidence, it was out there, and Lori felt like she could faint.
Nervously, she stared back at her family to see if anyone recognized her, but they all simply gazed back in skepticism and curiosity.
"Could be fake. You know all those crazy things they do with computers these days.", Rita said, but Luan shook her head. "Lyberti's no tech wiz, mom. And she'd never fake something, she's all about "the truth". That's why she gets good roles."
"I don't know, dude, I mean, no one can fly.", Luna remarked casually.
"Her costume is totes cool, though! Could use some other color though, to add some splash, make her stand out!", Leni cheerfully added.
"What do you think, honey? Probably some morning news whack!", Lynn Sr. laughed, nudging Lori, who nervously giggled. "Yeah, literally the dumbest!"
"Well, at least they didn't recognize me. But I can't believe I was so careless!", she thought, biting her bottom lip, as Katherine went on with her report.
"Standing besides me is the girl…"
"Brave journalist."
"…Brave journalist who uncovered the evidence, a Ms. Lyberti Evans! Lyberti, tell us what you saw!"
Lyberti, excitedly grasping the mic, her hair bouncing everywhere, began to infodump. "Okay, so, like, my BFF Leo and I had heard rumors of some crazy strong wrestler in the Michigan wrestling circuit, and we wanted to see if she really was swole and stuff! So after convincing him it wouldn't be scary, we bounded off towards the place, and halfway there, we suddenly heard these violent sounds! He went hiding, of course, but I got my phone ready and recorded the action! She was like some sort of dark angel, flying around like WHOOSH, WHOO! And she punched so HARD, she was like Ace Savvy, but way cooler, because she was real! I can't tell what she really looks like, but she had this black hood on! Leo has one too, it's cute on him, but don't tell him I said that, we're kinda dealing with some things in our relationship, it's much drama, and I don't know what I should do next…"
Katherine quickly grabbed the mic before Lyberti would go on further, and smiled sheepishly. "Anyway, there you have it! This "Hood" seems to be some sort of vigilante! But is she good, or evil? Find out more as we learn it!"
Lori finally got up, and her teeth chattered. She could feel the tension grip her chest and hurt her. This was bad, very bad. What would she do now? No one could find out! "Maybe I need to do something with my disguise, so I can hide my identity better…"
"Lori, you're doing it again, you're panicking! No one found out, see? Now just get a move on! The sooner you leave school, the sooner you can make up for your mistakes!", her inner voice once more berated her, and Lori sighed, knowing it was right. She had to keep trying to redeem herself. Only way she could do it was like this.
"Well, that was weird, huh? Anyway, come on, guys, let's wake the others up and go to school!", Lori clapped her hands to get everyone going, but just before she could go to her room to get changed, Lynn Sr. stopped her.
Lori anxiously eyed the stairs. What did he want? Did he realize? Was that something to be worried about or not?
"Lori, I just wanted to say… If you want to talk about what's been going on, you can."
Lori relaxed a little, and had a small smile. Dad was always so caring. But there was nothing he could help her with now, and she wouldn't waste time on self pity anymore. "It's okay, dad. I am totally fine, I promise."
Lynn Sr. knowingly nodded. "No problem, kiddo. Just remember, there's no shame in being okay and not okay at the same time. Usually, the answer to things is in the middle."
Lori nodded back, half listening. She had to get a move on. "Sure thing, dad, sure thing."
And up the stairs she went, preparing her body for another night of hunting criminals.
Royal Woods was not a big city, by any means, but it had its fare share of upper class citizens, a small but not insignificant elite looking down at the worker ants and wondering why they complained when the load that was always too much too bare was too hard to ignore for one day.
These men and women of luster could not see beyond their own field of view, deliberately keeping their rose tinted shades on, lest the darkness shed light on their actions.
Perhaps that is why Lord Tetherby had no idea his brother was holding onto more power than he could ever imagine.
In the industrial district, deep in the nest of corruption and chaos, there is a small, ugly, unnoticeable building. Its face is whitered with age, its soul unkept by sheer ignorance. It looks abandoned, forgotten.
But looks can deceive.
A look inside the house would lead one to an empty floor, no furniture and no windows. There are no stairs or trap doors.
But there is mold. Disgusting, grisly mold. No one would blame you if you chose to stay away from it, not even look at it.
So how could you have known it was fake?
A simple touch reveals a pressure plate, invisible to the naked eye. And in a matter of moments, the automatic doors open up, the elevator welcomes you in, and the hidden floor underneath the ground awaits your safe entry.
It approximately took 14.23 seconds to go through the whole ordeal. More than enough time for the man with the blueprints to go over his findings before he'd meet the boss.
But as it turned out, the boss was busy.
"Listen, I know what it sounds like, but this ain't no ordinary girl! You gotta believe me!", the thug from before, face bruised and beaten, shivering from the memory of the vigilante who stopped him, pleaded to his boss, who sat with his back to him.
The room was nothing like the one above them. For one, it was an actual room: Desks adorning plans and blueprints, a nice cashmere carpet, a television set broadcasting an interview with the head of Pingrey Enterprises.
It was also significantly bigger than your average room. Long halls stretched out, leading one to armories and labs, crude, nothing like the ones in Pingrey Enterprises, but labs nonetheless. There was an army of scientists and mercenary agents decorating those halls, obeying the commands of one man and one man alone.
That man sat in the corner, small, plain looking, almost frail. He wasn't impressive by any stretch of the imagination. He had an old coat and an older hat, and he smelt of dust and sweat.
A cage stood near him, housing a raven, that cawed every once in a while, before perching on his hand. Turning around, the man stood, and while he lacked stature, he made up for it in command. The thug silenced, and the man with the blueprints paid close attention.
"Mr. Stone… Have you ever heard of The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe?"
Mr. Stone shook his head.
"I thought not. But don't fret, you're not alone in ignoring its true meaning."
The man turned his back once more, focusing on the black plumage of the bird on his hand, stroking it ever so gently. His voice was wistful and full of silent rage. When one heard it, one knew this was a man to take seriously, if they were to be wise with their choices.
"There is a man, mourning for his lost Lenore. The Raven comes in, with a warning, a word of wisdom, if you will. Nevermore."
The man lets the raven fly, the bird perching on top of a bust of Athena, the goddess of wisdom.
"Nevermore. Nevermore is Lenore. She is not coming back, you must move on, you must ignore the folly of your youth and raise yourself from the sludge of your ignorance."
The raven returns to his hand, and the Man resumes his speech. "The Raven speaks the truth, but the truth is too painful, the truth repeats itself. The same answer, over and over, the answer no one wants to hear."
The man turns to Mr. Stone. "Nevermore. You are not making the right choice, you are not thinking, you are not succeeding, you're merely prolonging the inevitable. The Raven is not a bother, not a threat, not a fool, but a friend, trying to save you from the fate you are choosing. But no one listens to the Raven. No one wants to heed his call."
The Man walked up to Mr. Stone, and despite his size, had the big thug cowering in fear. "Tell me… Mr. Stone… Are you wise enough to heed my call?"
Mr. Stone shook his head. "Boss, I know I let you down, but this girl… She's got that evolutionary super serum you talked about! The one Mrs. Pingrey's makin'!"
"Think, Mr. Stone, think! Why would that woman send some brat to stop a criminal? She has a very different interpatation of justice! So how could the girl have the serum, when Novio told us they hadn't even started testing on subjects before he turned soft on us?", The Man shouted, glaring into Stone's eyes and holding him by the throat. His size didn't remove his strength, it seemed.
"I'm sorry… Raven… Really…", Stone choked out, and The Man got even angrier.
"My name is Bertrand Tetherby! Don't you EVER call me by that insufferable misnomer!"
"Mr. Tetherby, if I may…", the man with the blueprints finally spoke up, entering the room with his lanky legs, his thin frame perfect for twisting around.
Bertrand Tetherby turned his attention to the blueprints man, and let Mr. Stone breath for now. "Mr. E, perhaps you can shed some light on this situation. Any and all public appearances endanger us, and Mr. Stone here is lucky Captain Griffin wasn't there when we paid bail."
Mr. E smiled his Cheshire Cat grin, and he leaned back on one of the walls, tapping on the floor in a rhythmic pattern. "Mr. Stone here is decidedly hollow, but his statement is solid. I would not make light of what I saw in that dark alley."
Mr. E suddenly removed a tarot card, The Star, and he placed in Bertrand's hand. "You rant about ravens, you disquisition about destiny. The fault you search for is in the stars."
Mr. E lost his playful grin and looked serious. "I mean it, Tetherby. This girl… Has the serum. And since we all know that Pingrey wouldn't send anyone, let alone a child, to stop us… Then we're dealing with someone either out for revenge or redemption."
Mr. Tetherby stared at the card, and nodded. "Wise points. Mr. E. Your penchant for the theatrical notwithstanding, you wouldn't hallucinate such a development. Someone has already received the powers. This is a worrying development."
"See? I tolds ya I was innocent!", Mr. Stone said, backing off slowly just in case.
"Quite. You're off the hook for now, Mr. Stone."
Tetherby returned to his pet raven, his demeanor still calculating. "But what of the girl? We cannot keep this operation a secret if she's flying around the city."
"And the news already started talkin' about her!", Mr. Stone was quick to add, trying to be helpful.
"Fear not, friends. I always have a trick up my sleeve.", Mr. E said, removing a playing card this time, the ace of hearts.
"Let me go out there, to the alley we were in. She's new, she'll think that the route she took will bear the same fruit. I will be there, I will find her weakness, and I will bring her back down to earth, and get her head out of the clouds."
Bertrand Tetherby sighed. There was no better choice than to tackle her head on, even if he preferred to remain on track. "A necessary distraction, I suppose. Best to nip this obstacle in the bud before we find ourselves with a particularly bothersome weed. Go ahead, Mr. E. Stop this "Hood"."
Bertrand then turned to Mr. Stone and pointed with impatience. "And you! Bring Mr. Wolf here! He's due a reminder of his obligations…"
Mr. E grinned as he returned to the elevator, relishing the night he would have.
"How so very interesting…"
It was still lunch, and that fact irritated Lori, feeling a weight on her shoulders even though the backpack with her costume was in her locker.
Sitting next to Carol, Lori couldn't focus on her mushy Jalapeno and Chili Cheese nachos, on her friend's rant about the amazing shoe sale at Reiningers, or even the table beside her, filled with the "Java Club" kids raving over "The Hood".
All she could focus on was the mission. The clock had to run faster, the classes had to end faster, so she could get out of there, start her patrol, come back for dinner, pretend to go to sleep, go outside, and continue her patrol deep into the night.
It was hard to focus on that too, though. Her eye lids felt heavy, and her body felt pain. "Literally annoying. What's the point of almost invulnerability if I can still feel pain?", Lori couldn't help but wonder why her powers seemed so inconsistent at times. Sometimes she was way stronger than anyone, sometimes she was strong but only a little more than usual.
But fatigue can get to anyone. Lori imagined what her pillow felt like for more than an hour. She dreamt of her soft blanket, and her aching legs daring to lie down properly. She was barely eating these days too, and she felt her stomach ache, but she didn't want to eat right now. It was too distracting. It was too selfish.
"…But can't I sleep for just a moment? Please?", Lori asked herself, but deep down she knew the answer. There was to be no rest of any kind until she had made up for her mistakes. She could be content with collapsing for an hour before morning came.
"I can't believe you saw her, Lyberti!", Luan remarked, shaking Lori a little more awake. She couldn't help but listen in, despite her inner voice's warnings.
"I know, it was amazing! I felt such a rush!", Lyberti exclaimed. "What about you, Leo?"
Leo, Lyberti's best friend with "it's complicated" written all over it, shook his head. "No way, Ly! That was terrifying! That big guy was like some… Stone guy, he looked like he could snap me like at twig! And that "Hood", she's scary, with her dark eyes and stuff!"
"Not to mention hard to see.", Amy, sitting next to her boyfriend Rex, pitched in. "I mean, I get the theme she's going for, but she should add some color to her outfit, it feels very samey."
Lori again wondered if that was a good idea, especially if it was scaring innocent bystanders, but once more her inner voice silenced those thoughts.
"Honestly, guys, I doubt she's good. I don't think we can trust some maniac walking around flying and shit.", Rex stated, sounding cynical, which surprised the others. Rex was more of a dumb jock than a thinker, to put it mildly.
"Well, Reginald, I for once DO find her to be trustworthy.", Shannon Griffin, the nerd girl with a scarf, voiced from her corner of the table. Amy rolled her eyes at her for no real reason, out of habit, really, and Shannon stuck her tongue out at her arch nemesis.
"YOU of all people think she's trustworthy? I thought you were all about logic and science and nerd stuff, nerderella?"
Shannon scoffed at the nickname. "Well, meathead, logically, someone with that power would have tried to take over us a while ago! Unless she's playing the long game, and I doubt it, I think she's on our side."
"And this has NOTHING to do with your mom?", Benny asked, and Shannon averted her eyes, stammering. "O-Of course not! Just because she's being real judgmental over her doesn't mean a t-thing!"
The rest of the club exchanged knowing looks, outside of Rex who was clueless as ever, and decided not to approach the subject further.
"Well, whatever she's like, I hope she chooses a cooler name. "The Hood" is kinda basic.", Luan commented, taking a bite of her sandwich.
The rest of the club nodded in agreement, and Lori again wondered if she should consider any of their suggestions. She couldn't help but notice the bruises on her back from smashing into the wall. Maybe she could have avoided that.
"Just get on with your day, Lori.", Lori ignored all that, and she stood up, beginning to walk towards class.
"Lori, aren't you finishing that? Or… Even starting it?", Carol asked, and Lori shook her head. "I'm fine, Carol."
Carol, however, was less sure. Lori seemed very restless, walking strangely. "You… You sure?", she asked, concerned.
"Literally sure, Carol.", Lori replied, but she sounded distant, as she went on her way.
Carol looked sad for a moment, but she quickly shook that feeling. "You were probably being annoying anyway. Next time, I'll do better, Lori. I promise."
Carol sighed longingly as she walked to class too.
Lori's walking only got more and more strained, and Carol probably would have been more concerned if she could see her now.
It was past midnight, and Lori, dressed as "The Hood", was more like a zombie than a hero, trudging past the same streets she had patrolled the night before, and the night before that, and the night before that. Buildings morphed into clones of each other, sounds were barely registering in her head, and each step she took felt like a step closer to hell.
"Literally nothing happened in the afternoon patrol, and nothing is happening here.", Lori complained, her hood barely guarding her from the cold. She'd get sick like this soon for sure.
"You're not looking hard enough."
"Maybe, but maybe I'm not looking in the right places!", Lori talked back to herself.
"Lori, you're just looking for excuses again. You just wanna sit down and sleep!"
"Yes. Yes I do. Why can't I?", Lori asked herself, before sighing.
"I'm going crazy. Every decision I make feels wrong. Either I'm overconfident or underconfident. Overthinking it or underthinking it. I'm always right or always wrong."
Lori took a moment to lay her back on a wall, the sleep deprivation hitting hard. "I just… I just wanna make it up for Lincoln. For everyone. I just wanna do the right thing. But how? What's the right way?"
Lori felt her tears mix up with the sudden rain. She quickly wiped them so the mascara wouldn't run down.
"God I'm a mess."
Suddenly, she heard a voice, and she perked up immediately, senses attuned.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are, Hood! I wanna piece of ya!"
Lori instantly recognized the deep, New York accent of the thug she had beaten up yesterday. It seemed to be coming out of the alley, maybe the same one from last night. "I have no idea how he got out of jail so quickly, but he's not staying out of it for long.", Lori swore, and she rushed into the alleyway, ready to pound him.
But the thug was smarter than that, and he open the escape door and ran inside a building.
"Oh no you don't!", Lori shouted after him, charging through and smashing the door out of the way, hurting herself in the process.
"Damn it, why does THAT hurt?", Lori said a loud, annoyed. She tried to shake the pain away.
"I concur! WHY does that hurt? I would LOVE to learn more!"
Lori jumped at that, a chill running down her spine. That voice sounded weirdly musical, sounded like it was having too much fun.
The thug was still there, though, so Lori shook her head and focused on stopping it. She began to charge at him, a dark glare in her eyes.
"Let me guess, you're going to… PUNCH him?"
Lori got distracted because of the sudden interruption, so she ended up missing and smashing into the ground, her shoes digging into her, not accustomed to fighting. When she tried to get up, she saw how limited her movements were thanks to her trousers, and she got smacked by the thug, who seemed weirdly silent. Almost… Robotic. "Ow!", she exclaimed.
"You can break gravity, but the floor breaks your fall. How contradictory. Fascinating, really!", the voice called out again, the thug suddenly disappearing.
Lori's eyes widened, and she was starting to get annoyed. "Okay, weird voice guy, what do you want? I'm kinda busy here!"
"Who, me? I just want to know what makes you tick, girl. And since I'm on the clock, I will spend some effort now. How about a trip down memory lane?"
Suddenly, Lori found herself getting tripped by something, and falling down? But where was the ground? She tried to use her flight, but it didn't seem to work, her panicking growing and growing.
SMASH! Suddenly, out of nowhere, the ground came back. Or, well, more like a mat.
Wait…
Lori's shock spread to her eyes, her mouth agape. "I can see it, but I can't believe it!"
It was the wrestling ring she had fought in mere days ago. How had they gotten here?
"Come out so I can beat you! I'm wasting enough time here as it is!", Lori screamed, aiming her fists at every corner of the room, hovering slightly.
"Tisk, tock, tisk, tock! Why, I get the feeling you don't even want me to analyze you! You're blocking me! Now I have to break down your walls.", the voice said in mock apology, and before Lori could respond, a new figure popped out of the blue and smashed her in the face, sending her onto the ropes.
Lori felt her jaw. She was hurting like normal. Why?! "This is literally typical! Only I would get superpowers and get smacked around like some loser!", Lori whined, incredibly frustrated.
"Is that temper I hear? Anger, I fear? But is it at me or is it at you? What to do, what to do. You wish this were all fake. But the future is what WE make."
"Rhymes? Really?", Lori remarked with annoyance. "SO original.", she added, sarcastically.
"You're in no position to criticize. Especially when we remember what you did.", the voice suddenly said with darkness, with malicious glee.
"What… What do you mean…", Lori asked shakily, and her fears were proven true when the wrestler who had hit her, and went on to grab her and throw her out of the ring, suddenly revealed his face.
It was the criminal. The one who had shot…
"Your power set is impressive, but hiding your identity seems to be your weakness. It took a simple stare at the news, a short stroll to the arena, a stern sermon from the manager. He refused to reveal your real name, I wouldn't assume to know why."
Despite not seeing him, Lori could hear his grin. She could feel it's sinister intentions.
"But my my, the secret sins we commit when we think the shadows are on our side."
"Whatever you think I did… It's not what it looks like. Not really.", Lori replied, but her throat was hurting, the tears choking her. She felt powerless, barely able to move, as she heard the voice shame her.
"Really? Because to me it looks quite clear. Perhaps you need a… visual aid."
Suddenly, another person appeared out of nowhere in the now dark room. Lori could hear rain, and somehow, found herself outside Gus' Games and Grub. In front of her…
Was Lincoln.
"L… Lincoln?", Lori gasped.
"You know him. Perhaps. We all have motives, so you must at least be familiar with him. You wouldn't fly around dressed like a clown if you didn't have a tear behind the disguise. A friend? A cousin? Maybe even…"
A gun shot could be heard, and Lori gasped again as she Lincoln fall down, the bullet in his leg. The kid is in shock immediately, his eyes closing shut.
"…A brother?"
Lori, tears ruining her mascara, rushed to Lincoln, grasping his limp body. The body slowly began to disappear, and the voice merely went on.
"I knew there was a reason. No one stays good in this world. Maybe it's revenge, maybe it's redemption, maybe it's a bit of both. But in the end, it's selfishness, my deluded little girl. You want to play hero, but the rules of the game have changed now. You're too old for make believe. It's time to wake up and face the facts: You are no hero."
"No! NO! STOP! STOP! STOP THIS NOW!", Lori screamed to the heavens, her rage flaring. She flew up, fists clenched, and began punching at the walls, harder and harder, each punch becoming more and more effective, until holes began to appear in the walls.
"So… THAT'S how your powers work.", the voice suddenly called out, before pressing a button.
"What did that do? ANSWER ME NOW!", Lori screamed again, a crack appearing in the wall. It didn't matter, because the voice already had his trap set. Little magnet robots attached themselves to Lori, and suddenly she found herself getting dragged up and down, up and down, smashing into the roof and down onto the floor.
Lori couldn't break out of it. Perhaps she could only break a few rules of physics, she wondered.
"You should be used to this by now. I feel like you're the kind of person who jumps back and forth as it is."
The voice finally stepped out into the light, and Lori saw him, Mr. E, clear as day. He was dressed smartly, a watch on one arm, cards hidden in the other. He wore a red bowler hat, and underneath his dead eyes and jet black hair, was a smile that inspired only dread in her heart. Instead of a walking stick, he had a pitchfork cane of sorts.
"Pleasure to meet you. My name is Mr. E. I refuse to use yours, however. I have far more pressing issues to attend to rather than participate in your pathetic game of pretend."
"Well, to be honest, I'm not sure I even want that name.", Lori growled back, but as she was still being flung up and down, she could barely articulate it properly.
"Enjoying your trip?", Mr. E asked, leaning on his pitchforked cane and smiling that Cheshire cat grin.
"Why are you doing this?", Lori cut to the chase. "What did I ever do to you?"
"Ignoring your lie of heroism, this is more business than pleasure.", Mr. E explained, flashing a card, the king of spades. "A co-worker of mine had a run in with you, and my boss wasn't best pleased. I hadn't had a free night for so long, so I chose tonight especially. It's been a rousing success. You seem to be a little all over the place, though. Perhaps it's time you came back to earth."
Mr. E pushed the button again, and Lori found herself finally back down, but she was so hurt, disoriented, and tired, that she felt like she could throw up. She hacked as she caught her breath, Mr. E slowly strolling towards her, his cane making ominous echoes with every strike on the floor.
"Now that I know you inside and out, let's have ourselves a little game."
"Here's a game for you: It's called shut up.", Lori said, too hurt to care if that made any sense, and she charged at him.
Mr. E simply stepped aside, then grabbed her by the hood, choking her.
"How predictable. Disappointing, really. All your powers, and you're about as threatening as temper tantrum by a child."
Two hard hits, and Lori found herself wheezing. A kick to her gut, and she could feel the taste of blood in her mouth.
"Welcome back to reality." A sharp elbow, and she was down.
Just like that.
Mr. E leaned down and stroked Lori's face, as she struggled to keep her eyes open.
"Please… Stop…"
"No. You must stop. Stop this foolish escapade. You are running away from your guilt, like all people. But yours is especially dangerous. You think you can just walk around, punch a few thugs, and make up for what you did to that boy?"
"I…", Lori was crying, but she was telling the truth, her truth, at least. "I really am trying. I am trying to be better. To be a good person."
Mr. E actually seemed angry now, and he growled at her. "There are no good people on this earth. Only sinners. Some sin harder. Others try to repent. But none of them do it because it's "right". No. They do it because they're afraid. And that's what you are. You're a scared little girl who wants redemption. You're an angry little girl who wants revenge. And you're no hero."
Lori felt so broken, she saw black shapes form in her sight. She would surely faint soon. She had to go back home, but she also had to stop this guy… But surely she would collapse soon, and he could kill her in her sleep… What good would she be then?
Mr. E then removed a photograph from his pocket. "But of course, I am no fool. You are clearly desperate, and no lecture will convince you of the error of your ways. You must learn by force. So how's this for a game?"
Lori found the photograph covering her eyes. Even at her state, she could see who it was.
"Lyberti… Her dad…", Lori coughed out, fear in her heart.
"If you really want forgiveness, inaction paves your road. Destroy your mask, and I won't hold them hostage in my humble abode."
Lori stared at Mr. E with hatred, but could she let more people be hurt by her?
"I look forwards to your answer, but I can't see a twist in this tale. I know what you are deep down.", Mr. E smirked, and like that, he left her to bleed and wheeze alone, whistling a tune only he could hear.
Night turned into day, and then into afternoon, but Lori wasn't patrolling. The family had to go visit Lincoln anyway, and Lori wouldn't have wanted to skip on it, but the significance wasn't lost on her.
No surprise, she felt guilty. "But what else can I do? If I go out there, Lyberti and her dad get kidnapped by that Mr. E!", Lori thought, shivering just at the mention of his name. She could still see his dead eyes when she closed her own.
"But at the same time… I can't just give up again! I can't just let go of my responsibility!", Lori countered herself, looking outside the window. All those peopled counted on her, she had to stop all those bad guys…
"Yeah, and I was literally doing SO well.", Lori sarcastically insulted herself. "He read me like a book!"
Lori closed her eyes and sunk into her seat, feeling tired, hurt, and broken. She thanked her lucky stars that there was no evidence of her beatdown from last night. "Why am I always one way or the other? It's like every way I try to use my powers, it's the wrong way!"
"Maybe I should stop. If I'm only gonna make things worse, what's the point of me?", Lori reasoned, looking blue, as Vanzilla parked outside the hospital.
Lori's sadness didn't waver, but she had to hide it for now. Lincoln needed his big sister, not some failure of a superhero.
"The doctors think I should be out in three days! I'll still need a wheelchair, but not for too long!", Lincoln excitedly informed Lori when she entered for her 10 minutes with him.
"That's great, Lincoln.", Lori replied flatly, not on purpose. She slumped down on a chair and sighed.
"…Gee, don't congratulate me too hard. Might sprain an elbow.", Lincoln dryly remarked, and Lori swiftly apologized.
"I'm sorry, Lincoln, that's amazing! I just… I'm very tired, and… And very… Sad.", Lori chose her words carefully, hoping not to incite any suspicion.
"Oh, how come?", Lincoln asked, concerned. He propped himself up a bit so he could look Lori straighter in the eyes.
Lori took a deep breath. She tried to figure out how to explain her problem without revealing the truth. "Um… Well… So I've been practicing my putting, right? And at first I didn't, like, take it too seriously, ya know? Cause I can be a BIT of a know it all.", Lori self depreciated as a joke, and Lincoln chuckled. "Yeah, that sounds about right."
Lori went on, feeling guiltier as she spoke. "And then… Well, I realized that I wasn't going at it the right way at all. At ALL. And I thought, okay, if I was literally so wrong, then maybe if I do the total opposite, I'll be literally so right, you know?", Lori tried to explain, hoping Lincoln was following.
Lincoln nodded, to her relief.
"But now it seems like that was wrong too. I've been trying so hard, ignoring my overcomplications, my doubts, just going at it, working hard. But I'm not getting any better. And now it's like, someone could die if I try again, but it's my responsibility and…", Lori began to ramble, before realizing what she was saying and changing her tune. "That is… It feels like that. And I just…"
Lori bit her lip. This was never easy, but she needed some advice. She ripped the band aid off. "….I need some help, Lincoln. I don't know what to do."
Lincoln, who listened intently the entire time, scratched his chin. "Well… I don't know much about golf, but when I struggle with a problem, and feel like there are only two ways at it, I try and find the third way."
"Third way?", Lori asked, confused.
Lincoln smiled as he explained. "Yeah! Like, you're saying that you don't wanna overcomplicate, even when it DOES make sense, but just doing it didn't work either. You're almost there, but you need to balance the methods!"
Lori smiled slightly as Lincoln went on. "There's nothing wrong with doubting yourself and trying to improve, it doesn't mean you're not taking it seriously, but you also need to make sure you don't get too swept up in that and do the work! Over and undercomplicating were right, you just need the right mixture, you need to find the middle!"
"Find the middle…", Lori muttered, remembering what Lynn Sr. had said the other day.
Of course! That's why just doing it had worked at first, but wasn't now! She had to balance it all! And if she figured that out, she could go out there and stop Mr. E, she could figure out how to beat him, and prove that she wasn't just looking for redemption or revenge!
"Because it's about so much more than that. I know that for sure.", Lori thought to herself, as she stared at Lincoln, smiled, and wrapped him in a hug. "Thanks, Lincoln! You really helped me out!"
"Sure thing, Lori! Just… Don't break my ribs, I've been here long enough!", Lincoln wheezed out, and Lori sheepishly let go.
Then, Lori had another realization. "Say, Lincoln… I have a friend, yes, a friend, who's REALLY into superheroes recently, and I mean, I'm not, but she really wants to talk to me about them, so it would LITERALLY save my life if you could answer a few questions of mine…"
As the hours till evening passed, Lori worked and worked on her mission, her heart set on doing what was right.
The first item on the docket: Improve her costume.
"So, like, what do they need to wear? You can't just go out in… Any old shoe, right? Pants, and stuff?", Lori had asked, trying to sound non chalante.
"Yeah! You'd probably need combat boots, work boots of sorts, so that you can walk properly, and kick properly, and stuff!", Lincoln had replied, not realizing Lori had different intentions.
Lori heard the words echo in her head as she went into a gear store, her eyes scanning the shelves for the pair that would be just right.
"Not my size, too old, I need something that can take a lot of wear and tear.", she talked to herself, tapping her chin in thought. Finally, she spotted a fresh pair, jet black combat boots, strong, sturdy, and durable.
"Bingo.", Lori whispered, and she snatched the pair.
"As for pants, you'd probably want tactical gear, if you're not wearing some sort of armor. You can store gadgets, and they're easy to move in, and they look cool!"
"Cool?", Lori asked, unsure of how necessary that last detail was.
"Lori, never undervalue the awesome principle."
The pants were definitely harder to find. Lori wasn't sure she needed any gadgets, seeing as she had powers, but she figured that she could at least use the easier mobility. Unfortunately, it took a while to find any that fit, as outside of her powers, she had no real muscle or weight.
"Might need to start exercising. This size is the best, and it's still slightly too big.", Lori thought to herself worriedly.
Stepping to the counter, she asked as normally as she could "does this come in black?"
"By the way, I noticed on your comics all these heroes have capes and stuff, and some mix colors. Like this one, he's got black and blue. What's that about?", Lori asked, curious.
"Oh, well, capes are usually more for show, but they can be used to kinda… Symbolize stuff. Same with the colors."
"Symbolize?", Lori raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, look at that guy. He's got black and blue, because he's trying to scare criminals, but also inspire hope. The cape adds a sort of majesty to it, it makes people see you as not just any random person, but a superhero, and you see that insignia? It's a symbol. A hero isn't just a hero, but a symbol to others, an inspiration.", Lincoln explained thoughtfully.
Lori, remembering Mr. E's words, felt inspiration strike her. "Yeah… I think I get what you mean."
That night, hiding in the garage, Lori hung her hoodie up, with the trousers and boots below. A light blue cape that she had purchased from a costume store ("My little brother LOVES to play dress up") was attached now to the hoodie via straps.
"This always looks easy on TV.", Lori thought, as she shook a spray paint can. It sprayed her face. "Ow…"
Pretty soon, the hoodie sleeves were dark blue, as was the hood itself.
"Not too bad.", Lori thought, smiling. "Not too bad at all."
All that was left was to come up with a symbol. But what?
Lori wracked her brain, she had almost no time left. Soon, Mr. E would be out there again, and Lyberti and her father would be in danger, with no one to protect them, to guard them…
Lori's eyes widened. She thought to the man's words of how her motivation was selfish. She thought of her promise to Lincoln.
She looked deep into her heart.
"…I'm gonna be better, Mr. E. I'll prove it. This isn't about me. It's about them."
Lori's resolve strengthened, her smile turned determined and hopeful, brave, and, with destiny in the making, she spray painted a big, blue G…
Night.
The crescent shadows loom over the streets of Royal Woods, their presence indicating danger. Rats can be heard scuttling in corners. How the town's mood changes from day to night astounds visitors. Hopeful and recently futuristic under the rays of the sun, but when the darkness falls it reminds them of the sins lurking underneath the mask of progress.
And in a strange union of the town's split personas, a girl fully capable of selfishness and selflessness flew through the clouds, searching for the home of Lyberti Evans.
The apartment building was in a pretty shabby state, she acknowledged in her mind. Broken windows littered the view, there was trash all over the rooftop, and a smell of ash and sewage permeated the area. It seemed like all the buildings in the industrial district were in a state of decline. She made a mental note to herself to find someone to point that out to someone in the know.
Black boots landed slowly and gracefully to cause as little sound. Her eyes that were as dark as the night around her scanned for any threats or telltale signs of a kidnapping. She couldn't see anything yet, but she wasn't gonna assume anything until she had all her information. "Good thing I took that nap or I wouldn't have been able to think of getting over here.", she thought to herself, feeling full of vim and vigor. She was looking forwards to taking care of Mr. E.
"He's too smart not to notice I flew here. Which means he's on his way here. If I can warn Lyberti and her dad in time, no one needs to get hurt. At least, no one that doesn't deserve it.", she went over the plan again in her head, clenching her fists, now covered by inky black gloves. Giving herself away with fingerprints would be dumb and embarrassing. Also life threatening, but still.
A dusty metal door the creaked was soon in front of her. Lori opened it as quietly as she could, but it still shrieked. She gripped her ears for a second. "I guess I've lost the element of surprise. Then again, subtly doesn't seem to be a fashion requirement in this job.", Lori thought to herself as she inched down the rickety staircase, rusting metal that looked like it belonged in a prison more than in a home.
It was pitch black, but Lori was getting used to maneuvering around in night, and her eyes were adjusting to it. The only thing visible in the night was her blue cape and the blue G that warned of her impending arrival.
Lori's eyes narrowed as she found the apartment she was looking for, the door lying down on the floor, the sparkle of the bolts reflected in her eyes. Looking up, she saw Lyberti and her father tied on a couch, bound and gagged, looking horrified.
Lori's eyes momentarily panicked, but she then narrowed them again. She would not fail them. She would do the right thing this time.
She would prove Mr. E wrong.
And in a way, she already was.
"So… You came anyway?"
Lori stepped into the room, towards the voice that had been hiding behind the trapped family. "Yeah.", she almost growled, trying to disguise her voice, though her anger and determination made it easier.
"Lucky guess that I would tie them up here because this is my address, huh?"
"No."
"…"
"…Okay, yeah, but that's not what's important."
Mr. E, leaving the shadows and showing his malevolent grin, shook his head. "You actually pertain to know what is important? My child, didn't we go over this? You are simply looking for vengeance and forgiveness. None of which will help this family."
Lori's boots sent small echoes across the room. Lyberti recognized the hooded hero but still looked worried.
"You know, for a megalomaniac, you're certainly interested in improving my superheroing."
"I don't improve flawed things, child, I tear them apart and reveal the lie hidden within. I was sure I tore you apart enough last night, but clearly you are desperate.", Mr. E explained, his cane tapping on the floor, as if it were trying to silence the echoes of Lori's footsteps.
Lori bit her lip. She knew that debating with Mr. E was practically pointless. He had a way with words and he was physically dangerous on top of that. But the only way to beat him would seem to take him off guard. She still had no idea what were his powers or if he had any traps on him. But how could she surprise him?
"Honestly, it's pathetic. These people are gonna be needlessly hurt because you can't handle the hit to your ego. And I thought I was the bad guy."
For a moment, anger rose in Lori's chest and she felt like correcting him. But then, Lyberti let out a pained gasp that was just audible. Lori's attention fixed itself to her and in that moment she felt something click.
With barely a thought put to it, just instinct, Lori walked up to the family and tore the ropes apart easily. She then removed the gags.
"Are you all right?", Lori asked, as softly as she could while keeping her "voice" going.
Lyberti's dad didn't know what to say, especially if what Mr. E was saying was true. Lyberti however was unwavering in her original impression.
"We are now, I guess. He said he wasn't interested in hurting us unless you arrived, but I doubt you'd let that happen!"
"We need to leave this place now. This is between me and Mr. E.", the urgency in Lori's voice was stark, but the care was not gone. She placed a comforting hand on Lyberti's shoulder. "I had to stop him, but I took a risk to do that. Tell me how I can make up for this."
Mr. E raised an eyebrow curiously at this, and stepped between the family and Lori. "If this is some attempt to change my mind…"
"It's not all about you, asshole.", Lori pushed him out of the way with her super strength, making him smash into a vase. She sheepishly apologized. "Sorry about that."
Lyberti's dad was still practically speechless, not knowing what to say to this vigilante. Lyberti was full of gratitude though. "Saving us is more than enough, Hood! I like the new costume by the way!"
Lori was trying to stay serious and scary looking, but she allowed herself a small smile.
"If you think this little demonstration changes anything, you're blinder than I thought!", Mr. E choked out as he stood up slowly, but his eyes widened when he saw that Lori was gone, as were Lyberti and her father. A minute later, Lori flew back inside, fists clenched now.
"It's over, Mr. E. I'm sure the police are gonna find your little kidnapping very interesting."
Mr. E couldn't understand what was going on. He sounded angry at this turn of events. "You little… You liar! Stop pretending! I kidnapped your friend, I threatened your family! You aren't going to bring the police and you know that!"
Lori sensed the vunrability, and smirked. Now SHE was in control. Her cape floated majestically in the wind, and she adopted a fighting stance. "What's the matter, E? Not following the script?"
Mr. E charged up to her, aiming his fist. "I read you like a book! You saw how her father looked at you, why didn't you explain yourself?"
Yesterday Lori would have been struck by that, but she was fighting with her brain and her heart in sync now. Simply floating out of the way, she let Mr. E smash into a wall, before walking over to him and throwing him to the ground, making sure not to destroy the floor. "Like you said. I was searching for forgiveness, not for justice. Consider your advice taken."
She added this bit to really aggravate him. "Thanks.", she smirked.
"Don't thank me!", Mr. E roared, kicking Lori in the face and knocking her down to the floor. Lori's felt the blood in her mouth now. She spat some out and got back to a fighting position.
"Why not? I'm not some crying girl or angry girl now. Now I'm doing what I should have done even before I had these powers. The right thing."
Lori dodged his incoming kick, and swiped at his feet. Mr. E got right back up and took out a knife.
"You can only play this game for so long! I wonder what your parents will think when they see knife wounds on your arm!"
Lori blocked the knife with her powerful hand, but the left side of her shirt got a tear. She'd need to sew that now.
Lori again went for the element of surprise. Instead of avoiding the knife, she let him strike her again, this time on her left hand, leaving a cut. Thanks to her semi-invunrability, she could take the hit, leaving only a small cut, exposing the flesh underneath her sleeve. With the momentum shift, she smashed E's face in , blood now gushing from his nose.
E was clearly running out of excuses. He had to prove he was right, but every step Lori took was refuting his theory. He had to go for something desperate.
And he had one more trick up his sleeve.
Removing a gun, E placed it to his head. Lori gasped, and stopped in her tracks.
"Well… Seems like the devil is in the details. And I'm about to uncover the one that kills."
The tension was high. You could hear a pin drop. The gun didn't even shake, E was supremely confident it seemed.
"This is way different than my previous fights. He could definitely do it."
"This is your dilemma, girl, though I think it's obvious what choice you will succumb to! Either you let me kill myself, and remove a clearly dangerous opponent, or you save me. And if you do, I swear I will torture and break all those you find dear. Trust me, I have ways of finding out. And first on my list is Lincoln Loud."
Lori's breath hitched. She seemed terrified. The advantage was on E's side.
"He's monstrous. He could hurt Lincoln. That would be on you. Every person he hurts would be on you. Letting him die could save countless people from pain! You wouldn't be guilty!"
E's smile was grotesque. The evil fire in his eyes was apparent. There was something wrong with him, and it was getting worse every time he met his gaze with hers. "I can't deny, I'll miss this. For a moment I thought you just might challenge me. But you're like all people. Selfish and cruel. I'll see you in hell, hero!"
His finger squeezed the trigger.
But no bullet blasted through his brain.
When he opened his eyes, startled by the fact he still could, he found himself on the ground, gently laid down by Lori, who was catching her breath from how fast she had to do that.
E was shocked to the core. He stood up wildly and grabbed Lori by her shirt, eyes wild. "What did you do?!"
"I saved your life.", Lori simply replied.
E put her down and paced around the alley, struggling to grasp this fact. "I can't believe this! You're mad! You must be mad! Why would you let me live? Do you not realize I am going to attack you again one day? I will wipe your lies one way or the other, and I will do whatever it takes! I'll hurt the ones you love, I'll torture them! I'll torture you! And it will be all your fault!"
Lori flinched for a moment, but she knew why she made her decision, and she stood by it.
Her cape swooping in the wind, the G on her chest illuminating the darkness around them, she stared G right in the eyes.
"Maybe. Maybe you will. But as you said, I was no hero. Not at first. If I let you die, I would be as bad as you. I'm not in this for revenge or for forgiveness. I want to do what is right, because it is right. Because there are good people out there, better than me, who need me. Who deserve faith, who deserve a chance to prove you wrong, to prove that people are good. You're trash… But I am trying to help, not to kill. This isn't about me… It's about what people need. And… And they need me. They need a hero. So maybe you'll come back. If you do… I'll be there. And I'll stop you. Again, and again, and again. Until you stop. That's my mission."
Lori picked E up by his shirt, and handcuffed him to the wall.
"…WHAT are you?", E whispered, shocked by this, this thing, this girl who was genuinely trying to… to do good.
Lori stared into his eyes, and for once, knew.
"I'm The Guardian."
After the police tracked down the call Lori sent to them and found Mr. E handcuffed to the wall, Lori hid on the top of her house, staring out at the night sky. For the first time in her life, she was truly doing good things. She had saved Lyberti, she had stopped E. There was more to be done, of course.
But for now, she felt fulfilled.
"I never would have thought this is where my life would go. But in a strange way, I'm happy it did.", Lori said to herself with a small smile.
Whatever would come her way, she would deal with it.
Because it was the right thing to do.
This time, knowing what this meant, and knowing how to do it (more or less), Lori renewed her vow to the world, and to Lincoln.
"I will protect them. I promise."
"I will be a guardian."
Post Credits Scene:
Inside the station, Captain Nikita Griffin, brown haired and broad shouldered, looking like she not only hadn't slept in days, but chose not to, stared into the chief's eyes with righteous fury, shaking with rage.
"You're letting him go?! The footage shows he kidnapped the Evans family!"
The chief, a wrinkled grey sort of man, looking like he could tear at the seams, shrugged his shoulders as if he didn't have a choice.
"Now, Captain Griffin, we all know the magic that can be done with cameras and what not these days. Every 5 minutes they release a new one of those mephones. And there are no witnesses to this."
He then smirked a little, satisfied with his ace in the hole. "Well, except for that Hood you hate so much."
Nikita's nostrils flared. The smallest technicalities won the battles in the station, and her opinions on The Hood were well known. "Does it hurt?"
"What does?", he asked, confused.
"To let criminals step all over you for favors. Love the new suit, by the way."
The chief stared right back into Nikita's eyes. He was unflinching. "Be careful, Griffin. You won't get to lecture me if I take that badge of yours for fraudulent accusations."
Nikita frowned but silenced herself. She could do more good inside than outside.
Mr. E meanwhile passed by them, his hands now free of their bondage. He, however, was not free. His mind was racing with thoughts. With realizations. For how hard Lori had broken his worldview, she had also strengthened his resolve. This… This was something new. He always came on top. She beat him.
He had a challenge, a real challenge to his philosophy and way of life.
A yin to his yang, a second side to the coin.
And the more he thought about it…
The more he relished it.
As he was seen out of the building, Nikita lingered a moment longer to ask him a question. "Perp."
"It's E… Or, well, it was. I might change it. I have to upgrade for her.", he said, in almost a dreamlike voice.
Nikita ignored that. "The Hood. I saw her on the footage before it was… Lost. She's real."
She narrowed her eyes, deadly serious. "Who is she?"
E's eyes glinted. "Only the devil knows, Captain. But there is one thing."
Nikita raised her eyebrow in curiosity.
"She's not The Hood. She's not some vengeful vigilante or abject atoner. She is going to change everything."
E thought of the upcoming battle of wits.
And grinned.
"She's The Guardian."
Next Time: Lori tries to balance her double life, while the mysterious Agent Wolf returns!
