In chapter 2 of my superhero short story prequel, Brian's life will change for the better... or for the worse?
Spotify Playlist for this story while you read.Brian woke up to a loud thud beyond his bedroom and stumbled out of his door, holding a vacuum hose in defensive position.
“Brian--It’s me.” Came a familiar voice. It was the voice of Éléanor who had just set down a large cardboard box atop of the kitchen table. “I hope you weren’t going to use that to defend yourself.”
“No, I was… What are you doing here, Mom?” Dark circles under his eyes, Brian set the vacuum aside. “I thought you were going to pack up tomorrow.”
“I decided to come early. After all that’s happened, every day I spend here reminds me of him. Everywhere I look, I keep seeing his face. I just… need to spend some time in Québec with my side of the family. I would take you too, but you have collage here and your channel—speaking of, where were you last night? I didn’t see you come home.”
“I was working on-”
“One of your videos.”
“Guilty as charged.” Brian sat at the kitchen and poured himself some cereal.
“I thought so. You know, I am supportive of your hobby, but… have you ever thought of a way to use your skills for something that will pay you back? Use your skills for something bigger? Don’t get me wrong, making technology and cosplaying as a superhero is cool, but superheroes don't and won't exist no matter how hard we want them to. Studying to become an engineer or mechanic is something tangable you can do to make a difference.”
“I dunno, all this studying--”
“Which you shirk your responsibilities on to work instead on your “projects”.”
Brian dropped his spoon into his bowl and stared into the now soggy disappointment.
His mother neared him and placed a hand on his cheek. “I worry about you. You don’t talk to people, you don’t have a girlfriend. You haven’t socialized at all since…”
“I know. I like it better that way. I don’t like people.” Brian sat up and returned to his bedroom door, closing it behind him. Then he opened it up again, “Except for you.” He then shut it again.
A wry smile formed on Éléanor’s face. This might be good for him. Maybe some alone time to focus on sorting things out and studying for a real career is what he needs to process everything that has happened.
Later that morning, Brian arrived to the nearby convenience store across the street via his grungy skateboard which included a skatepunk design on the bottom of which he designed himself. He popped the board into his hand with casual practiced skill as he entered the store.
Messy hair, dark circles under his eyes and wearing a t-shirt that read “(sigh)berpunk vibes”, Brian searched the health isle, looking somewhat disheveled and still tired from a full night's rest.
A stranger entered the isle, the woman’s section being located opposite to the men's. Blonde hair, Korean, around his age. There was a nervous, awkwardness between the two as they tried to ignore the other in the cramped isles. The woman, whose name was none other than Emily Hwa-sang gave Brian a once-over. Tall, dark, and lean, with a faint twelve o’clock shadow. She placed her hand on the side of her face to shield him from her view as her face grew hotter. Does he have to be so good-looking?
The two tried hard to ignore the other as they looked through the items on the shelves for what they were looking for, which was for some reason becoming more difficult than it had to be.
Okay, I'm just looking for vitamin c iron tablets. How hard can that be? Brian thought to himself. Research says those help with chronic fatigue syndrome.
Where is the natural deodorant? Emily could feel the cold sweat from embarrassment as the two’s search brought them closer to eachother.
Just before Emily was about to reach past him for what she needed, the front door to the store swung open, ringing the bell. A voice then called out. “Hey, where’s the scrawny kid who just came in here?” The man asked the front desk. “Hey, answer me, geezer!!” The man shouted and slammed a hand on the table.
Brian and Emily ducked down and watched the scene from afar.
“I… I think they’re talking about you.” The woman spoke up to him for the first time.
“What?! No. I’m not that scrawny.” Brian snapped back in a sharp, yet hushed tone, peering back at the newcomers from his place behind the shelf. “Plus, nobody knows me.”
“I meant by your ducking behind a really obvious hiding place the moment they said something. Also, we’re like the only people in the store, and I definitely don’t think they were talking about me.”
“Still not scrawny.”
“Well, you’re certainly not over your normal weight.”
“Fine, I’ll prove it. I don’t know these people and, thus, have nothing to fear.” Brian stood up and made his way casually to the door, past the thugs, when he got a good look at them. All dressed in monochromatic, military-inspired streetwear with pockets, leather straps and masks or hats that covered their faces.
“Where do you think you’re going?” One of the thugs turned to notice him, her face completely concealed by a black face mask and baseball cap.
“That’s definitely our guy.” Said the other, closing in on him like wolves.
“Let’s take a walk outside.” Came the grizzled, yet cool voice of what looked to be the group’s leader who grabbed Brian by the shirt and dragged him outdoors. His group followed after him.
Brian was thrown forward to the sidewalk, forcing him into a stumble to regain his footing. “Hey, hey! Really? A stickup? There are toothpastes in there more expensive than what I’ve got on me.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.” Said the leader of the group, who was denoted by the orange pin striping, making him the only one with any color to his clothes. “Search his stuff.”
The man’s men forcefully checked the contents of Brian’s pockets and removed his backpack, shaking it out upside down. “Hey, watch my board!” He watched his skateboard fall from his backpack and clatter to the ground recklessly.
At that moment, the sound of a doorbell ringing out denounced Emily’s failed attempt at an unnoticed escape. “Just keep walking, buddy.” Came the stern voice of the woman in the group. Emily did as she was told and walked past as if nothing were happening.
“There’s nothing here."
"But we saw him take it it. The package he stole from the video.”
A realization hit Brian immediately. “You guys are from my channel? Wow, haters these days are really stepping it up.” Even in mortal danger, Brian had never restrained a sarcastic remark in his life.
“Y’know, maybe that death ray we picked up from that old tower could help.” The woman suggested.
“We don’t need him; we can find it ourselves.” Said the lead man. “But you're right; that device is due for a... test run.”
“Find out what it does and cross out a lose end. Two birds, one stone.” Emily overheard the voices from several feet away and stopped in her tracks from pity or guilt; she didn’t know.
“Hey, I don’t know what I did to you guys, but—” Brian tried to plead as he was held down against a utility pole by two thugs. The lead man was handed a giant device by the third of his henchmen; something that could have only been described as a “death ray”.
“I don’t know what this does.” Said the leader. “The manuals were all burned up by the time I got to it… but I can’t wait to find out.” He charged up the gun with a flick of a switch and pointed it to Brian’s face.
Helpless to do anything to save his life, Brian struggled against the two captors as the bright blue glow from the superweapon's barrel illuminated his face.
Just before pulling the trigger, the leader left him with one familiar phrase, “Be careful what you put on tv.”
Click!
Brian was shoved aside by none other than a stranger. Instead of hitting its intended target, the ray’s beam fired directly into Emily Hwa-sang full force, enveloping her body and the electric utility pole behind her in blue energy. Electricity from the utility line instantly jolted all over her body, shooting sparks of lightning everywhere. Emily screamed out as the energy coursed through her veins.
“This wasn’t supposed to happen!” Said the woman thug.
“Who cares. We didn’t sign up for this!” Proclaimed the other.
“Come on, let’s get outta' here!” Was the third who reached for Brian’s backpack on the group's escape from the chaos.
“Just leave it.” Said the lead man. “We’ll find what we’re looking for no matter.” And before anyone knew it, they were gone.
But Emily was still caught in the constant electric effects of the freak accident. An explosion of sparks shot off from the top of the utility pose, the v energy and bolts of electricity over her body deceasing.
Brian turned to view the state of the woman; the stranger who had just saved his life. Her entire body was transformed into that of erratic, spiky, glowing yellow energy. He could barely make out her features in this new form. “Aaaagh!” She yelled out and lifted her head up.
“Police! Put your hands up!” Brian’s distraught expression turned to that of the arriving police vehicles and an officer with a gun in hand.
A bolt of molten energy surged from Emily’s body as she tried to stand up, which struck into a traffic light above, exploding and sending it hurtling towards the concrete.
“I repeat, put your hands up!”
“Wait! I surrender!” Emily reached out to plead, but a bolt of electricity fired off into the door of the police car, the officer ducking for his life.
Emily’s static voice was barely intelligible. “I’m sorry! I, didn’t mean to—” The now electric being ran turned and ran, leaving destruction and shorting out technology in her wake.
The officer brought the radio on his chest to his mouth. “We’ve got a possible supervillain on the loose; some sort of energy monster!”
“Man, why is it that only supervillains rise up, not superheroes?” Was the response he got on the line.
“I don’t know, but this isn’t the first energy parasite that’s rampaged the city.”
“Wait!” Brian rose and spread his arms out in front of them in exclamation. “It’s not what you think—!”
“Get out of here, kid! For your own safety.” The officer shouted at him as he and the other police returned to their vehicles. Then they were off, sirens wailing.
What had he done? What had she done? More importantly, what could he have done? Everything was happening so fast, Brian didn’t have time to take it all in; all he could do was act.
In the cleared city streets, Emily stumbled her way in no direction in particular—just away. Bolts of lighting radiated from her at random intervals as she made her way down the empty pavement. “Can't stay awake… Need… energy... ” She told herself as she felt the world slowly drift away from her.
Emily heard the sirens nearing. “No! I can explain. I just need-uagh!” She clutched her chest and sped up her pace down the road where a blockade of police vehicles stood waiting for her. How had she not seen that?
Emily took solace from the shouts and bright lights to the maze of nearby alleyways, running for what felt like minutes or hours when she fell to one knee, stumbling forward hastily. The energy effects began to subside, revealing her original form for split seconds.
“Where did she go?” Came the distant voices of police who had lost her in the labyrinth of city alleys. They weren’t known for giving up in a city that only knew the word “super” applied to villains and not heroes.
Emily made her way into another street, her subconscious mind slowly bringing her towards her home--before the electricity faded out entirely and her body returned to normal, going limp. She crumbled to the ground, out cold; gone.
With a screech of tires, a gray van pulled up beside her, and none other than Brian Bayley exited. The sirens and shouts grew nearer. Grabbing onto Emily’s shoulders, the teenager brought her into the van through the large sliding door. “Ugh, this is possibly the shadiest looking rescue ever...” Behind the wheel, Brian said to himself with closed eyes, “No. I’m the only person in the city who'll understand her right now. Someone who knows she isn’t just some monster of the week. I could be taking a big risk… but I think I owe her that by now..." Brian started up the vehcile and twisted to look back as he put the car in reverse. "... Man, this day sucks."
Click here to read chapter 3! ⚡
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