Comic Book Hero
By Hannah Josette Blank
(Formerly Dixon)
Comic Book Hero
by Hannah Josette Dixon
This is a work of fiction. All characters and events are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to real people or events is entirely coincidental.
COMIC BOOK HERO
Copyright © 2014 by Hannah Josette Dixon.
All rights reserved.
Cover Design by Jose Alvarez
Edited by Beth Alvarez and Kimber Dixon
Special thanks to Beth Alvarez for her continued encouragement and support.
Special praise to God for His answer in prayer.
This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without the express written permission of the author.
First Edition: October 2014
Dedication
To my Father and Mother.
You have helped shape me into the person I am today.
(These anchor links are finicky on some mobile devices, so you may have to manually scroll down! Sorry!)
Table of contents:
1. A HERO’S CRY
2. SOMETHING STRANGE, SOMETHING SPECIAL, SOMETHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY
3. QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS AND MORE QUESTIONS
4. A RISING TEAM
5. AN EXPECTED PARTY, AN UNEXPECTED SURPRISE
6. APRIL
7. IN THE NAME OF A HERO
8. HOPE
9. APRIL’S DECISION
10. SUMMER’S SNOW
11. FADING INTO SEPTEMBER
12. CAMPING FIASCO
13. THE STRUGGLE WITHIN
14. IN THE END
CHAPTER ONE
A HERO’S CRY
A cold chill blew through the air as the skies of day were hidden behind the deepest darkness. There he stood atop that hill, swords pierced into the ground round about him. The strength of his comrades had failed, and there they lay below; unable to fight, unable to move. He laughed both mockingly and triumphantly as he looked down upon them. Their garments stained with blood, their faces marked with dirt, and the look of utter defeat in their eyes.
“What futile attempts! I had really expected far more from you. Now your precious leader shall belong to me, and with his hands I shall reconstruct my body and tear away everything you’ve worked so hard to create!” he exclaimed, lifting his sword to the skies.
“No…” came words from the man who stood with his sword drawn high. They were spoken from the same body, but the soul of another had uttered those words of opposition.
He lowered his sword and smirked. “Ha, and just how do you plan to stop me? It is your body I possess, your will cannot stand against mine,” the dark force controlling the man said.
“That’s where you’re wrong…” he muttered out in an exasperated voice. “I can stand against you…I will!!” he cried as he took control of his body and held his blade toward himself.
His comrades watched in shock. “No! Stop!” they shouted up to him. They used what little strength they had to try and sit up, even stand, but they knew they were powerless to stop him. To save him.
“My friends…” their leader said as his arms shook violently. The dark force was trying to toss his blade down, but he kept his grip. “…so long,” he said, then in an instant thrust his sword through his own heart. Darkness poured out as a scream from the dark being sounded simultaneously with his own, then, the darkness dispersed, and light from the sky began to break through.
“NOOOOOOOOO!!” his comrades screamed as they watched him fall to his knees. Using every bit of their strength, they crawled up to him, tears welling up in their eyes.
He only smiled, and as his eyes shut he fell into their reaching arms, gone like the darkness that sought to take him.
* * * * *
​
“The end,” Scott said out loud, sitting up and carefully placing his comic book onto the large stack he had collected.
Scott stood up and stretched his arms into the air as he gave out a big yawn. He glanced at his alarm clock then headed out of his room, making his way to the kitchen for a snack. Once reaching the kitchen he opened the fridge and looked around, then shut the door and opened up the nearest cabinet.
“Hey, you hungry?” his mom asked while peering around the corner.
“Oh, I didn’t know you were home already. Yeah, I am. I was just looking for a snack, though,” Scott answered.
“I got home about ten minutes ago,” she said, walking into the kitchen. “I can fix you up something for supper if you’d like,” she offered, taking hold of the cabinet door.
“Yeah, that’d be good!” Scott replied then went and took a seat at the dining table that stood out of the way but within the same room. Scott’s mom looked through the various items then over at Scott.
“How’s mac ‘n’ cheese sound?”
“Fine,” he replied, putting an elbow on the table and resting his chin in his hand.
His mom pulled out a pan and began filling it with water. “So what do you want for your birthday? That’s coming up in just a few weeks now.”
Scott glanced around a second as if to think, then he answered a quick “I dunno.” before setting his arm down on the table and adjusting his seat.
“Well are there any comic books you’d like?” she inquired as she turned the stove on then got a hairband to pull her long and curly brown hair back with.
“I just finished the series I had been reading,” Scott replied.
“Oh you did? How was it? Did it have a good ending?” she asked.Scott gave a sheepish grin and chuckled a bit.
“Uh…Captain Revos died at the end.”
“Well that’s not good!” she said in response.
“No, he had to so he could stop the villain from control--” Scott started to explain but was cut off by the sudden ringing of the telephone.
“Oh, that’s probably your dad. I’m going to have to answer that. Call me when the water starts to boil,” she told Scott and hurried out of the room to answer the phone.
Scott set his face back against his hand and watched the small silver pan. He gave out a quiet sigh. It was the end to another day, just like any other. He knew after dinner he’d spend the rest of his evening doing homework. Though, with any luck, he might finish at a reasonable enough time to play some video games before going to bed.
This was the life he lived. Nothing strange, nothing special, and nothing out of the ordinary…
​
CHAPTER TWO
SOMETHING STRANGE, SOMETHING SPECIAL,
SOMETHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY
“Beep… Beeep. Beeeep! Beeeeep!” Scott’s alarm clock sounded. He rolled to the side of his bed and hit the off button, then drowsily sat up and rubbed at his eyes. He kicked away his blue blankets and got out of bed, walking over to his dresser. He pushed his dirty clothes from yesterday aside with his foot and pulled a black shirt and blue jeans from his bottom drawer. With a quick change of clothes he tossed his pajamas on his bed and stepped out of his room into the hallway.
The dawn of a new day, and the only question he pondered to himself was what he would eat for breakfast. After finding the answer to his question in the refrigerator, he went through his morning routine of getting a quick shower, brushing his teeth, throwing on a white hoodie and grabbing his backpack. He then took one final look in the mirror, just long enough to comb through his short black hair. Once finished, he jumped into his shoes and was off.
“I’m heading out! Bye Mom!” he shouted as he opened the front door.
“Okay, bye Scott! Be careful!” his mom called back to him just before he left.
Off he went, running to the bus stop, sunlight just starting to warm the morning. He was the first to arrive and stood alone for about a minute before he saw his friend Jason come jogging over.
“Hi Scott!” yelled Jason before reaching the bus stop.
“Hey! What’s up?” Scott greeted.
“Not much. You?” Jason replied, tugging down his red jacket.
“Same. I finished the last volume of Revolt last night so I don’t have anything to look forward to during the weekend now,” Scott griped just before a school bus slowed down in front of them.
“I’d invite you over Saturday but I’m going to visit my grandparents,” Jason said as he got on the bus, Scott following behind him. The ride was somewhat rowdy, as usual, but for Scott it seemed short and easygoing in comparison to the rest of the school day, which felt like it was dragging on forever.
When classes had finally wrapped up, Scott parted ways with Jason, skipping the bus home so he could swing by the comic book store in town. He stopped a moment to pull out his MP3 player and headphones from his backpack. He turned them on, then after swinging his backpack on over his shoulders, he started a steady pace down the sidewalk.
He bobbed his head just slightly out of habit to his loud and enthralling music, when out of nowhere an even louder ringing abruptly blocked out the sound. He yanked off his headphones but the ringing persisted and only seemed to grow louder, causing him to press his hands against his ears in an attempt to halt the deafening noise. Suddenly, the noise ceased, but along with it went the sounds of his surroundings.
His heart began to race as he looked around at the silent but moving world. Trees stirring in the wind, cars driving on the roads just ahead, yet not a sound came from them. Then, for a moment it was as if everything slowed to stillness, and the echoes of a man’s voice rang through the silence.
“He’s ready.”
Scott’s heart all but leapt out of his chest as it happened, but just as quickly as it came, so did it go, and his hearing came back with the normal motion of his surroundings.
He looked down at his headphones, which laid on the concrete, still playing the same song. He hesitantly reached down to pick them up off the ground when, just as his fingers brushed against them, a sudden burst of fire broke them in two right before his eyes.
“Gyah!” Scott yelled, hastily pulling his hand back. He frantically unplugged the cord that ran into his MP3 player and kicked the burnt headphone pieces away. He looked around but no one had noticed. Did that seriously just happen!? he thought to himself, placing his hand on his chest as he tried to gain his bearings. “Okay. Okay.” He tried to calm himself, but with a glance at his headphones his heart picked back up. He shook his head and ran to the corner of the street, where he caught his breath.
Scott looked back and forth at the cars driving by as he tried to make sense of it all. He decided he had best skip the comic book store and head straight for home.
He ran and ran until he got there. He threw open the front door and slid his backpack onto the floor as he kicked off his shoes, gasping all the while.
“Mom! You home?” he called as he shut the door. “Mom?” he repeated. He walked into the kitchen where he saw a note hung on the fridge which read: Going to be late tonight. Pizza’s in the freezer. Love, Mom and Dad.
“Great.” Scott sighed, sitting at the table and putting his head down in his arms. He reflected on the prior events, feeling uneasy yet curious. “Did that seriously happen?” he pondered aloud. He heard it, he saw it, he felt it, but what exactly took place? He did not know the answer, nor did he know whether it would happen again. The most curious thing of all, at least to Scott, was the voice that echoed through the silence. It was not one he had heard before. Not to his recollection.
Scott stood up and headed toward his room. His thoughts had made him restless and uncomfortable with sitting still. He stepped through the entryway and turned back to shut and lock his bedroom door.
“Ugh…” he groaned as his somewhat shaky hands struggled to lock it. Nervous as he was then, it compared little to when he turned around, for he did with the expectation to see his somewhat messy room behind him, but his heart skipped at the sight of a man now standing in the midst of it. He was tall and broad-shouldered and stood upright. His face was hidden by a helmet and his clothing was most peculiar, much like a costume in appearance with black fitted fabric and a charcoal-colored cape. The fabric had dark red details, such as a ring around the top of the neck and a thick stripe along each side that went from under his arms all the way down. The uniform covered him from his neck to his toes. Over his chest, shoulders, forearms and then from his knees down he had sleek armor which matched his cape and helmet in color. The armor seemed almost mechanical in appearance, yet with the strange touch of spikes that came up from the shoulders.
Scott scuffled backwards against his door, his right hand reaching behind his back as he tried to unlock it while still keeping both eyes on the man.
“Relax. If I wanted to hurt you, you’d already be feeling it,” the man said, the sound of his voice taking Scott’s attention away from his attempt to escape.
“I…heard you earlier,” Scott said hesitantly.
“You must be mistaken, this is our first meeting. I have, however, been tracking you for some time now,” he replied.
“Wh…why?” Scott asked with unease.
“I’ll explain, but not here.” the man strode closer and took hold of Scott’s shoulder before pressing a black colored device that was hooked around his right forearm.
Scott tried to slip out when he saw him coming but was caught and whisked away with the man in the blink of an eye. They appeared in a white octagon shaped room set with computers and other processors. It had gadgets that looked like guns, knives and handcuffs mounted along the walls to the right, all of which matched the white theme. The floor was tiled, aside from the light blue circle they stood upon, and there to greet them stood another man, somewhat shorter in stature. He was clad in the same sort of costume as the man who brought Scott there, with a few variations such as the dark blue base color with light blue details and the sleek silver armor in place of the charcoal. Most notable though was the lack of a cape.
Scott stood frozen in awe. “Maaaaaaan…” he said at last and began to grin. “Is this like some sort of command center?” he asked, his previous fears leaving him for curiosity.
“Yes. This is Mainframe, our headquarters,” the man who had brought him there said. He walked to the center of the room, joining his comrade.
“How did you build all of this?” Scott asked.
“Hah, we didn’t. Long story short, my uncle gave it to us,” the man explained. “Now then, your name is Scott, correct?”
“How do you know that?” Scott questioned, a slight degree of uneasiness still lingering inside him.
“My name is Demitri, and this is Matthew,” the man said, gesturing first to himself and then to his comrade.
“Hi there,” Matthew added casually.
“We’re a lot like you, Scott. You see, we’ve both experienced things that were, how would you put it? Out of the ordinary,” Demitri said.
“What do you mean?” Scott asked.
“I saw what happened to your headphones. That’s quite an ability you’ve got there,” Demitri continued. “Like you, we’ve also got powers. But unlike you, we know how to use them.”
“Wait, wait, wait, hold up. Powers?” Scott said perplexedly.
“Yes, you know, like the kind superheroes have,” Demitri explained.
Scott’s eyes lit up and excitement overtook him. “Like superheroes? You mean I’m a superhero!?”
“You know, he’s taking this in a lot better than I did,” Matthew murmured to Demitri.
Demitri laughed and carried his conversation on. “Now don’t get ahead of yourself. Just because you have superpowers doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a superhero.”
“Yeah, you have to do something heroic first,” Matthew added teasingly.
“We’ll get to that,” Demitri said to Matthew, then he looked back at Scott. “Anyway, you’ve been blessed with a very special gift which is why you’re here. I can’t say I know everything about your particular powers, only what I was able to learn from Mainframe, but in any case I know enough to teach you how to use them.”
Scott looked at the large monitor connected to the main computer, then glanced at the other processors as he slowly turned back to Demitri and Matthew. “Sooo, that big computer, it reads information on people or something? Is that how you found me?”
“We’re able to gather basic information on our next partner through Mainframe while their powers are inactive. During the time unique abilities like yours or mine are active, Mainframe locks in on the exact location of that particular person, showing a signal on the monitor to let us know,” Demitri clarified. “That’s how I knew it was time to bring you here.”
“Uh… so, what are my unique abilities, exactly? I mean, I didn’t fly or shoot beams or anything, so as far as what your computer or whatever told you, what kind of superpowers do I have?” Scott asked.
“You really are ready to jump right in, aren’t you?” Demitri laughed. “Come here and look at Mainframe.”
Scott walked over to Demitri and Matthew, looking to the large screen.
Demitri typed something in with the numbers sixteen-fourteen. It began playing an overhead video of Scott walking along the sidewalk and suddenly ripping his headphones away from his ears.
“Whoa, okay, how’d you guys record that?” Scott asked nervously, his eyes still fixated on the screen.
“Satellite, stoplight cameras, you name it. Mainframe has its own satellite and can also tap into some others. As far as this particular video goes, it detected your powers were active and homed in on your exact location, as I was explaining it could do just a moment ago,” Demitri answered then pointed at the screen. “Right there. Pay attention,” he said and Scott leaned in toward the screen. The video showed the moment in which he was reaching for his headphones and then the igniting flames that came out of nowhere.
“I don’t…get it. What happened?” Scott asked, unable to fully grasp it.
“That is your power,” Matthew said.
“That’s right,” Demitri agreed. “Interesting enough, your powers were read as active before you actually used them, which may indicate that you have to accumulate energy first.”
“Buuuut what is my power exactly?” Scott probed further, longing for a clear response.
“You, my friend, can ignite objects. When you put your mind to it, that is,” Demitri answered.
“You make things explode. Bummer for your headphones, but awesome for you!” Matthew said.
“Yes. Quite a cool ability. But also a dangerous one you’ll need to learn to control,” Demitri added on a more serious note.
Scott looked as lost as ever. “I didn’t do that, I just tried to pick them up off the ground!” he insisted.
Demitri put a hand on Scott’s shoulder. “I know it doesn’t seem like it now, but that was you. Your powers are only just surfacing, and it may take some time before you’ll be able to use them at will,” he said, then gave a couple pats and pulled his hand away.
“This is a lot to take in,” Scott said while seemingly troubled.
“Oh yeah, NOW he says that,” Matthew exclaimed.
Demitri shook his head in response to Matthew then focused his attention back on Scott. “I know. You don’t have to take in everything at once, though. Just say the word and I can send you back home to let this all soak in. That is, of course, if you can keep what you’ve seen and heard here a secret.”
Scott scratched his head. “I can keep it all a secret, but I don’t need to rush home. I mean, I understand what’s going on, I think… It just started feeling a little surreal is all,” Scott explained.
“Just started? Man, kid,” Matthew said in disbelief.
“Well I dunno,” Scott shrugged. “I just kinda got distracted with all the technology and gadgets! But uh, I guess I should ask why I haven’t ever heard about you guys before? I mean, you are superheroes, right?” Scott inquired.
“Right,” Demitri replied.
“So shouldn’t you be on the news or something? Or in the paper? Seems like the media would go crazy over real superheroes,” Scott said.
“Yes, I’m sure they would be all over us if word got out. But that’s the thing, Matthew and I, we’ve been a team for at least a good long year now, but we don’t work where the press could easily find us,” Demitri explained.
“…Why not?” Scott asked.
“Eh, kid,” Matthew started, crossing his arms and standing up straight. “We’re just two guys trying to help out where we can, but unlike some of the heroes you’ve maybe seen on TV, we can’t be everywhere at once, and we don’t always know where tragedy will strike next,” he said and gave his head a little tilt to the side. “Basically, we don’t want people to be depending on us. Once you’re out in the eyes of the public, there’s no backing out. You’ll find yourself under all sorts of criticism and pressure, and I really don’t want to go through that kind of hassle.”
“I guess I can understand that…” Scott said quietly and there was a moment of silence.
“…All right!” Demitri exclaimed, making a loud clap as he clasped his hands together. “Let me just get right down to business. What we usually do is get together at night, I mean eleven being the earliest time. Then, we check Mainframe for any unusual activity across the globe, tap into emergency hotlines, things like that. If something’s going on and we think we can handle it, we teleport over and do our stuff.”
“And all the while avoid being seen!” Matthew added optimistically.
“Teleport over?” Scott pondered out loud.
“Oh yes,” Demitri replied. “Didn’t you wonder how I got into your room? Mainframe can teleport us anywhere we want to go, so long as nothing is blocking our destination.
“Are you serious!?” Scott responded excitedly and Demitri gave a nod. “How is that even possible?”
“One thing at a time! We’re getting off subject and I still have some explaining to do as far as the kind of jobs we take on,” Demitri said as he gestured with his hands for Scott to calm down.
“Don’t you guys like, fight off bank robbers, put out fires, rescue damsels in distress?” Scott asked.
Matthew put a hand to his helmet and glanced away as if in deep thought. “Y’know…”
“Hm?” both Scott and Demitri responded.
“I’ve been wondering when the damsels come in, myself,” he remarked. Demitri just shook his head but his helmet hid a smile underneath.
Scott on the other hand had a sudden look of realization on his face. “Oh yeah!” He shouted. “Ugh, I can’t believe I didn’t think to ask you sooner! What are your superpowers? Both of you. I mean, you said you had them, but you never said what you could do.”
“How about a demonstration?” Demitri offered.
“Aw, yeah! Seeing it will be even cooler!” Scott exclaimed in agreement.
“Heh heh, well I can’t really say you’ll see much. As a matter of fact, you won’t see it at all,” Demitri teased, then in an instant disappeared right before Scott’s eyes.
“You can turn invisible!?” Scott yelled in disbelief.
“Not exactly,” he replied, his voice now behind Scott. Scott spun around but still couldn’t see him. “It’s more like an illusion,” he continued, his voice sounding from all directions. “…which is how my armor seems invisible, too. You see, my true ability-” Demitri paused a moment, watching Scott try and figure out where he was. “-is stealth,” he said as he appeared right in front of him then laughed at seeing Scott jump back a bit in reaction.
“He loves to do that. You’ll get used to it,” Matthew said casually.
“Oh will he?” Demitri challenged.
“Allright, lemme show you two gentlemen what real superpowers are like!” Matthew said then took a strong stance and focused. He raised his arms straight out and once he had worked up the determination needed he was engulfed in a force field. It was clear, yet visible as it was pulsing with energy.
“Whooooooooaaa…” Scott responded in amazement. Matthew lowered his arms and the force field dispersed as he gave out a heavy sigh. “That was awesome!” Scott shouted in admiration.
“Yep. I’m incredible,” Matthew said, placing his hands on his hips.
“You’re something,” Demitri scoffed. “Back on subject, we obviously aren’t cut out for anything too serious. Although Matthew and I did handle one situation with an armed man, we usually try and avoid that. Powers or not, we’re still only human. One shot in just the right spot is all it would take to kill us,” Demitri explained. Scott felt just a bit of disappointment, but he didn’t speak up or argue about it.
“Okay…well what about villains? Any super villains out there?” Scott asked.
“Our villains are just the common criminals you see on the news.” Matthew shrugged.
“So you guys are really more of the ‘cat’s up a tree, gotta save it’ heroes, aren’t you?” Scott said condescendingly.
“Hm…I think I know what sort of action you were hoping to see,” Demitri replied. “Follow me,” he said, walking up to one of the walls. He placed a hand on the wall and it glowed in a blue light before vanishing and revealing an elevator. Scott stood upright and tense, hoping to see something cool beyond it but thinking he may have struck a nerve with his last comment. Demitri stepped in and waited on him to follow, then after Scott had walked in he looked to Matthew. “Coming, Matthew?” he asked.
“I guess,” Matthew replied with a groan and stepped in with them. Demitri pressed a panel inside the elevator and within moments the wall reappeared, and the elevator moved downward. It seemed like it headed down for a while.
“Where are we going?” Scott finally asked, though somewhat timidly.
“To the training grounds,” Demitri replied, then the elevator stopped and the three stepped out into a large, industrial-like room. Scott looked around the empty room. He gazed up at the incredibly high ceiling and noticed the poor lighting as a result of the room’s magnitude.
“I know it doesn’t look like much at the moment, but with some quick programming and the flip of a switch, presto!” Demitri shouted as he pulled down on a lever near the elevator. They heard a loud sound and slight vibration, then more lights turned on throughout the room. While Scott was taking it all in, Demitri tampered with a panel on the wall next to the lever and machines in the style of large guns came out of the walls and floor.
“Wait, I don’t know how to use my powers yet!” Scott said, worrying that they might just toss him into battle without preparing him first.
“Relax. There are lots of modes these robots can be set to, and right now they couldn’t hurt a fly,” Demitri assured him. “All right, let’s start with this one,” he pointed to one of the machines as they walked further into the room. It was a dark gray mechanism, about three feet tall. It looked old and worn compared to the others with their glossy white armored exteriors. They were still a bit of a distance from it when they stopped walking, and both Demitri and Matthew looked to Scott.
“Show us your stuff,” Matthew said, but Scott only looked at the robot then back at them.
“What am I supposed to do?” Scott asked in his bewilderment.
“We want you to wipe it out,” Matthew answered.
“Yes, your job is to blow that particular machine up. You can take your time. We don’t expect you to get it on your first try or anything,” Demitri clarified.
“Or at all…” Matthew murmured and Demitri quickly nudged him with an elbow, causing him to give out an involuntary cough.
“I don’t know how to do that!” Scott responded to Demitri with a voice hinting at implausibility.
“Again, relax. You’re going to use your powers. I believe your ability works similar to Matthew’s. It’ll well up inside of your chest when you get it right, then you just push it out through your arms and into your hands. It’s going to involve focus on the object, physical contact, and more than likely you’ll need to get a good adrenaline rush since you’re not yet in touch with activating your powers,” Demitri said.
Scott gave him a look of doubt. “Adrenaline rush? How am I supposed to do tha-”
Shoooom! came the sound of a laser that interrupted his question and caused him to stumble backwards.
“What was THAT!? I thought you said these things couldn’t hurt a fly!” Scott yelled before another machine shot a laser in his direction.
“I did, but I never said they couldn’t hurt you!” Demitri shouted over the sudden noise as he and Matthew quickly stepped back to distance themselves from Scott and the active machines.
Shoooom! Shoooom! they sounded, one right after the other, and Scott tried his best to dodge them. He looked towards the elevator but it was now just a wall. He wasn’t about to escape the room or the machines inside of it.
“Scott!” Demitri yelled through his helmet with a vaguely muffled sound. “There’s no getting out! You have to fight them! Place your hands on the old machine and just focus on it!”
“Easy for you to say!” Scott yelled back in frustration. He had the old machine in view. Running towards it thinking his heart was already pounding as hard as it could, he found that it went on beating faster and faster as the lasers continued to fire off more frequently.
I can’t do this! he thought to himself as he approached it, reaching forward with one hand.
“You can do it!” Demitri shouted right then, contradicting Scott’s thoughts and giving him a quick reminder of his headphones’ ignition earlier.
It was him! Scott thought and suddenly things around him became silent and moved almost in a slow motion, similar to when things became still on his way to the comic book store. I knew I heard that voice before! he thought, still reaching forward with his fingertips almost touching the machine. Demitri said ‘he’s ready’ and that’s when it all took place! I can do this! Scott settled in his head just as his fingers made contact with the machine, then a rush of energy from his chest ran down through his arm into his fingertips, and the machine began to spark in reaction.
“Uh-oh!” Matthew said, then charged in with Demitri who grabbed the back of Scott’s hoodie and pulled him back against Matthew. Matthew created a force field around all three of them and the machine exploded, giving a much grander display than the little flame from Scott’s old headphones. All at once the lasers stopped and Matthew let down his force field.
“That…was…incredible! You did amazing, Scott!! I expected you to do well but never did it cross my mind that you would actually be able to destroy one of our machines!” Demitri shouted with utter delight. He looked down, however, to find a not-so-thrilled expression on Scott’s face.
“You could have killed me!” Scott snapped, crossing his arms and scowling.
“Matthew and I jumped in as soon as we saw you were actually using your powers on the machine,” Demitri said warily.
“I’m not talking about the machine blowing up! You guys threw lasers at me from every direction! I wasn’t even sure if I was dodging them all, my heart was beating so fast I couldn’t feel anything else!” Scott shouted.
Matthew walked over to a nearby machine. He leaned over it, opening a hatch on the back and pressing a few buttons before closing it up again and holding his hand in front of the gunpoint. “You mean these lasers?” he said just before one shot out, phasing right through his hand but leaving no sign of injury.
“How did you-!?” Scott stuttered out, flustered and tired from running.
“Holograms. And pretty convincing ones at that. We’ve even got sounds effects,” Demitri replied. “I’m sorry, Scott, but we wanted to see how you’d handle things. Honestly I didn’t think you had it in you to catch wind of your powers so quickly, but under stress it’s easy to build up that energy, isn’t it?” he said, crossing his arms. “I had noticed that about the first time you used your powers. Something got you worked up. It’s not always the best tactic, though. Be careful not to overdo it,” Demitri warned while giving a slight glance to the smoldering pile of rubble that was once one of his machines.
Scott gave a deep sigh that sounded somewhat agitated, but then he gradually smiled. “I feel better knowing they weren’t real, but at the same time I kinda feel weird now knowing I was jumping all over the place and they couldn’t even hurt me,” he said and both Matthew and Demitri laughed.
“Well if it’s any consolation, I didn’t see you get hit once,” Demitri pointed out and Scott grinned awkwardly.
“Well, cats up a tree don’t sound so bad now, do they Mr. Hero?” Matthew mocked, nudging Scott with his fist.
“Oh, quiet! I just didn’t think YOU guys would throw me into some deathtrap and leave me to face it on my own.” Scott nudged back.
“Ha, well, technically we didn’t,” Demitri said, gathering his composure. “If we ever do go off into battle, we’ll do it as a team,” he said in a most assuring way.
“Wait… if? You guys have a giant underground training room and there’s an if?” Scott puzzled.
“As previously stated, we try to avoid anything too dangerous. But you never know, once we’ve built up our forces there’s no telling what we’ll be able to do,” Demitri said.
Matthew yawned and stretched. “So, test run went over well. Now what?” he asked Demitri.
“Well that depends, do you want to pull an all-nighter?” he asked teasingly in return.
“Don’t forget I have school tomorrow,” Matthew reminded him.
Scott just quietly listened as the two debated their evening plans. Half of Scott felt happy and eager to learn, while the other half felt somewhat out of place. It was all so surreal to him, like a dream he would soon awaken from. He wondered just what the future might hold for him, if he would really learn to use these new powers, and most of all he wondered just how he got them in the first place. What was the relation between Demitri, Matthew and himself? Was there any at all? His mind began to feel a bit worn down from his continuous thought.
“What do you think, Scott?” Demitri asked and Scott snapped out of his daze.
“I think the kid’s falling asleep!” Matthew laughed.
“No, sorry, I just missed the question,” Scott answered.
“Do you want to do some more training, hang out upstairs or head for home?” Demitri repeated.
“Uh, actually when are we gonna head for town?” Scott asked.
“Town?” Matthew questioned.
“You know, go help people and stuff!” he clarified, wanting to jump straight to the real deal.
“Ah,” Demitri remarked. “We were actually going to hold off on that for a few nights. You’ll want to get a better understanding of your abilities before we go charging in, and I still have to figure out what kind of jobs we could put you to work on.”
“Yeah,” Matthew popped in. “We usually try to prevent things from blowing up,” he teased in regard to Scott’s powers.
“I guess,” Scott muttered in disappointment. Demitri walked over and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
“No worries. We’ll get there soon enough. I’ll talk to my uncle about your special talent and see what we can come up with,” Demitri said.
“Your uncle? You mean the same uncle who gave you this building and stuff?” Scott questioned.
“That’s right. He’s an inventor, so finding a creative role for you shouldn’t be so hard for him. Oh, but just because my uncle knows about this place and our powers doesn’t mean you can tell your family about it. This all has to remain top secret,” Demitri said.
“I got that. I’ll keep it under my hood. The last thing I want is for you guys to teleport into my room and murder me in my sleep!” Scott said jokingly.
“Yeah, ‘cause we’ll do that,” Matthew said seriously and Scott’s face swiftly switched from a grin to a solemn expression. “…I’m joking!” Matthew laughed.
“Well, I think we’ve put our newest comrade through enough for one night. Let’s head up,” Demitri said as he led the way back. Scott watched as Demitri placed his hand on the wall to trigger the elevator’s reappearance. There were a lot of interesting patterns that looked to be carved into the metal walls, but the one Demitri touched was rectangular in shape and simple in design, something Scott took a mental note of for future reference.
The three arrived back on the main floor and Demitri went straight to Mainframe’s main screen to insert a destination to teleport to.
“All set,” he said turning to look at the blue circle on the ground and watching it light up. Demitri then looked at Scott. “Step in and you’ll see a sort of pedestal with a button on it. Just press that and you’ll be transported right back into your room,” he explained.
“Okay.” Scott nodded.
“Oh and Scott, what time do you usually head for bed?” Demitri inquired.
“Usually around eleven. Why?” he asked in return.
“We’ll need to know what time to come and get you,” Demitri explained.
“My parents typically head to bed between ten and eleven, but I can stay up a bit later,” Scott said.
“Eleven is the usual time we do our workouts and missions, so that times out nicely so long as you’re okay with missing a few hours of sleep from now on,” he answered. “We’ll see you tomorrow night.”
“See ya, Scott,” Matthew said.
“Bye Matthew, bye Demitri. I’ll be ready!” he said confidently as he waved farewell.
“Just call me Matt,” Matthew replied.
“Okay, sure,” Scott agreed.
“Bye Scott. You get some sleep, okay? You’ll need it,” Demitri said then waved him on. Scott stepped in and saw the button Demitri had mentioned toward the back of the portal. He pushed it and a strange humming sound began as the light from the floor grew brighter and he was whisked back home.
* * * * *
​
Demitri crossed his arms and leaned back against the counter where Mainframes main screen was. “So what do you think of our new recruit?” he asked in a voice somewhat deeper than what he used around Scott.
“Not bad. The kid’s way too happy-go-lucky, though. I mean honestly, I was freaking out for weeks when we first met,” Matthew commented.
“And how do you think I felt?” Demitri laughed.
“What? Rich guy with awesome powers asking some poor college student if he wants to join forces and disarm criminals?” Matthew snickered. “Probably pretty stupid.”
“Yep, pretty much. Remember how that went, though? And the second that first guy pulled out a gun we both froze in place,” Demitri recalled.
Matthew shook his head then began to remove his helmet. “Why did you freeze up, again?” he asked before having pulled it all the way off. “I mean the guy couldn’t even see you!” He went and mounted his helmet on the wall across the room from where Demitri stood.
“I wasn’t ready yet. Despite my personal training and confidence, I didn’t know how to handle the situation,” Demitri said as he uncrossed his arms and straightened up. “Of course, I still pulled through and we got out okay, but we haven’t put ourselves in that sort of situation since.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Matthew commented, stroking his hand over his short blond hair.
Demitri glanced down at the floor in thought then he took his helmet off and shook his dark brown hair back out of his face. He looked at Matthew with a gleam in his brilliant brown eyes. “What? I know that look. What are thinking?” Matthew asked turning his head slightly to the side but keeping his blue eyes focused on Demitri.
“Scott seemed pretty interested in the saving lives bit,” Demitri stated.
Matthew shook his head as an uncomfortable smile crept up. “Oh no. We are not doing that again. I mean, you can’t be serious, the kid freaked out once those machines went off!”
“Yes, but his guard was down and his reaction was no worse than any normal human being’s would have. Notice how he kept a clear head and knew how to operate, even under the intense situation? He’s got the makings of a real hero in him. And we’ve come a long way ourselves, don’t forget! I really think with a little more training, we could do what we originally intended to. Save lives, fight bad guys, we could help people,” Demitri went on to say, but Matthew still only shook his head.
“We already save lives and help people. I mean, what about that time last month? We pulled that guy out of a lake! We sure didn’t have useful powers for the job but we did it and that guy was okay,” Matthew said.
“That’s the thing, though. LAST month. How much have we really helped anyone since? I’m getting tired of turning a blind eye to all those people crying for help. They need a hero, Matt. And to your point, a lot of the stuff we’ve been doing doesn’t really involve anything but Mainframe’s teleportation,” Demitri said.
“Look, I see your point. Really, I do,” Matthew assured him as he took the armor off from over his uniform and set it beneath his helmet on the wall. “But if we want to go taking on the big game, we’re going to need a stronger team, and I really don’t think Scott is going to be ready for that anytime soon,” Matthew finished then gestured a goodbye. “I’ve got to go home and study.”
“All right. See you,” Demitri said, gesturing a prompt farewell with two fingers by his forehead.Matthew stopped before entering the teleport. “One last thing…”
“Yes?” Demitri replied.
“Are you sure we can trust him to keep quiet?” he asked skeptically in reference to Scott. “No worries. I did take a few precautions. If he squeals, we’ll know,” Demitri assured him and Matthew smirked.
“All right then. See ya!” Matthew said and then departed. Demitri watched his friend teleport away. From there it was the usual routine. He placed his armor and cape on the wall, setting it next to Matthew’s, then went to put Mainframe into a conserved state, shutting down the lights and turning all but Mainframe’s main screen off. He set the portal to take him home, then off he went, leaving the room dark and vacant.
​
CHAPTER THREE
QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS
AND MORE QUESTIONS
“Scott! You’re going to be late!” Scott’s mom called up once more, waking Scott from his slumber. He had scarcely slept after what took place yesterday. He had been far too busy taking it all in and making plans, thinking up new questions to ask Demitri and Matthew.
“I’m up!” he yelled down to her as he lunged forward in bed, then looked at his alarm clock. “Oh, man! Why didn’t it go off!?” he shouted as he rushed out of bed and threw on his blue Revolt series t-shirt and some fairly worn jeans. He went ahead and threw his backpack on too, rushing to the kitchen for a quick bite to eat.
“Do you have everything?” Scott’s mom asked while watching him hurry to make some toast.
He got himself a tall glass from the cabinet and answered her as he held open the fridge and poured himself some orange juice. “I think so.”
“You should sit down while you eat,” she told him.
Scott gave out a refreshed and satisfied sigh after gulping down his whole glass of juice. “No time,” he replied, then forced the hardly toasted bread up out of the toaster and hurried along. “Bye, Mom! See you later,” he said as he rushed out the door with plain toast in hand.
Scott ran down the sidewalk, scarfing down his breakfast. He couldn’t wait to be done with school, and with it being a Friday, he knew he’d have the whole weekend to work on his powers and get into the superhero role. He still didn’t really understand how to summon his ability, but he knew somehow in the midst of excitement it would just become clear and burst out.
Scott slowed his pace before reaching the bus stop as a sudden anxiety came in the midst of his thoughts. What if he got excited during lunch hour? Or while playing video games? What if his powers activated and he blew something up without even meaning to? It did happen to his headphones, which was no comfort to him as he slowly reached the stop and noticed his friend Jason was already there.
Jason started grinning, holding his backpack’s straps by his chest as he began shifting side to side.
Scott glanced at him then looked away, feeling overwhelmed with a sense of responsibility and a concern for his lack of control.
“What’s wrong, Scott? Upset that I beat you here for once?” Jason laughed but Scott barely showed notice.
“Yeah, sure,” he mumbled.
“Hey, don’t go all emo on me,” Jason said, clapping his hands against his legs.
“Sorry,” Scott said as he looked up and smiled a little. “I didn’t sleep well, so I guess I’m just tired,” he yawned as the bus pulled up.
“At least you made it. I was beginning to think you were just skipping out,” Jason said as they boarded the bus.
What Scott expected to be a slow day ended up moving along quite quickly, and he became increasingly anxious with each passing hour. He wasn’t the type to worry under normal circumstances, but this was anything but normal. Superpowers that could go off with excitement, heroes that could show up at any time. Though both were unlikely scenarios, Scott found himself thinking about the possibilities without rest.
When Scott arrived home it was no different. He constantly looked at the time, whether it be in his room watching his alarm clock or in the kitchen checking the clock on the oven. He was feeling both anxious and excited about meeting with Demitri and Matthew.
“Are you waiting for something?” Scott’s mom asked as she lowered her magazine and noticed him looking at the clock for the third time within five minutes.
“Oh, uh…” Scott paused, trying to think how to answer. “Not really, I’m just tired.”
“Well if you’re that tired, you should go to bed!” she told him.
“But it’s only eight o’clock!” he said in opposition.
“So? If you get in bed now you might actually wake up at a reasonable time tomorrow,” she replied, lifting her magazine back up to read.
“No way. I’m definitely sleeping in,” he stated.
“All right, that’s fine! I’m just telling you, if you want to, it’s fine for you to go on to bed.” She shrugged as she glanced along the pages.
“I think I’m gonna go watch TV,” he decided.
“Okay. Have fun,” she said as he headed for the hall while his dad was just coming in.
“Hey Scott. Heading to bed already?” his dad asked as he passed him in the hallway.
“What? No! I’m going to watch TV!” he loudly replied.
“Hahaha, I’m just kidding! I overheard you and your mom,” his dad teased.
Scott shook his head and smiled. “You always do that!” His dad grinned as he headed into the kitchen while Scott went into his own room, shutting his door behind him. He felt strangely more relaxed now. He had gotten through the day without any mishaps, so the probability of anything going wrong at this point seemed unlikely.
Scott settled down on his bed, turned his television on with the remote and leaned back on a couple pillows. He began waiting. A couple hours went by and there he was, still waiting. They’ll be here at eleven, right? he pondered to himself, knowing it may very well still be an hour or two before he would see them. The volume on his TV was barely loud enough to hear now, as his parents were likely to be winding down for bed soon.
Scott grew impatient and got out of bed. He began pacing in circles, bored and slightly sleepy. He sat back down on the side of his bed, in case they dropped in soon. He squirmed around in his impatience then took his remote and turned off the television. And so he waited with another ten minutes sluggishly passing by.
What should I ask them first? he contemplated, kicking his feet lightly up and down against the side of his bed. He stood up once more, just to try and keep himself alert. He slowly walked around his room, sliding his hand along the smoothed edges of his wood furniture, then sitting at his desk to draw or doodle. After another fifty minutes he began to get especially anxious. He made his way to the window and casually peeked out through the blinds at the night sky, though there wasn’t much to see due to the bright streetlights throughout the small town.
Scott gave out a sigh, letting his hand drop from the blinds to his side as he lazily turned away. As he completed his turn he gave a start at seeing Demitri in the room with him.
“Dude, don’t do that!” Scott said in a rough whisper to him with a hand over his heart.
“Come on,” he said, offering Scott his hand. Scott grasped it while Demitri used his other hand to press the device on his wrist that teleported them back to Mainframe.
“Welcome back!” Matthew greeted as the two of them stepped off the blue circle onto the reflective white tiles.
“Thanks!” Scott said cheerfully. “So what are the plans for tonight?”
“We were trying to decide between cards or the jumbling tower…” Demitri replied.
“What?” Scott asked.
“Oh, you meant as far as work goes!” he remarked teasingly. “Well first answer me this…” Demitri said, pausing to cross his arms and stare down at Scott more seriously. “Did you tell anyone anything?” he asked, Demitri already knowing full well what the answer was.
“No,” Scott answered somewhat timidly.
“…Good!” Demitri replied cheerfully.
“It’s not like anyone would believe him!” Matthew pointed out.
“Hah, well let’s get right down to business then, shall we? We can go to the training room and give you more tips for mastering your powers, if you’d like,” Demitri offered to Scott.
“Oooooor…we could kick it up a notch,” added Matthew, wanting to make things a bit more interesting.
“Do you mean actually go for a night out on the town? Bagging bad guys and all that?” Scott asked with a somewhat building excitement.
“Not quite,” Demitri answered and Scott’s enthusiasm came to a halt.
“Or helping cats down trees. Whatever you guys do,” Scott murmured.
“Hey! I have yet to help a single cat down any tree!” Matthew retorted.
“And that’s a good thing why?” Scott asked with a smirk.
“Hey, guys!” Demitri interrupted, quieting them both and bringing their focus back to the original topic. “Thank you,” he said calmly. “Now then, what Matthew was getting at is that we could actually set Mainframe’s training room to fire on us. I’m not just thinking of holograms but a mode that would let you know when you’ve been hit,” Demitri explained.
Scott was now giving his full attention to the idea. “Wait, why would we do that? Doesn’t it hurt?” Scott asked.
“Worse than the sting of a wasp,” Matthew replied and Demitri nodded.
“Well…that’s not so bad!” Scott said.
Matthew stared at him with a hidden scowl for a brief moment, “Have you ever even been stung?”
“Pffft, yeah!” Scott said, brushing it off as nothing.
Demitri snickered. “As Matthew said, this is a bit worse. Well, as far as immediate pain goes, but I’m sure it’s nothing you couldn’t handle,” he assured Scott. “Now then, we have to make this fair,” Demitri said while scanning the walls for gear Scott could use. “Then again, you might just end up destroying that equipment. How about this! Matthew and I won’t use our armor or weapons of any kind. We’ll all be relying on our powers alone,” Demitri proposed.
“I guess.” Matthew shrugged, then pulled his helmet off. “I wish you had thought of that before I put it all on,” he complained while Scott stood silently, seeing what Matthew looked like under his armor for the very first time. Demitri then pulled his helmet off and placed it on the wall. He had a healthy and young appearance, not quite as old as Scott had maybe imagined at their first meeting.
“This thing actually gets in my way sometimes,” Demitri said as he unhooked his cape from his armor and hung it up.
“Uhm…how old are you guys?” Scott asked.
“Why? How old do I look!?” Matthew snapped, causing Scott to look apologetic. That was quickly cured as Matthew grinned afterwards and got back to removing his armor.
“I’m twenty-three and Matthew is twenty-one,” Demitri answered, having hung up the last of his armor alongside Matthew’s.
“Okay. Just curious,” Scott said.
“So, what are we waiting for?” Matthew remarked, assuming the lead and heading to the wall to activate the elevator. Scott and Demitri followed him in, Scott wondering just how bad it could really hurt to get shot by one of their lasers, but hiding any such thoughts with a confident smile.
“Oh, Scott, how was school?” Demitri asked, creating some small talk while waiting to reach the training room.
Scott paused as if the question caught him off guard, then he shrugged. “Meh,” he responded, just before the reverberating clank that indicated they had reached the ground.
“Let’s do this!” Matthew said eagerly as he headed out of the elevator first, taking an immediate left to set the room. He pulled the lever to turn on all the lights and got right to bringing out the machines. “How long do we want to go for?”
“Set it for ten minutes on a lighter mode,” Demitri commanded.
“You sure? We could go for something a bit harder since there are three of us,” Matthew commented.
“No, make it easy for round one. This is Scott’s first real time around, let’s not overwhelm him,” Demitri said.
“I’ll be fine. I mean it’s not like they can kill me or anything.” Scott said, rubbing at his neck upon ending his sentence.
“Oh, they can,” Matthew teased, setting the training room as Demitri instructed.
“Matthew…” Demitri said in a lecturing tone, then looked at Scott. “They can’t kill you but believe me when I say you don’t want to get hit. It hurts,” he warned and Scott’s eyes widened when Demitri looked away.
“Okay, all set! It’ll start in one minute, so be ready,” Matthew said as he did a quick sprint away from the wall’s control panel. “Oh hey, the goal is to knockout the machines with red lights. We take all of those down and we win,” he explained to Scott.
“What if we can’t take them all down? Do they just keep shooting at us?” Scott asked.
“It’s time based. If we don’t finish off the machines within ten minutes, the training course will end automatically,” Demitri clarified. “Also, Matthew and I will be helping out, so I doubt it’s even going to last for five,” he said confidently. The sound of a buzzer went off, indicating that the session was starting.
“Here goes!” Matthew remarked.
Not all of the machines lit up, but the ones that did were either marked with a blue light or with red. There were a total of ten red machines, one for every minute set, and each with only one gun mounted on the side or top.
The first two fired off at the same time, one aiming for Demitri, the other for Scott. Demitri rolled across the cold metal surface, dodging the white laser and using his powers to hide. Scott on the other hand fell backwards, avoiding the laser but hurting his rump, to the point that he pondered whether it was worth it. With a glance back up Scott saw yet another machine aiming for him. He scurried across the floor, crawling behind a blue-lit machine as the red one fired at him, barely missing his leg. Scott peered around his cover to see Matthew running towards the one that just shot at him. When he got near, he pulled a force field around himself, blocking two shots on his right and one from the machine just in front of him. He then dropped the field and swiveled around the machine, pulling wires from its back before it could turn or respond.
Scott leaned back against the blue-lit machine. It seemed to him he would be safe there long enough to get something worked up to take out a mechanism, but on the other side of his shield the floor opened up under a red-lit machine for it to descend into as a way of moving position, and when it came up it was right in front of Scott. His eyes widened when he saw the floor open up and when the machine started to rise his heart beat faster. It locked its gun on him but he pulled himself together and lunged at it. Just a brief second of what seemed like slow motion overtook Scott as he grabbed the barrel of the gun, then an immediate explosion followed, destroying the top part of the machine as Scott pulled his hand back unharmed.
He began to smile with confidence as he rose to his feet, looking down at the smoldering machine, but then an unexpected shot from behind hit the back of Scott’s right arm.
“ARGH!” he yelped as he clutched it and turned quickly to see it. He turned just in time to see Demitri appear behind the machine that had shot him, stomping a foot against it and brutally ripping its cords out, to the point of disrepair. Scott then noticed Matthew had lowered his guard as the other machines had already been dealt with.
“You okay?” Demitri asked, taking his foot down and relaxing his shoulders a bit as the victorious sound of success was rung through the room by a buzzer.
“Yeah,” Scott replied, releasing his arm. To his surprise the pain quickly ceased, but the fact that he had been hit at all made him feel somewhat discouraged.
“You did good, Scott. Even if you did hide for most of it,” Matthew said. Though his words didn’t exactly comfort, Scott smiled all the same.
“Thanks, I guess,” Scott said with a certain emphasis to show his displeasure.
“You did fine,” Demitri assured him, then led the way to the elevator.
Scott watched the elevator appear and stepped on it with the others. “So that’s it?” he asked.
“Yeah, that’s it for tonight. Just a quick round. We can’t do too many in one night or you’ll blow up all of our machines!” Demitri laughed.
“Yeah, and you ripping them up with your bare hands is a whole lot better,” Matthew remarked sarcastically.
Scott reflected briefly over the battle as the elevator went up. “Uh, hey. How is it the machines didn’t shoot at you when you went invisible? I mean, if you just make illusions or whatever,” Scott asked Demitri.
“I said I create illusions, true, but I never said that was all. I’m able to mess with motion detectors, cameras, things like that. I’m…honestly not completely sure why my powers have an effect on machines, they just do,” Demitri said.
“That’s so cool,” Scott said, almost coveting it as the elevator stopped and they reached the main floor. With the pause in activity, Scott decided it would be a good time to ask more questions. He thought over the many he had come up with last night, trying to decide where to start. “Hey, Demitri…” he began slowly, making sure he had his attention before asking anything.
“What’s up?” Demitri asked.
“I was wondering, where do our powers come from?”
“Ah, good question. Believe it or not, you were more than likely born with this ability, but like many things it needed time to fully develop,” Demitri told him.
“So wait, if we’re born with these powers, then couldn’t you see everyone in the world who has them?” Scott probed further.
“No, not quite. It’s sort of like having three different stages to the abilities, the first being when they’re still in development. Mainframe can’t detect them during that stage. The second stage is when they’re developed and just inactive, like ours are right now. Mainframe can pick them up, but only during a special scan. We run one of those every Sunday to see what it gathers,” Demitri explained.
“Makes sense.” Scott nodded.
“And lastly, there’s the active stage. I believe I mentioned something about that when you first came here, but Mainframe signals when someone is actively using their powers, homing in on their exact location. It’s just a visual signal on screen, so we have to be watching for it when it happens, but we have Mainframe set to monitor and record whenever possible. Of course, you’d have to be somewhere out in the open for Mainframe to record you, but you get the idea,” Demitri said, ending his explanation.
“Yeah, okay. I was just wondering though, are we the only people in the world right now with superpowers?” Scott asked with growing curiosity.
“Nope!” Matthew answered. “I asked the same thing when I was new to all of this.”
“It’s true, there are a handful of others out there,” Demitri replied.
“Whoa, wait! Why aren’t they here, then?” Scott questioned.
“Not everyone speaks English, kid,” Matthew indelicately remarked.
“Well there’s the language barrier, true, but also there tends to be a time zone and lifestyle clash. While we’re working at midnight it would be eating up someone else’s afternoon, and some people are just too busy to add something like this to their lives,” Demitri said.
“Hmm, being busy never helped me get out of it!” Matthew disputed.
“Hey, you were the first person Mainframe picked up that actually lived in the United States. There was no way I’d let you off the hook,” Demitri told him.
Scott held his hand up to his chin as he thought on the answers they gave. “So we’re the only people in the United States with powers then?”
“As far as fully developed goes, yes,” Demitri answered.
“Just us three,” Matthew added.
“Cool!” Scott applauded with one loud clap then suddenly gave out a yawn. Scott noticed Demitri looking at him and his somewhat sleepy eyes and mannerisms.
“I think we should call it a night,” he said.
“What? Already?” Matthew and Scott reacted nearly at the same time.
“Hey, we’ll meet up tomorrow night,” Demitri assured them.
“Oh right! Saturday! I almost forgot about bowling,” Matthew recalled.
“Bowling?” Scott questioned.
“Yes, every other Saturday we get together and go bowling. There’s this particular alley we go to that’s open till midnight but almost always empty by ten. We get the place all to ourselves,” Demitri explained with a smile.
“Yeah, we can’t work all the time. Heroes gotta rest, too!” Matthew added casually as he leaned back against the wall.
“I’ve yet to see you work at all,” Scott snidely remarked and Matthew lost his balance for a brief moment.
“That’s because we have to babysit you, kiddo,” Matthew replied with a sound of warning to his voice.
Demitri shook his head and gave just a slight eye roll at their squabbling. “All right, you two. Scott, will you be able to join us?”
“For bowling at ten? Sure!” he agreed cheerfully.
“All right then, let’s call it a night and meet up tomorrow,” Demitri determined to which Scott agreed and willingly went on his way, teleporting back to his room.
Matthew crossed his arms and simply gave Demitri a suspicious smile. “Seems awfully early to call a quits. And without even checking around for anything interesting to do?” he mused.
“Scott needs his rest. Though that’s not to say you and I can’t go for a run,” Demitri commented.
“What about you calling it a night?” he questioned.
“Just on Scott’s training, Matthew. You didn’t really think I’d let you off the hook two nights in a row, did you?” Demitri grinned as he pulled his armor off the wall and slipped it on over his chest.
“Not for a second,” Matthew said, taking what was his and putting it on.
The two went about their usual routine that night, excluding Scott from their little venture without his knowing. There wasn’t much time spent tapping calls before one caught their interest. The caller was from a rural area, claiming he caught a teenager in his home making off with some of his goods. The description of a gray hoodie and blue jeans was more than enough for Demitri and Matthew to work with, and the two wasted no time in answering the call.
“Think we’ll catch this thief before the cops even get to the house?” Matthew asked as Demitri used Mainframe to locate him.
“Oh, I know we will,” he replied confidently as he set the coordinates to teleport. “Let’s go!” he commanded and off they went.
As one could undoubtedly guess, the young thief didn’t get too far. He was running on foot, avoiding roads and passing through a cornfield with little to no light. He was confident in the direction he was headed, as if he had planned and practiced that path continuously. Seeing the shadowy shapes of trees ahead, he pulled out a flashlight and slowed his pace to catch his breath. As he approached the end of the tall corn, however, he would soon wish he had kept running. Demitri was standing just ahead, but the young thief remained blissfully unaware of his presence, that is until Demitri grabbed his arm from the side and cuffed the now panicking teen, pushing his back so he came to the ground on his knees.
Matthew came running out from the trees ahead. “I’ll take that!” he said as he reached the two and snatched away the thief’s plunder, which was held in a beige-colored bag. Demitri was checking him for any weaponry, but as expected for the quick-to-flee thief, there was nothing more than his flashlight, cell phone and car keys.
The scared and confused teenager tried to make them out with the light from the moon as his flashlight now laid in the dirt. The light shimmered on their armor but in no way reflected off of the fitted material underneath or Demitri’s dark cape. The armor was enough to tell, though. They were no cops.
“Who are you guys!?” the thief shouted, squirming around on the ground below.
Demitri pulled him up off the ground and looked him straight in the eye through the visor of his helmet.
“Justice,” Demitri answered. The young thief shook with fear despite his best efforts to look bravely back at him.
“So, what do you say we do with him? Tie him to a tree? Leave him for the cops? Or perhaps we could cuff him to the front porch of his angry neighbor? If they really are neighbors, I’m sure the guy would go easy on him,” Matthew said. “Or…maybe we should take care of him…” he threatened, then took only a moment to charge up a force field which brightly reflected the moon’s glow.
“No, please! I won’t do it again, I swear! You can take the stuff, just let me go!” he begged fearfully.
Demitri signaled for Matthew to stop, then looked down at the thief as the force field lowered.
“See that you don’t,” Demitri said sternly. He then quickly and effortlessly removed the handcuffs and gave him a push backwards, to which the thief stumbled off balance but didn’t fall. “Go,” Demitri commanded, and the young thief hastily grabbed his flashlight and ran as fast as he could.
Matthew just stood there in shock for a moment before Demitri gave a sigh and shook his head.
“What was that?” Matthew asked blankly.
“What was what?” Demitri asked back, crossing his arms as he still gazed off in the direction of the young thief.
“You let him GO!?” Matthew thundered with incomprehension to Demitri’s decision.
“Yeah,” Demitri replied as he began fiddling with the device on his arm, as if he were about to teleport back to Mainframe.
“Why would you do that?” Matthew asked in bewilderment.
“It was pretty dark out. Did you see him at all?” Demitri asked in response.
“What?” Matthew puzzled.
“He was just some scared kid. Probably the same age as Scott,” Demitri said, looking at Matthew.
Matthew smacked himself in the forehead. “You can’t just let someone go because of that! He needs to be punished for stealing.”
“Are you sure punishment is what he needs?” Demitri asked, then held up his arm to signal they should teleport. “Come on. We need to hurry up and get those things back to their rightful owner,” he commanded.
Matthew just shook his head. “Fine, step to it, then,” he replied, then the two of them teleported back to Mainframe. Once there, they reset the destination, then they teleported again, this time to the caller’s house. They placed the bag of goods on his front porch, but had to make a hasty retreat as the caller noticed people outside and was swiftly and angrily going to investigate.
When they made their way back to Mainframe’s main room, they pulled off their helmets and straightened their hair with their hands.
“…Okay, seriously. What was with that whole ‘justice’ line? I thought we went over that,” Matthew suddenly brought up.
“We did. You just didn’t come up with anything better,” Demitri replied and they both started to grin as Matthew shook his head.
“And you say I’m something.”
The rest of that night was much like the previous, with Matthew leaving and Demitri shutting things down. A new day was waiting just around the corner.
​
CHAPTER FOUR
A RISING TEAM
The morning sun crept over the rooftops of the closely neighbored buildings, light glistening down upon dew covered grass and warmly entering through the welcoming windows with their open blinds and curtains. Scott was already wide awake, enjoying his favorite Saturday morning cartoons. Something felt a bit different this week, however. A most curious feeling came over him as he watched the television screen with its flickering scenes of action in one of the popular superhero cartoons. It was the same sort of great feat and excitement that took place in just about every episode, but this time Scott watched more attentively than ever before. He couldn’t help imagining the situations to be real and what it might be like to go through such trials with his own superpowers. The idea that any of it could take place made his heart pound with excitement.
When cartoons were finished he got himself dressed and headed to the kitchen for breakfast. His dad was sitting at the table reading the paper and his mom could be heard pacing about the house as she was getting ready to go out shopping. Scott poured himself a bowl of cereal and sat down at the table with his dad, looking at the back of the cereal box.
“Scott, do you know what you want for your birthday?” his mom asked as she walked past them to a mirror and touched up her hair.
“Not really,” he replied before taking a bite of his breakfast.
“Are there any video games you want?” his dad asked, lowering his paper for a moment to glance over at him.
“Nope,” he answered between another spoonful of cereal.
“Well there must be something. It’s your sixteenth birthday, so if you want to ask for something a little nicer than usual you can,” his dad offered.
“Liiiiiiiiike a car?” Scott grinned as he peered over at his father.
“Liiiiiiiiike no,” his dad replied as he opened his paper back up and got back to reading.
“Like no, but not actually a no, right?” Scott said, still smiling.
“Like no, as in not a chance,” his dad answered.
Scott’s mom walked into the dining area and shook her head over their silliness. “Scott, have you invited everyone you want to have over? If there’s anyone else, you’ll need to act soon.”
“I already invited Angela, Jason, Greg, Daniel, Amanda annnnnd...Pat. I’m good,” he assured her.
“If you’re sure they’re the only ones you want over, that’s fine. Now, when you seriously think of something you want, let me know,” she said.
“Hey, I was just being serious!” Scott replied, gesturing with both his hands defensively before sticking his spoon back into his bowl.
“Realistically,” his mom replied. “I want an answer soon, okay?”
“Okay.” Scott agreed, but thinking about anything aside from his secret was no easy task. His superpowers, Mainframe, and his new friends—whether he was texting, doing chores, playing games or anything else for that matter—those were the things on his mind all day.
When evening came Scott sat in his room, patiently waiting for Demitri. He was thankful that their activities took place at night rather than day, as this made it easy to avoid any suspicion from his parents.
Demitri soon appeared wearing a red dress shirt and black slacks. It was the first time Scott had seen him dressed in something aside from his hero equipment. Even when he had taken the armor off the other night he was still clad in the fitted black and dark red uniform.
“Ready to go?” Demitri asked in a whisper, adjusting his right sleeve, which had the device they used for teleportation hidden underneath it.
“Yeah, but uh, was I supposed to dress up? We’re just going bowling, right?” Scott asked, glancing down at his usual white hoodie, his casual blue jeans with holes worn through the knees and his old tennis shoes.
“Yes, this is just the way I usually dress. Don’t worry about it,” Demitri assured him.
“O-kaaay. Well let’s go,” Scott said and Demitri activated the device on his forearm, transporting them to Mainframe. There Matthew stood, waiting as usual. Scott noticed his casual t-shirt which proudly proclaimed his favorite sports team on the front and back. “Well it’s nice to see someone else here dressed casually. Demitri had me worried at first when he popped in all dressed up and stuff,” Scott said as he carelessly waved his arms back and forth.
“Dressed up? Ha, no. Demitri’s version of dressed up is a full-on suit and tie with his crazy hair slicked back,” Matthew laughed. “That right there is his version of casual. Because he’s a weirdo,” he added smugly.
“Shall we go?” Demitri asked, changing the subject.
“Heh heh, all right!” Scott agreed and the three set the teleport and left for the bowling alley. Of course it was a different sort of alley they teleported down to.
“Uhm… this does not look right,” Scott observed upon arriving to a cold concrete street hidden behind worn brick buildings. The light was very dim and flickering. The area was altogether rundown and vacant.
“This is right. We can’t just pop into the bowling alley or someone might see us. This is the safest way of travel when we’re not dressed for our other nightly activity,” Demitri explained, referring to their duties as heroes. “Now then, follow me,” he said, leading the way out from the dark alley and to the sidewalk along the main streets. The streetlights shined a brilliant and welcoming orange light that reflected in small puddles on the sides of the road. Scott observed the puddles of light, thinking how fantastic it was that they could go from one place to another with the click of a button.
The three arrived at their destination after a brief walk and went inside. Just as Demitri and Matthew had said, it was practically empty. There was only one lane in use, with just a few people wrapping up a late night game.
Demitri took care of renting a lane, paying the cost for all three of them.
“Oh, I have some money on me,” Scott said and began reaching into his pocket to pay Demitri back.
“No need. I already covered it,” he said, unconcerned.
“Are you sure? I can pay you back,” Scott assured him and Matthew started to laugh. “What?” Scott questioned.
“Pheh, nothing,” Matthew replied and Demitri smirked just slightly.
“Don’t worry about it,” Demitri said to Scott. “All right, let’s go do some bowling!” he exclaimed as he marched ahead toward their lane. The three had a most relaxing and pleasant night along with some over enthused rants—then gloats—then more rants from Matthew. Scott maybe didn’t score as well, but he held a good game when considering his lesser amount of experience. In the end, Demitri was victorious but remained quite humble. Perhaps it was due to Matthew’s over-the-top gloating that took place most of the night through, or perhaps it was just his usual good nature. In any case, the three all went back to Mainframe in good spirits, and all three left for home feeling the same way.
On the following day Demitri ran his weekly search for those with inactive powers, though he started it a bit later than usual. By evening when the team was together Mainframe’s scan was complete, but they were quite distracted from it. Scott cautiously considered his next move. They all knew things could go in any direction at this point, and Scott’s decision could very well spell the end. He glanced first at Matthew, then at Demitri, finally making up his mind.
“Demitri,” he began, looking Demitri right in the eye then glancing down. “Got any eights?”
“Go fish,” Demitri answered and Scott reached for another card, pulling out a ten.
“Aha!” Matthew laughed. “Got any eights, Scott?” he mocked.
“Argh!” Scott groaned as he reluctantly handed his eight to Matthew. Their game carried on in Matthew’s favor, but not one gave in until the end, when his victory was finally sealed.
“And Matthew wins his third round,” Scott pouted as he leaned to the side and rested his head in his hand.
“What can I say, I’m the fishing king!” Matthew gloated.
“Well let’s see if we can’t take that title from you,” Demitri challenged as he gathered the cards from the floor and reshuffled.
Scott lifted his head up and stretched his arms a bit. “So when are we going to check for new recruits?” he asked as Demitri was dealing the cards.
“We could check now if you’d like,” he offered.
“Well doesn’t it need to scan or something first?” Scott asked, sitting up straight.
“It does, but I started the scan already, late this afternoon. It should be done…” Demitri replied and got up to check. “Hm…”
“What’s up?” Matthew asked.
“Nope. No one found,” Demitri said, then sat back down and picked up his hand of cards.
“Aww…” Scott moaned in disappointment.
“No surprise,” Matthew said. “I mean, look at us! It’s obvious there aren’t a whole lot of people born with some freaky, mutated powers.”
“Not ‘freaky mutated,’ Matthew. These powers are a blessing,” Demitri corrected.
“Yeah, yeah, but my point is they still aren’t at all normal. Not a lot of peeps out there would exactly accept our ‘blessings’ you know,” Matthew said, glancing over his cards. “Got any eights, Scott?” he asked teasingly to which Scott smirked.
“GO FISH,” answered Scott smugly in an almost insulting tone of voice.
“There are a lot of things the world doesn’t accept, Matt. A lot of good things,” Demitri said. “You are right, though, that most people would probably look at us in a negative light. It’s strange how people can be so quick to reject those that come only to save them,” Demitri mused. “…Got any fours, Matt?” he asked and Matthew handed him a card.
“It’s because no one wants to own up to anything,” Matthew commented.
So the evening went for at least three more rounds of Go Fish before the team went through two training sessions and called it a night. And so went the rest of the new week, with Scott waking early for school and staying up late for hero training. He had only one night in which he cancelled due to conflicts in schedule, but with Matthew missing two days that week, he didn’t feel too bad about it.
When Friday came, Scott received a very special gift from his new friends.
“You’ve been here just over a week now. I wanted to present you with this,” Demitri explained and revealed a device like the one he and Matthew had on their forearms. It was silver in color, just like Matthew’s. “My uncle put this together for you. It will take you right here to Mainframe, so I’ll no longer have to pop in and startle you for pick up.” He smiled as he handed the device down.
Scott’s face lit up as he took the device from Demitri and linked in around his arm. “Aw, cool!” he cheered, then Demitri quickly explained how to set it for teleporting.
“We call it the Communications Cuff. C-Cuff for short. You’ll be able to use it like a phone. It even has a line just for contacting Mainframe and both of us, no matter where we are. But don’t use it unless it’s an emergency,” he instructed.“Now then…there’s something else we have for you,” Demitri mentioned after his explanation. Matthew opened the elevator, revealing a large suitcase sitting inside, which he then wheeled out and over to Scott.
“Open it up, kiddo,” he told him and Scott got right down on his knees to unzip it.
“No way!” Scott exclaimed, pulling out his own hero uniform and armor.
“Congratulations, Scott. You’re officially a part of the team now,” Demitri said.
Scott’s new armor was lustrous silver like Matthew’s. He let the armor sit in the suitcase while he held the uniform up to himself. It was all one piece from the neck downward, and fitted like Demitri and Matthew’s, though dark gray in color and with orange details.
“Do you like it?” Demitri asked.
“It’s awesome!” Scott cheerfully exclaimed.
“Good! Oh, there’s one more thing…” Demitri noted, then bent down and dug through the armor to the bottom of the suitcase. “Here,” he said and handed Scott a belt that had three light gray balls attached to the right side.
“What’s this?” Scott asked as he took it.
“Heavy artillery for you!” Matthew commented.
“Haha, well, I talked with my uncle about your particular gift of making things explode. He came up with these. If you ignite and toss them, they’ll make smoke like crazy. It’s really just as a cover or to create confusion if we’re ever in a tight spot, but it will be a big help at times, I’m sure,” Demitri explained.
“Cool!” Scott said gleefully.
“Oh yeah, make sure you wear that when you come tomorrow,” Demitri said in reference to his uniform.“As for the armor, you’re welcome to hang it up next to ours. We did a little rearranging and made a spot for it.”
“Okay,” Scott agreed. “But wait, tomorrow’s Saturday, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, but we went bowling last week if that’s what you’re thinking,” Matthew commented. “We only do that every other week.”
“Ah, right,” Scott said, then got back to checking out his outfit and armor. He was ecstatic about having his own costume and could hardly wait to try it on.
He threw the uniform over his shoulder as he lifted his helmet up to wear it. It was a perfect fit. He was able to see out while no one else could see in. Once he took it off to mount on the wall, he noticed two empty areas with hooks for hanging armor, rather than just one.
“Uh…Demitri?” Scott questioned as he held his helmet to the wall but hesitated to hang it up.
“What is it?”
“Why are there two empty armor spots?” Scott asked.
“Oh! We went ahead and made two just in case we find ourselves another recruit. It will save us from any hassle later down the line,” Demitri explained.
“Hopefully,” Matthew added doubtfully, as if he thought it unlikely someone else would be joining anytime soon.
“For a second I was wondering if there was something you weren’t telling me!” Scott laughed, then hung his helmet in the empty area to the right of Matthew’s. “It looks good having our armor all set in the order of when we joined!” Scott remarked as he placed the rest of his armor on the wall, careful to make sure he caught the hooks before letting go.
“Yep,” Matthew agreed.
Demitri was distracted with checking the time. He went ahead and set the teleport to take Scott home. “I know we only just got here, but we really only wanted to give you your gear,” he told Scott as the portal to take him home lit up. “We have something big planned for tomorrow, so you’ll need to get some sleep.”
“I’m the one who needs sleep!” Matthew yawned and stretched both arms into the air. “I’ve been so busy with school lately.”
Scott gave a smile and waved goodbye to both of them. “Okay, see you tomorrow! I’m looking forward to it!” he said merrily and headed in to take his leave with his uniform and C-Cuff.
“Same here,” Demitri commented.“See you tomorrow Scott. Goodnight.”
Matthew drowsily added a “G’night.” just before Scott was gone.
* * * * *
​
Demitri got right to setting the teleporter for Matthew after Scott was gone.“So you really think the kid is ready?” Matthew asked, sluggishly walking through the room.
“Yeah. I even deactivated the bugs I had placed in his house. He’s trust worthy,” Demitri answered, glancing over Mainframe’s smaller screens.
“That’s not really what I meant,” Matthew commented and Demitri paused a moment in thought.
“…We won’t do anything that has too high of a risk,” he replied.
“What do you have in mind? I mean, most things that require intervention could be chancy, how can we be sure it’s safe?” Matthew questioned.
“I’ll wait until I find something minor. Who knows, for his first mission we might go help a cat down a tree.” Demitri smirked then activated Mainframe’s teleport.
Matthew rolled his eyes. “And you still remember that,” he commented, walking into the blue light. “Later,” he said, ready to depart.
“Bye,” Demitri replied and off Matthew went. Demitri handled the rest, just as he did every night, then left to rest for the new day ahead.
* * * * *
​
A cloudy Saturday morning came, and for the first time in a long time, Scott wasn’t wide awake before his parents. He didn’t bother to turn on his television for cartoons, nor did he even get out of bed until it was nearly noon. It wasn’t a lack of motivation, but rather a plan to catch up on some much-needed sleep.
When Scott finally got up he went to get his breakfast still wearing what he had slept in. He felt drowsy, but he was looking forward to what the new day may hold in store for him, and even more so what the evening might hold.
His mom was at the table looking over the mail when Scott walked in.
“Hey mom…?” he began in a groggy voice.
“Oh, good morning! I didn’t even hear you were up. Did you not watch cartoons this morning?” she asked, putting aside what she had been reading.
“No. Um, I was gonna say, I think I know what I’d like for my birthday.”
“Oh really? What?” she inquired. Scott smiled and sat down at the table across from her, combing his fingers through his hair, which had been showing a severe case of bed head before his doing so.
“I was thinking,” he began, quickly becoming much more animated. “Maybe you guys could get me some artist pens and stuff along those lines? Either art pens or a tablet for the comp.”
“Artist stuff?” his mom remarked in slight surprise. “Well, do you need a new sketchbook?” she asked.
“No, I was actually thinking I would like to start a comic, but I need some supplies. We have computer programs that are good for coloring, but I’m better at drawing and stuff when I do it by hand,” Scott explained.
“We could probably get you some stuff to help with that. No guarantees, of course! Your presents are still a surprise,” she told him with a sly smile. “So what kind of comic do you want to do?”
“I was thinking a web comic,” Scott answered, scooting his chair out to get up.
“Okay, but what’s it going to be about?” she questioned further.
“Superheroes!” he replied enthusiastically before going over to a cabinet to look for breakfast. His mother collected the mail up from the table into her hands before scooting out from the table herself and rising to her feet.
“Sounds fun! I’ll talk to your dad about it,” she told him. She gave a gentle smile before looking back down at her letters and envelopes, leaving the room, distracted and busy.
Scott hurried to eat his meal, as he was feeling a growing urge to draw. A feeling of inspiration was welling up inside of him. The concept he had for his comic book series was an idea he couldn’t wait to dive into.
When he had finished eating, he got some sheets of paper and headed for his room. Once inside he sat at his desk, laying the paper out and taking one of his school pencils from his notebook to use for his art. He began sketching out his vision of a cover. On it would soon be three heroes; young men of the night who were always careful to avoid the watchful eye of the public…
“…Done!” he said at last, setting his pencil to the side of his drawing. The next thing he looked into was setting up a website for it. He used the shared desktop his family had for that, deciding to multitask while he was at it, scanning his artwork and running searches online. Though his art was only a penciled sketch, he was much too anxious about getting started to worry on whether or not he would have nice pens soon.
Scott spent most of his day either online or at his desk drawing, working solely on his comic book, though he did take some time for snacks. When it came time to setup his website, he took some time to do up a banner for it in color, though colored only with markers as the computer mouse proved too difficult and frustrating for him to use.
Nearing the end of a long day, his dedication paid off. He had a simple site to start off with, consisting of a few character sketches posted on one page, while storyboards with text about the concept of his comic were placed on another. The name of his website matched that of his comic. It was a name he chose based on the fact that he wouldn’t be seen as a hero outside of his comics, but within them, he could show the world what he was made of. He would be known only as the name suggests; a Comic Book Hero.
The evening came fast and Scott dressed in his uniform, ready for whatever the training room might have in store. He held off on announcing his new comic to any of his friends, planning to keep his site a secret until he could finish and post the first chapter.
When he felt completely prepared, he set the C-Cuff on his arm, feeling only a bit nervous as to whether or not it would work. With little delay it teleported him to Mainframe, just as smoothly as Demitri’s always had.
Demitri was in the room, wearing all but his helmet, though Matthew had yet to arrive.
“Oh, Scott, welcome!” Demitri said before looking back at Mainframe’s screens and typing something in.
“Where’s Matt?” Scott asked as he walked over to peek at the monitor screens.
“He’s coming. He’ll be here in just a bit,” Demitri replied, still focused on his task.
“Kay. Soooo, whatcha doin’?” Scott asked casually.
“Looking for a good starting point,” he said with a pause to smile at Scott. Scott stared blankly, unsure what he meant. “Hah, tonight’s the big night, after all. No training room. We’re going to take you on your very first mission,” Demitri told him.
Scott’s eyes widened a bit. “Really?” he questioned in suspense.
“Really,” Demitri answered, continuing his searches over the United States for a good first mission.
“YES!” Scott exclaimed with a leap into the air.
“Haha, why don’t you go put on your armor?” Demitri suggested, to which Scott happily obliged.
The teleport had a faint glimmer of light come forth as Matthew entered the room. “Hey guys! What’s up?” Matthew said as he walked over by Scott to grab his armor off the wall.
“We’re going on a mission!” Scott replied with enthusiasm.
“Well I knew that much,” Matthew said as he got on the floor to put his armor on around his legs.
“Well I didn’t. This is a first for me,” Scott remarked as he finished outfitting himself.
“All right, guys!” Demitri said, waving his hand to motion them over while his eyes seemed glued to the screen in front of him. Scott was quick to respond to the call and Matthew took only a moment extra. “It looks like we have a couple vandals on our hands,” Demitri said, referring them to the screen which showed a young man and a young woman, both painting graffiti over parked cars.
“How’d you find them?” Matthew asked.
“Took some looking around,” Demitri said as he went to get his helmet.“I found reports of graffiti being put on both public and private property, and as you can imagine those who’ve been hit by it are pretty unhappy,” he said as he got his helmet on then went to get some handcuffs. He also took something else from the wall and slipped it behind his back, hidden well beneath his cape.
“So what are we going to do?” Scott asked as he looked around, trying to figure out where he should be while Demitri set things up for their departure.
“We stop them before they get their dirty little prints over the hoods of more rides!” Matthew answered and Demitri signaled for them to both get into the teleporter. It was now cast in a blue light, showing it was ready to go.
“Ready, Scott?” Demitri asked before they took their leave.
“I’m not completely sure what to do,” he answered honestly.
“We’ll shake them up a bit, you’ll cuff them, then I’ll call the cops and we’ll head back here,” Demitri replied, handing Scott the handcuffs he had taken from the wall. The three aspiring heroes then departed, arriving just a short distance from the vandals they planned to stop. Matthew leaned out from behind the large truck which was their current cover. It was dark, but there were some streetlights that lit the sidewalks along the large brick buildings.
“Okay, what's the plan, boss?” he asked Demitri in a whisper.
“I'll go get behind them first. If they try to run, I'll catch one. You get the fun job of confrontation,” Demitri explained quietly.
“In other words, I ask them to stop then chase them when they take off running,” Matthew replied.
“If they take off running...” Demitri said.
“When do I jump in?” Scott asked enthusiastically and Matthew shushed him for being loud.
“Oh, I've got an idea. If they try and run, I'll catch the girl and Scott can throw one of his smoke bombs in front of the guy to slow him down,” Demitri suggested.
“All right, let's do it,” Matthew said and Demitri vanished.
“Give me fifteen seconds,” the now invisible Demitri said. Scott and Matthew heard a very faint scuffle on the ground from where he was, followed by utter silence.
“How is he so quiet?” Scott asked but Matthew only hushed him again.
“Shh, I'm counting,” Matthew said, looking to see where the vandals were. “Let's move in a little closer. Remember to throw your smoke bomb ahead of the guy,” he instructed and Scott confirmed he understood with a nod. The two began to move in, staying low to the ground and trying not to make too much noise. They were successful in staying unnoticed.
The young man they were after was making a remark as he painted over a tire and the girl with him giggled. That’s when the delinquents’ idea of fun was interrupted by Matthew, who stood up on the other side of the vehicle they just vandalized.
“I hope you plan on paying for that,” he said and both of the scandals flinched, surprised by his sudden appearance and intervention. The young man then looked indignant and unimpressed while the young woman took a few steps backwards, trying to hide her face as she slinked behind her accomplice.
“Who is this guy?” she asked in a whisper. The young man ignored her question, however. He obviously didn’t take Matthew seriously once he got a good look at his costume.
“Why? This your car, geek?” he asked, then took his spray-paint and streaked it across the hood with a smirk.
Matthew charged around the left side of the vehicle and the vandal who had mocked him was quick to run off to the right. He didn’t notice Scott, however, who had carefully gone ahead to hide around the corner of a near building. He began preparing a smoke device when he heard them running his way.
The vandal had signaled the girl with him to run with a tap on her arm just before he darted, but she was immediately stopped and started screaming something had her. He looked back for only a moment to see Matthew rushing toward him, while she was struggling to break free from seemingly nothing. To his dismay, when he looked ahead again, thick smoke suddenly arose and he halted with a pounding heart and confusion.
“Ha!” Matthew shouted as he caught the man from behind and yanked him backwards. He put up a good struggle, but Scott was quick to run over to help cuff him. “That’s what you get for mouthing off to me!” Matthew said smugly. His triumph was overshadowed by more screams from the young woman Demitri had. “Aren’t you supposed to be helping him?” Matthew asked Scott who seemed frozen in place and unsure what to do.
“Oh, right!” he responded and hurried over to help Demitri, who was still invisible to them.
The girl began to scream to Scott for help in her distress and bewilderment, which caused Scott to freeze up yet again. He stood still holding the handcuffs in front of himself in almost a sort of defense.
“PLEASE HELP! I don’t know what’s got me!” the girl screamed, practically going into hysterics. Demitri then made himself visible.
“Come on!” he ordered but Scott hesitated. Demitri had both of her hands behind her back now. “Calm down! Just calm down!” he told her as she was trying to fall to the ground to get out of his grip.
Scott came in closer and cuffed her, then stepped back and stared while Demitri leaned down with her, letting go of her arms and gripping her by the shoulders in a gentle but firm hold.
“Hey, hey, shhh,” Demitri was saying, to try and calm her. Meanwhile, Matthew was still at the corner of the building, making a call to the cops with his C-Cuff on one arm while holding the guy he caught in a headlock with the other. The girl had stopped screaming by now but had tears running down her face.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the cops showed up after all this noise… I’m surprised no one’s responded to all of this,” Scott commented quietly, then glanced over at Matthew, who was talking with the police through his C-Cuff.
“Um, yeah, I want two cheese annnnd a pepperoni,” Matthew teased over the call, to an officer who sounded less than amused. “Oh sorry, wrong number on that. I’d just like two vandals I caught taken in, please,” he said, then he gave the officer their location.
Scott glanced back at Demitri, who was still on the ground with the girl, talking her through what she’d done and how she would have to pay for her wrongdoings. Scott noticed Demitri sounded almost as if he were on her side, speaking more and more gently and calming her out of her prior fear. Demitri had seemed so serious when sneaking in at the start, then so vigorous and forceful once he made his move to stop them. It was the moment she had been cuffed that his attitude shifted and he sounded kind and sympathetic toward her. It was quite the contrast to how Matthew handled things, yet they succeeded in catching both of their targets. Scott knew it was a mission success.
“Okay, cops are coming but I think they want me just as badly as they want the hooligans, now,” Matthew said as he dragged the young vandal along with him.
“Right. You guys should go ahead and get out of here. I’ll handle these two,” Demitri said, rising to his feet and helping the girl up as well. She had fallen into silence and hung her head low, letting her dark hair hide her face from shame and humiliation.
“You sure?” Matthew said, fighting with the young man, who was still adamant about getting free. “This guy’s a han-“
“LEMME GO, YA FREAK! I’M GONNA KILL YOU!!” the roughed-up vandal yelled over him.
“Handful,” Matthew finished.
“Got rope?” Demitri asked.
“I didn’t bring any,” Matthew said as he continued fighting with the felon.
“You should always have rope on you,” Demitri lectured.
“Yeah, well then why didn’t you bring any?” Matthew argued.
“I did,” Demitri answered, keeping hold of the girl with one hand, though she showed no intent of escaping. He reached behind his back with his other hand, pulling out some rope from behind his cape which he had clipped onto the back of his armor earlier. “I figured it would be handy for catching two,” Demitri commented and handed Scott the rope. “Tie up his legs,” he commanded.
“Um…okay!” Scott agreed and went over to Matthew. The man began kicking when Scott tried to kneel down, so Matthew pushed him to the ground and held him still. The vandal’s face was directed away from them all.
“Tie around a few times. We don’t want this guy getting away,” Matthew told Scott as he pulled the rope around the guys legs.
“That’s good, now you two get out of here and let me handle the rest,” Demitri commanded and Matthew quickly rose from the ground.
“You’ve got it! Oh…” he paused and walked in front of where the vandal’s face laid on the sidewalk, squatting down to look at him while he squirmed in place. “Don’t even think about trying to run away. Or I may just have to punish you,” Matthew threatened and pulsed a force field around himself, which glowed a bluish light. The vandal became very still, and for the first time in a while, it was quiet. The girl he was with also saw, and her eyes widened but she kept her face down and pretended not to notice. “Alright, later! And we’ll be watching…” he warned, then teleported away with a whisk of light. Scott looked at his own C-Cuff, trying to remember how to use it, then teleported as soon as he recalled.
Flashing red and blue lights could be seen in the distance coming their way. Demitri walked around the girl, positioning himself between her and her friend.
“…What are you guys?” she asked hesitantly, glancing up at Demitri. It caught his attention, but before he replied the man with her shouted a response of his own.
“Freaks! They’re not even human, they’re all freaks!” he cried out.
Sirens sounded briefly and the lights came blindingly closer toward them.
“Yeah,” Demitri sighed as he disappeared from their vision.
The police now had sighted the two vandals and parked nearby. They got out, began questioning them, and the stubborn young man still laying tied up on the ground began shouting things about being framed. The girl didn’t try to fight it. Her will to struggle was gone and she confirmed that they were, indeed, the ones responsible for all the damages. A loud jingling sound was then heard and the cops immediately flashed light on the source. A key with a bell for a keychain was lying on the sidewalk. The key for the strange handcuffs the vandals were wearing. After having dropped the key, Demitri went to an alley to warp back to Mainframe and reunite with his comrades.
He arrived to an excited and talkative Scott, who at this point was practically bouncing off the walls.
“I mean, did you see the look on that guy’s face when I threw that smoke bomb!?” Scott was exclaiming to Matthew, who had already mounted his armor on the wall and was now leaned back against the counter Mainframe’s monitors were on.
“Hey. Welcome back,” Matthew greeted.
“Oh, Demitri!” Scott said, happily surprised. “That was awesome! I mean we totally did what real superheroes would’ve! Except not as many guns and explosions. It’s like those little side jobs they take care of before something really big happens!”
“…You enjoyed it?” Demitri remarked sounding relatively surprised.
“YEAH, I did! It felt so cool! I mean, the part where the girl started crying was awkward, but everything else was really awesome! And it feels so fun to be out late at night wearing this,” Scott said, glancing down to admire his costume.
Demitri laughed and Matthew smirked. “I’m glad you had fun,” Demitri replied, removing his helmet and holding it at his side. “Just remember you’re going to be doing a lot of this from now on. As you may have guessed, it’s still a sacrifice. You’ll be giving up most of your evenings and your sleep. This job calls for selflessness and discipline.”
“That’s right!” Matthew chimed in. “You can just look to me as an example,” he boasted.
“Haaaaah!” Scott exhaled in response to Matthew. “I know, Demitri. But hey, what else am I gonna do? I mean, it’s almost summer vacation time! I’ll be able to sleep in during the day,” Scott assured him.
“Count yourself blessed for that then,” Demitri replied. “Oh guys, I’ve been meaning to tell you, I have a business meeting on Thursday, so you can come in for some training if you want, but I’m not going to be here.”
“Business meeting?” Scott questioned.
“Well then I’m not coming! I’ll take a break wherever I can get it,” Matthew replied in an exasperated tone.
“Hey, what happened to the great example you were supposed to set?” Scott asked.
“A hero knows when to rest,” Matthew answered seriously.
“That’s right,” Demitri laughed. “But no, you two are welcome to take the night off if you would like to. I just wanted to let you know I wouldn’t be able to make it Thursday,” Demitri said then went to hang up his cape for the night.
The three engaged in some small talk, then wrapped up for the evening. When Scott arrived home he quickly changed out of his uniform and into pajamas. He hid his uniform and C-Cuff in the back of his dresser and then jumped onto his bed, briefly bouncing up and down. He gave out a satisfied sigh then rolled to his side, looking over his room and noticing the paper he had left on his desk for his comics. With sleep fleeing his grasp due to excitement and continual thought, he sat upon the chair at his desk and got to work writing up more storyboards—ones that told of the adventures that had taken place that very same evening.
​
CHAPTER FIVE
AN EXPECTED PARTY,
AN UNEXPECTED SURPRISE
The days rolled on and Scott found himself waking to his birthday before he knew it. Summer vacation had started, and he was more than ready for the long mornings of relaxing in bed, followed by the drawn out days that ended with the short evenings of training and maybe even some crime fighting missions.
Scott sat up, stretching for a moment then he got out of bed. Although he looked forward to the mornings in bed, this was one day he was very eager about.
He got together his clothes for the day, choosing his orange t-shirt and gray cargo shorts for the warm weather and special occasion. Once gathered up into his arms, he left his room and headed for the shower. He could hear his mom already in the kitchen washing dishes. His dad had to go to work but would be taking off early, in time for the party. Only his closest friends were invited. Of course he was already fairly attached to Demitri and Matthew, it just wouldn’t quite work to have them over. How, when, and where they met, why he hadn’t mentioned them before… finding a way to answer those questions—which his parents would surely ask—would be far too difficult, so he just blotted out the thought of having them over completely. Besides, he hadn’t mentioned his birthday’s near arrival to them. Not to his recollection, at least.
Scott got the water for his shower running and tossed his clean clothes up on the towel rack, leaving his pajamas in the floor.
With any luck, I’ll be inking in the first chapter of my comic tonight or tomorrow, he thought to himself as he checked the water’s temperature with his hand. Jason’s a good artist. I wonder if he’d want to help with it, he pondered as he stepped under the steady spray of hot water.
When he finished showering and getting dressed, he went into the kitchen to find his mom starting a batch of pancakes.
“Good morning and happy birthday, Scott!” his mom greeted cheerfully as she used a ladle to pour the batter carefully into the frying pan. She then set the bowl and ladle aside, picking an envelope up from the counter and handing it to Scott. “This came in the mail for you from Grandma and Grandpa Allen!”
“Oh, sweet. Maybe they sent some money,” he said as he took it.
“Or maybe it’s a nice card,” his mom said in a disapproving sort of way.
“Well yeah,” he smiled sheepishly as he opened it up and pulled out the green and white card. He caught what came fluttering out from inside it. “Hey look, money!” he grinned while he held it up to show his mother who was back to cooking.
“You can add that to what Grandma Mays sent you,” she remarked.
“Yep,” he agreed while tucking the money into his pocket. He then opened the card and read.
“All right, why don’t you go get a plate? These are almost done,” his mother instructed.
“Okay,” he replied and lightly tossed the card onto the counter on his way to the cabinet. He pulled out a large plate and set it by her before heading to the fridge to get syrup. She put two letter shaped pancakes on his plate and got him a fork while he set the table for himself. When he came back for his plate he grabbed the edge of the counter and leaned over it, turning his head and giving a perplexed look. “AS?” he questioned out loud.
“It’s S for Scott and A for Allen, silly,” his mom replied as she poured more batter into the frying pan, this time just making round pancakes for herself.
“Oh! Okay,” he said with a smile before taking the plate and going to sit at the table. It was an overall pleasant morning with blue skies, warm weather and a little music playing on the radio. But Scott was anxious about having the party and opening presents. He dug right into his meal, finishing before his mom was even ready to eat. He was patient enough to get a glass of water and go back to sit at the table while she ate.
“You need to slow down! Eat too fast and you’ll get a stomach ache,” she lectured as she brought her food and sat down with him. He slid a coaster across the table for her glass of ice water then nestled his chin down into both of his hands and smiled at her.
“Sooo, where are the presents?” he asked.
“You don’t get to open them until the party,” she replied, setting her glass on the coaster as little droplets of condensation slid down the sides and gathered beneath it.
Scott glanced away, still smiling. “I know,” he said. “I just want to see them, I’m not going to open them up or anything,” he assured.
“Oh, you want to see them so you can guess what they are?” she probed. “Well you can wait until your father gets home.”
“All right…” he said in a less than thrilled tone of voice and got up from his seat. He began dragging his feet to his room but was reminded by his mother to make sure his room was in decent shape since he would be having friends over. Scott had put off cleaning, so he found himself spending a bit of time getting dirty clothes off his floor and into the laundry room, picking up the trash and other things lying around. He threw them out or put them away, and of course he still had to make his bed. His mother did make things easier on him by vacuuming when he was done, instead of having him do it.
Once things were cleaned up, at least to Scott’s satisfaction, he took a nice long break for video games.
A few minutes before his party’s set time, Jason arrived and was welcomed by Scott’s mother, then directed to join Scott in his room while she finished frosting the cake.
“Heeeeey Scott!” Jason greeted, feeling right at home as he stepped inside Scott’s room.
“You’re early!” Scott laughed, his attention fixated on his video game.
“By like five whole minutes!” Jason gasped sarcastically. “I’d better get out and wait until two on the dot.”
“You’re actually closer to fifteen minutes early, but whatever,” Scott commented.
“I brought you a present, so it’s all good.” Jason smirked, pulling a gift card for music out from his pocket and throwing it at Scott.
“Ow!” Scott said with a grin as it hit him. “You don’t have to kill me with it!” he remarked teasingly, then saved his game and shut off the television and game system.
“So what’s up?” Jason asked while he made himself comfortable in Scott’s chair.
“Not much yet. But, I was gonna talk to you about an idea I had,” Scott commented, kicking his feet out over his bedside and sitting up. “It’s for a web comic and I was wondering if you would want to help out with it,” he began to explain.“Like I was thinking we could alternate or something. I do a page, you do a page then I do another,” he suggested.
“Yeeeaaah, we could do that but I need to know what to draw,” Jason replied.
“No problem, I already have storyboards made up!” Scott said cheerfully as he got up from his bed and squeezed past Jason to get the papers off of his desk.
“Oh, haha, I didn’t even see those!” Jason laughed then took a few to look over. “What’s it about?”
“Superheroes. Although it’s a bit more realistic than most comics. It’s about a pretty new team of heroes so they don’t take on anything too big at the start,” he explained.
“But it starts to get more action-packed as it goes, right?” Jason asked as the doorbell rang, interrupting their conversation.
“Uhm…I hope so... I mean, I’m still working on that,” Scott said cautiously as he handed Jason the rest of the papers. “Here, set these on my desk. We’ll talk more after the party,” he said before heading out from his room and to the door. “I’ll get it!” he yelled to his mom as he went to answer it. He pulled the door wide open without hesitance.
“Happy birthday, Scott!” greeted a curly blonde-haired girl as she extended a present to him with both hands. It was wrapped in green with a silky gold colored bow. A somewhat shy boy stood behind her, his hands in his pockets and his back hunched slightly. Their mother was standing back by their car, busily chatting on a cell phone.
“Thanks, Amanda,” he replied as he accepted the present. “Come on in,” he invited, stepping back from the entryway to make room while still holding the door open for them both. “Hey, Daniel!” Scott welcomed as her younger brother walked in after her.
“Hey,” he replied in a mellow sort of way.
“Our mom said to go on, she’ll come in later,” Amanda explained so Scott closed the door.
Jason walked around the corner to join them, and the four friends went to hang out in the living room while waiting for other guests to arrive. They kept busy enough with conversation, but slowly gravitated to the kitchen when Scott’s mom set out snacks.
Other guests arrived and Scott’s father returned home just in time to kick off some party games. When it came time for opening presents, Scott found himself satisfied with the art supplies, new video games and new comic book. At long last it was time for cake and ice cream. His dad set the cake in front of him and lit the sixteen candles.
“Make a wish and blow them out!” his mom encouraged.
“You’re not getting a car, though,” his dad teasingly discouraged as he stepped back.
Scott closed his eyes for only a moment, then blew the candles out with ease and the room filled with clapping and cheers.
“What’d you wish for?” Amanda asked with a smile as she moved around in her seat.
“I can’t tell you!” Scott laughed, while his dad took the cake to the countertop to cut it. His mom was quick to follow, grabbing plastic forks and plates to serve it with.
“He’s just wishing he were as awesome as me!” Scott’s friend Patrick teased and Scott stuck his tongue out at him.
“You keep telling yourself that, Pat.” Scott poked back.
“Feh, anyway, what’s all the art stuff for?” Patrick asked, changing the subject.
“My web comic series. Jason and I are going to make it,” Scott answered.
“That’s nice! What is it about? Where will you be posting it?” Amanda inquired one question right after the other.
“I actually have a website just for it. I can send you the link,” Scott answered cheerfully. “Oh, and it’s about superheroes,” he added, catching the attention of his other friends.
“Wait, you’ve got a website?” Jason questioned, but wasn’t heard for being talked over.
“What kind of superheroes?” Patrick asked over the top of Jason.
“The awesome kind! Just read it,” Scott insisted.
“But you already have a site for it?” Jason repeated in disbelief.
“Yes!” Scott answered and on their conversation went.
When the party had finally wrapped up, Jason remained while the rest of Scott’s friends had gone home. Jason and Scott had pulled out the pens and paper to get straight to work drawing comics. Scott was leading the project’s story while Jason willingly drew whatever he instructed.
“So are we going to leave them black and white or color them in?” Jason asked as he busily drew the next scene.
“I want them in color. It just takes a really long time because I stink at using a mouse for art,” Scott commented.
“Oh, well if you want digital coloring, I can do that for you. I actually think I’m better at coloring than drawing. Just email me the pics and let me know what colors to use,” Jason offered.
“You’re a great artist,” Scott mumbled. “Anyway, sure, that would be a lot of help!” he agreed. He then glanced to his blinds, which glowed a warm orange color of twilight from outside. “It’s starting to get late. What time do you need to get home?” he inquired.
“Meh, no specifics. Just whenever you want to kick me out,” Jason replied.
“Oh, well in THAT case, get out a sleeping bag ‘cause we’re pulling an all-nighter!” Scott mocked, causing Jason to grin and shake his head. “Joking of course. I think we’ve got enough for today. Plus I can always draw more while you’re coloring,” he assured him then gathered up the comics for scanning. Jason handed what he had finished over to him.
“All right, then. Guess I’ll go home and check my emails for those,” Jason said, stretching a bit now that he was up from his stiff sitting position.
“I’ll probably still be scanning after you’ve walked home,” Scott mentioned.
“Ha, probably,” Jason agreed as he headed out from Scott’s room.
Scott’s mom peeked into the hallway as they were coming out. “Are you going home, Jason?” she asked in a well-mannered sort of way.
“Yeah. Bye, Mrs. Allen!” he politely replied, then headed for the door with Scott following.
“Goodbye! Thank you for coming!” she said, then went back to what she was doing.
“Bye, Jason,” Scott said as his friend went outside.
“Bye!” Jason waved back then started a jog down the sidewalk. Scott closed the door behind him and slunk back inside with his comics in hand.
Better get scanning… he thought to himself then got to it.
When the evening settled in and Scott had said goodnight to his parents he locked his door and got into uniform. He teleported to Mainframe and joined with his companions, though he felt a bit worn down from his party.
Demitri was busy typing away, as usual, and Matthew was leaned over, observing the screens from the side until Scott caught his attention.
“Hey, what took you so long?” Matthew asked as Scott stepped into the brightly lit room.
“Eh, nothing much. My parents just went to bed a little later than usual,” he answered with a yawn.
“Are you okay, Scott?” Demitri asked, turning away from the monitors for a moment in expressed concern.
“What? Yeah, I’m fine!” Scott insisted and tried to wake himself up a bit. “I just had a busy day is all,” he said, feeling a bit uncomfortable with having been asked.
“Just checking,” Demitri said considerately. “Oh hey, would you mind adding Matthew and I to your contacts on any social media sites you use? I think it would be good if we all stayed in touch outside of our meetings here, just don’t mention anything we do through them,” he said and Scott willingly agreed. “Now, back to business, I’m not finding any good missions for us tonight guys. How about some training?” he suggested as an alternative to the night streets.
“Do we need more training? I think we’re getting pretty good at this…” Scott commented as he swayed his arms back and forth.
“There’s always room for improvement,” Demitri replied with a smile.
“Unless you’re me, then you just do it for the fun of showing others up,” Matthew bantered and Scott stuck his tongue out at him.
“Matthew, think fast!” Demitri shouted right before throwing his C-Cuff at Matthew, who was hit as he turned to respond.
“Oh, come on!” he griped.
“Well I did give a warning,” Demitri said in his own defense while Scott grinned ear to ear. “Scott, get your armor and let’s go,” he commanded and Scott hopped right to it. Demitri got his helmet and his C-Cuff from off the floor then stood waiting on the others to descend.
The nightly training went well, even with things set to be a little harder than usual. For the first time since joining however, Scott found he wasn’t having quite as much fun. Perhaps after the thrill of being on real missions, the training room had lost its charm, or perhaps it had something to do with Scott being a bit drained. Whatever the reason, Scott began to feel more interested in working on his comics or going to sleep, and when the chance arose he bid them both farewell for the evening. He did the usual routine of hiding his uniform and C-Cuff, then he got in pajamas and laid back in bed. He tucked a hand behind his head as he stared at the ceiling.
I wonder if they ever feel tired of training? he pondered as he laid there. He couldn’t imagine they always had fun. Matthew had been doing it a year longer than he had, and who knows how long Demitri had been at it. How long? He wondered. There was still so much about Demitri that he didn’t know. Just how could his uncle afford to build something like Mainframe? And just how long had Demitri been using it? What sort of life could he be living that he’s able to devote so much time and effort to this hero thing? The questions kept coming until Scott’s mind became too tired to think and he fell asleep.
As the week moved on, Scott had the first chapter of his comic book up and sent links for the website to all of his friends that had attended his birthday party. After the work put into the first chapter, both Scott and Jason decide to take a few days’ break before working to do anything more. They agreed to just add one page every week from that point on. Scott began writing down the things he did with Matthew and Demitri in a journal so he could take the highlights from those experiences and put them into his comic book. When it came to the characters in the comic, they were always drawn in costume and never referred to by their real names. Rather, Scott made up hero names for each of them so there would be no risk of leaked identity.
When a ferociously hot Sunday came around, Scott decided to spend time outside by arranging a water gun war with some friends to help beat the heat of the summer afternoon. They were getting soaked with water, only to have the sun dry them off to do it again. When Scott’s mother brought out popsicles, the war came to a temporary truce. Some sat on wicker chairs while the others stood in the grass, licking their vividly colored cold treats.
“Hey Scott, I read your comic before coming over,” one of the boys said.
“Oh yeah? What’d ya think?” Scott asked.
“Not bad. I liked the character designs, the costumes are pretty cool. One thing though, and no pun intended when I say this, it feels like Force’s ability to make force fields around himself is, well, forced,” he replied and one of the other boys there with them laughed a bit before he remarked,
“I haven’t read it yet!”
Scott looked at him with a challenging stare. “What, do their powers have to be super creative and unheard of?” he asked then stuck his popsicle in his mouth.
“Well it would be nice to see something a little different,” The boy replied then walked over to turn the hose on to refill his water gun.
“Whatever,” Scott murmured, thinking on the irony of Matthew’s powers being considered common.
When night fell, Scott was ready for the usual as he went walking into Mainframe to find out what they would be doing for the evening.
“Hi guys!” Scott greeted.
Matthew held a phone in his hands, scrolling over the screen with his thumb. “Ah good, you’re here. I was just reading this comic and I can’t help but notice an outlandish similarity to our little team.”
“What comic?” Scott asked with piqued curiosity.
“This comic, mister!” he said as he held the phone in Scott’s face, so close that Scott had to back up to see the screen. On it he saw one of the fully colored pages of his web comic, Comic Book Hero.
“Wait, how did you find that?” Scott asked.
“Some girl, Amanda? She posted something to you about it online which I then saw because you added me as a friend,” Matthew explained, then stuck his phone in his pocket. “So why am I made out to be such a jerk? That ‘Force’ guy is based on me, right?” he questioned and crossed his arms.
“Uhh…” Scott hesitated, when Demitri stepped in.
“Guys, sorry to interrupt but this is something I think you’ll both want to hear,” Demitri said, catching their attention.
“What’s up?” Matthew asked, uncrossing his arms.
“Come here and I’ll show you,” he instructed, leading Matthew and Scott over to Mainframe’s large monitor. “Have a look at the screen.”
“April Heartfelt?” Matthew puzzled as he read the name out loud and looked at the picture shown.
“Who is she? Is she in trouble?” Scott asked, hoping it might be the night’s mission.
“No, she’s not in any kind of trouble,” Demitri answered, leaning in to adjust what Mainframe showed, switching it to an analysis of some sort. “Mainframe detected a new possible recruit before I even did the scan today. She’s one of us.”
“Whaaaaaaaat!?” Matthew shouted, while Scott bounced up happily, exclaiming “Really!?” practically at the same time as Matthew’s shout.
“That’s right, but here’s the really interesting part! Like I was saying, it picked up on her before the scan. Her powers should only just be budding, showing as inactive until she, like Scott, uses them. But that’s not the case with her. Her powers seem to be active almost constantly,” Demitri explained.
“What are her superpowers?” Scott asked excitedly.
“According to Mainframe, her powers are regenerative. For example, even if she didn’t have great stamina she could run a distance, then after stopping only for a moment, feel completely reenergized and ready to run full speed again,” Demitri replied.
“And how is that supposed to help us? It’s not exactly useful unless she’s also some kind of acrobat like you,” Matthew remarked.
“Well first off I do parkour so just call it that, and second, she could quite possibly be the greatest asset to our team yet,” Demitri replied with confidence. “You see, there’s a little more to her than meets the eye. According to Mainframe her powers may resonate with ours.”
“What does mean?” Scott asked.
“It would mean she could amplify our supernatural abilities, enhancing them to their full potential, or even beyond,” Demitri clarified.
“Now that’s more like it!” Matthew applauded. “So, she’s all ready to go, when do we bring her in?” he asked anxiously.
“I don’t want to rush, this time. Scott was in a situation where he would be hard to approach ahead of time, but needed to be as soon as his powers became active, to keep him from revealing them to anyone. This young lady, on the other hand, due to the nature of her abilities, she likely won’t ever be aware of them unless we inform her,” Demitri explained then changed the screen to show information about her.
“Okay, that’s kind of creepy!” Scott commented.
“This? This is just public information she has out on the web,” Demitri said. “If she wanted, she could set this information to be private, but it makes it easier on us to have it all out in the open.”
“Oh. Now I’m starting to wonder if I need to check the information I’ve made public…” Scott said.
“Gotta love those overrated social sites!” Matthew remarked.
“You use them too, though!” Scott pointed out.
“Only to plan events and keep in the loop of what you guys are doing. I don’t post anything about myself,” Matthew replied coolly.
Scott shrugged and looked back at Demitri. “Anyway, why do we have to get info about where she works and what she likes?” Scott questioned.
“Simple. We need to know where we can find her and get in touch. We couldn’t really do that with you, Scott, because of your particular circumstances. You were mostly at school or at home, and with the age gap I wasn’t really sure how to approach you as a friend.”
“So you just burst into my room and kidnapped me!” Scott exclaimed causing Matthew to laugh while Demitri held his hand against his temple.
“At that point, if you had been in my shoes under those circumstances, what would you have done?” he asked and Scott was quickly stumped.
“Uhm, well if I needed to recruit another teammate, I would have probably done the same thing. I mean, it was convenient, with my parents being out of the house…” he admitted.
“Anyway, things are different this time. Her powers are active but she’s not aware of it, you were. She’s got a job at a café so I can meet her there and slowly build her trust. That wasn’t the case with you. She’s also twenty, according to this,” he said, pointing at the screen with his thumb.“There’s not a huge age gap with her, like there was with you and I, so it won’t stir up any kind of trouble if we talk,” Demitri continued and Scott nodded.
“Makes sense. ‘Course I don’t think you would have gotten in trouble at my school if you were just casually chatting with me.”
“Well I prefer to be cautious, regardless. Anyway, I think building a friendship in public is the best strategy with her. And lastly, I’d just rather not teleport into her bedroom,” Demitri stated.
“I wouldn’t mind!” Matthew raised his hand and chimed in.
“Dude!” Scott yelled in a disapproving tone while Demitri crossed his arms and gave him a cold stare.
“Hey, I’m just volunteering to help the team!” Matthew said, putting both his hands up in surrender, but Demitri’s scowl persisted. “I was JOKING! Man, you guys always take me so seriously,” Matthew said and Scott gave an awkward smile as he shook his head and looked toward the floor.
“You had better be,” Demitri said in a serious tone, but was merely jesting back at that point. He then let out a sigh. “In any case, leave this one to me. I’ll try to get to know her and when the time is right, I’ll bring her to Mainframe.”
“Sounds good!” Scott said optimistically.
“Whatever,” Matthew mumbled in a relaxed manner and it was decided.
“I’ll have to tweak Mainframe later. Change it so unless she’s exerting massive amounts of energy, it won’t lock in on her location or mark her powers as active,” Demitri commented, then removed any information about April he could from the monitors. That which remained were just indicators that her powers were active and showing a map of her current location.
“Hey Demitri, I’ve been wondering…” Scott began, though a little unsure how to ask his questions.
“Yes?” Demitri asked, giving him his full attention. Meanwhile, Matthew whipped out his phone and began to pace around the room while looking at its screen.
“Well, I know Matthew’s in college and this April girl is working as a waitress or whatever, but what about you? I mean, do you have a job or go to school when you’re not here?” Scott asked, just curious about what kind of life the leader lived and how he had the strength and energy he did.
“I’m not in school but I do have a job, sort of,” Demitri replied.
“Sort of?” Scott puzzled.
“I work for my father, usually filling in for him when he’s too busy to attend meetings or handle correspondence. It’s a bit complicated, but I’m going to be taking over his business when he retires,” Demitri explained, but seemed less than enthused by the idea.
“Is…that what you want to do?” Scott couldn’t help but ask.
“It’s what’s expected of me, and has been since I was born. Frankly, my father isn’t too thrilled with me for spending so much time here, but as long as I keep my head down and take care of my responsibilities, he doesn’t bring it up,” Demitri said.
“Wait, your dad doesn’t actually know what you do, right?” Scott asked and Demitri sighed.
“Oh, he knows!” Matthew said with his eyebrows raised.
“If I had things my way, you two and my uncle would be the only ones aware of my powers and Mainframe right now. But enough about that. Did you have anything else you wanted to ask, or was that all?” Demitri asked politely and Scott shook his head. “All right, then. Why don’t we do some quick training and then call it a night?” he suggested and Scott and Matthew, though maybe somewhat reluctant, did agree.
When the evening was through and all three went on their way, Scott got busy writing in his journal about the possible new recruit. Matthew went to the place he called home to crash for the night, while Demitri returned to his own quarters, and though big and spacious they may be, he hardly saw it as a place to call home.
The furnishings were in a classic style. He had a bed with a royal air about it, and curtains to match. A wardrobe stretched across one wall, and, as if it were not enough to hold his possessions, a door which opened to a walk-in closet stood at its end. He had a desk in the room as well, one that would put Scott’s to shame. The room was astounding, complete with a glistening chandelier, yet Demitri proved quite used to the surroundings. He was bored and tired now that he had left Mainframe.
He sat on the plush carpeted floor, leaning back against his bed with his eyes closed as he gave an exhausted sigh. “Thank you,” he said smiling. “I feel ready now. I’m going to do more, I just ask that you’d guide me through it,” he prayed, then opened his eyes and laid his wrist atop his knee. “Lord, please let Mainframe be right about this. It would make a world of difference.”
​
CHAPTER SIX
APRIL
Monday morning came with mild temperatures for summer. April had only just finished her breakfast when she saw it was nearly time for work. She rushed to get her teeth brushed, then put her brown hair back in a high ponytail and combed her feathery, blonde-highlighted bangs to the right. She hurried to grab her car keys, then headed out the door. A black short-haired cat was rubbing against the front tire on her car, giving a faint meow while holding its tail in the air. This greeting came only as a reminder to April. She quickly stepped back inside to grab the bag full of cat food for her hungry companion. After filling the dish for the now content feline, April set the bag of food just inside the door and hustled to her car.
The morning was lovely with blue skies and a warm breeze. April would have liked spending the day at home, but her new job at the little café usually proved to be an interesting one, though at times quite fatiguing.
When she arrived, she parked her car and didn’t hesitate to go inside. Charming white chairs and tables with a somewhat less charming manager were all there waiting for her. Her manager had her wavy chocolate and caramel colored hair down, laying nicely behind her shoulders. She was dressed similarly to April in a pink outfit with a plain white apron over the front. The outfit was cute, but April always felt like the aprons could use some ruffles or lace.
“The tables by the window over there need to be wiped down. We’ve only got a short time to work before opening so you better do it now,” April’s boss directed from behind the counter as she got things in order there. April wasted no time and walked to a room in the back to find a dish cloth. “You’ll probably have to work the register today and serve, so be ready for that. Do you need any refreshers or do you remember how to work it all?” she asked, seeming to be in a bland mood.
“I’m good!” April called out in reply. She then walked out from the backroom to the tables and got to work cleaning, first pulling the chairs away so nothing fell from the tables onto them.
“I took care of the cleaning that Whitney conveniently forgot to do,” griped the manager as she wiped down the countertop. “It took me like five whole minutes just to get the coffee stain off the floor when it would have taken her less than one to bend over and wipe it up when it happened,” she complained further. April didn’t say a word but did look at her while she talked to show she was listening. “It’s just so annoying. I do all the work and she still got to be a manager before I did for whatever reason! Ugh, it just ticks me off.”
“You’re a manager now, though,” April said optimistically. “Um… I’m all done. What else needs cleaned up?” she asked once her boss had composed herself.
“The door needs to be cleaned. There are some sticky little fingerprints near the bottom from where a kid decided to play with the glass,” she replied. “Oh shoot! I forgot to make sure we had enough bananas!” she suddenly recalled.“Those stupid splits have sold like crazy since we added them to the menu.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?” April asked, a confused smile creeping over her face as she got supplies for clearing the window of its smudges and smears.
“Yes for the business and no for me, because it makes no difference in my paycheck but I have to make them and they’re not as fast as a sundae. Plus we constantly have to run and get more bananas,” her boss replied in agitation.
“Well I can run and get some if we run out today,” April offered.
“Hah, WHEN we run out. That would be great, hon,” her boss said, sounding pleased for the first time all morning.
“So Melissa, how are things with Jeff right now?” April asked, trying to steer her manager’s mind off of work.
“So-so. I feel like he’s been dragging his feet a bit lately,” Melissa replied.
The two carried on with light conversation until it was time to open up shop. Another employee, Lucas, arrived just in time for his shift. He was a skinny man, wearing glasses and a cap over his blond hair. The mens’ uniforms were different, but he looked nice in a blue shirt and khakis.
“Sorry I didn’t get here sooner ladies. My air conditioner just decided to give out and I finally gave up on fixing it myself,” he explained as he walked in. The sound of the entryway’s jingling bells were a welcoming tune.
“Ooooh, sorry, Lucas,” April said sympathetically and almost cringed at the thought.
“Well today’s actually a better day than most for it. At least I’m not melting,” he replied before heading into the back to get his work apron.
When the customers starting dropping in, Lucas tended the cash register and helped make up beverages. April took orders while Melissa filled them out, whipping things up quickly in the back for April to serve. It started as a slow day for the café, but as lunch hour was approaching they got a much more steady flow of customers coming in and out. The iced coffees and cold treats were still very popular despite the day being cool for summer.
A young man came in, seeming at first a bit timid and unsure where to stand in the nice establishment. He wore jeans and a dark blue shirt with black and white bands at the end of the overly-long sleeves. His hair was brown and his eyes light green. His eyes exhibited a sort of feebleness. He was quite scrawny and his skin seemed a bit pale but his mood was just fine and he lit up when he saw April.
“H-hi April!” he said and beamed with a beautiful smile. April finished setting down drinks at a near table then went over to see him.
“Oh, hi Lance!” April greeted and gave a slight smile in return.
“I um, heard you got the job here, so I thought I should come congratulate you in person. I was going to come last month but it kind of got put off,” he said, twiddling his thumbs. Meanwhile, Melissa had handed Lucas an order, while she took a moment to peek in on their conversation from afar.
“It’s okay. Thank you,” April replied pleasantly.
“Um, I also heard you guys have banana splits now?” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
“Yes! Did you want to order one?” she asked and he nodded. “Would you like to take a seat while I grab you a menu?”
“Ah-I don’t need a menu, I’ll just take the split. Thanks, though,” Lance replied politely.
“Okay, let me just take your order at the register then,” she said. Melissa went into the back and pretended she hadn’t heard a thing. April got his order all set and smiled. “I’ll go fix one up,” April said as Lance sat at a table in the corner. Lucas took over the register again and April went around back to get to work.
“And who was that nice boy you were talking to?” Melissa asked as April got out a dish for the banana split.
“Who? Lance? He’s a neighbor boy from a few houses down,” she answered casually, filling the dish in her hands with ice cream.
“Seems like that boy has a thing for you,” Melissa commented.
“What? No!” April protested.
“Did you see his face? And his mannerisms? And the way he kept his eyes on you even while he was taking his seat?” Melissa asked with her eyebrows raised.
“I can’t even recall a guy ever taking an interest in me,” April remarked, topping the finished banana split with chocolate syrup and two bright red cherries. “Not to mention Lance is only seventeen. Not happening,” she pointed out.
“You’re twenty, right?” Melissa asked and April nodded her head, then turned to the side and put a fist against her hip as she looked at Melissa. “Three years is nothing. And it won’t be that big a difference once he’s in college, honey,” she stated.
“Mm, no. That’s too big of a gap for me to feel comfortable, even if we were both in our twenties. I’d rather be with someone my age. I have to take him his order now,” April commented, excusing herself from the conversation and heading out from the back to take Lance his order. She approached him cheerfully, simply ignoring Melissa’s claims and moving on with her day. “Here you go!” she said as she set the dish down in front of him.
“Thanks. It looks delicious!” he said with a smile and at the same moment, the sound of jingling bells signaled another customer had come in.
April turned around to greet the customer, but froze up and remained silent when she saw him. He was finely dressed—on his way to work, she guessed. He was tall and carried himself well. He glanced over at April with a smile that seemed to get just a bit wider when their eyes met.
“Um… April?” Lance said and she immediately caught herself staring and snapped her attention away from the stranger.
“Ah-sorry! I just spaced out a moment there,” she said and Lance gave a quick and light laugh.
“No problem,” he assured her.
“I’d better get back to work,” she said and hurried along to clean up a table for the new customer while he was still ordering something up front. She felt strangely nervous, an uneasiness seemed to sweep over her but she wasn’t completely sure why. She just found this man to be somewhat unsettling. Of course, deep inside she couldn’t deny what she felt in that instant.
She finished wiping the table down and carried the tray that had been sitting there to the back. Her shoulders stiffened up as she passed by the stranger.
“Oh good, you can set that tray aside and help me by making up some coffee.” Melissa said as April stepped into the back room. She paused and took a good look at April while she set the tray down in the sink. “Are you all right, girl?” she asked with concern.
“Huh? Yeah! Just fine,” April assured her.
“All right then… Just making sure I hadn’t made you too uncomfortable. ” Melissa teased lightly. “Here, come help me with this,” she requested. The two prepared the man’s order and April carried it out to him.
“Here you go, sir!” she said with a careful smile as she set his food on the table for him.
“Thank you very much, miss,” he said with a carefree smile back at her.
“No problem,” she replied cheerfully, relaxing now on the outside but still feeling a bit nervous. Something about him caught her off guard when she first saw him, but she pushed on and her workday went smoothly.
When the man had finished his meal, he left a nice tip and went his way. From the entrance of the café, he took a turn to his right, walking until he found a quiet place outside with no sign of people. From there, he pulled up his sleeve to reveal a device, which he used to teleport away. After returning to Mainframe, Demitri set things to teleport him into the building where his next meeting would be taking place. Once ready, he teleported down. He was off to another busy day but was happy he was able to make time for a stop by the café.
Meanwhile, Scott was at the comic book store, browsing over the most popular comics of superheroes. He was observing art styles from the covers and considering the sort of jobs those heroes had. One thing that began to standout to him was that they never had to look for trouble, trouble always found them. Realistically, the opportunity to fight crime or save the day just didn’t happen within Scott’s peaceful neighborhood. Even when something was amiss, Scott would only hear about it through the news. He never found himself present at the scene of the crime. It seemed like so much work to find trouble through Mainframe, but then again he knew Demitri filtered through it to find the safest jobs possible. Scott liked that they were helping out, but hated that they couldn’t do more. He felt anxious about what they had recently discussed—this new possible member and her ability to enhance their powers. Maybe, just maybe, they would start taking on some real action once she joined the team. But when would Demitri decide it was time for her to be a part of it? That’s what was really eating at Scott.
“Hey, Scott!” Jason called as he walked into the store. “I saw you from outside and thought I’d come in. Buying something?”
“Nope. Just browsing,” Scott replied and stuck his hands into his pockets.
“Kay, cool,” Jason replied, then caught sight of a comic that took his fancy. “Can you believe some of the art in these? Puts ours to shame,” he commented as he picked the comic off from the shelf.
“Well they’ve also been studying art and drawing like, a whole lot longer than we have, but you already color like a pro!” Scott said and gave Jason a shove with his elbow.
“Hey!” he grinned but behaved himself while inside. “Well I guess we are better than most of the kids at school. The guys, at least. Angela has some mad skills,” Jason remarked.
“Yeah, she is pretty good. Think she’d wanna help with Comic Book Hero?” Scott asked.
“Maybe,” Jason supposed. “Oh yeah, who is the new girl in the comic?”
“Uh, don’t really have a name for her yet. I’ll think of one when she becomes a member of the team,” Scott replied, glancing around the shop and shuffling his feet up and down on the hard gray carpeted floor.
“And when will that be?” Jason asked, setting the comic book he had picked up back on the shelf in front of them. Scott only made a face and shrugged. How could he say, what with the character being based off of April?
“So do you just make this all up as you go?” Jason laughed.
“Pretty much,” Scott replied just as his cell phone started ringing. “Hold on a sec,” he said, pulling his hands out of his pockets with his phone in his right. He answered to his mother who was wanting him home soon. He wrapped up the call quickly.
“That was my mom, I’ve gotta go,” he explained, tucking his phone back into his pocket.
“Eh, we can always talk some other time,” Jason shrugged.
“Yep. See ya!” Scott bid him farewell as he departed and began a brisk walk for home.
When the evening crept in Scott went for his usual nightly run, though only Demitri accompanied him this time as Matthew had other plans. Demitri stood at Mainframe’s monitors, typing, reading and listening while Scott walked around base.
“Scott, throw your helmet on fast and follow me!” Demitri commanded, quickly entering coordinates for the teleport and putting his own helmet on.
“What is it?” Scott asked, his heart already picking up a bit. He didn’t dillydally in obeying orders, but he did have to satisfy his curiosity.
“Building collapse,” Demitri replied, opening the teleport and stepping inside. “Part of it’s still standing but no saying for how long. A man’s trapped inside and can’t get through the debris,” he explained as Scott hurried in with him. “Careful!” he warned just as he triggered the transport and the two appeared on scene standing next to the man. He was still on the emergency call but found himself dropping his phone in shock of their sudden appearance.
“Where did you- what are you!?” the man stuttered out.
“Is anyone else trapped inside?” Demitri asked hastily and the man shook his head, though still in astonishment.
“Demitri, how’re we going to break through these walls without making the rest of this place collapse?” Scott asked, glancing around at the unstable walls and ceiling. He realized the risk of using his powers to blow through the walls was too great to try.
“We’re not breaking things down, we’re teleporting out! Now take this guy and teleport him to Mainframe!” Demitri commanded and Scott set his C-Cuff and grabbed the man’s arm, whisking them both away to safety. Demitri remained just long enough to make sure from what he could see that no one else was inside, just in case the man had maybe missed them, then Demitri teleported back and joined Scott and their rescued person.
“I really need to use my head,” Scott said, smacking himself in the forehead.
The man with them stood awestruck and speechless at the great establishment that was Mainframe, bewildered by how they arrived there. Demitri got right to setting a new destination just outside of the crumbling building. The teleport lit up as always, and Demitri dragged the man inside with Scott tagging along behind. The three appeared a safe distance from the rubble. What remained standing was now rapidly falling in. Demitri looked down at the man they had rescued.
“Tell them you got out safely but don’t mention what you’ve seen here tonight,” Demitri told him and the man fearfully nodded. Demitri and Scott then teleported back, leaving the man behind. The two walked in, taking their helmets off.
“What if he squeals about us?” Scott asked with a little concern.
“What if he does? It won’t matter either way. I doubt many, if any, would even believe him,” Demitri remarked.
“I guess that’s true,” Scott mumbled. “So, that went fast, anything else planned for the night?” Scott asked.
“No, I’m not feeling up to filtering through anymore calls, so I think that’s it,” Demitri answered.
“That was fast. Okay then,” Scott said, then went to the wall on his right to hang up his armor. “Soooo…have you met the new girl yet?” Scott asked.
“Hm?” Demitri looked at him and wondered a moment before catching what he had said. “Oh, April? Yes,” he answered and joined Scott in wrapping up for the night. He took off his armor and cape and hung them up.
“So what’s she like?” Scott inquired as he pulled off his armguards and mounted them, taking his C-Cuff and hooking it on around his arm.
Demitri shrugged and thought about it a moment. “She seems nice but I didn’t really talk to her.”
“Why not?” Scott asked, then sat on the floor to take off the armor from his legs. He still wasn’t able to do that while standing as Demitri could, and it also took him longer to suit up and remove his armor, as evident by the fact that Demitri was already done and he wasn’t.
“I thought I’d just handle it in a more natural way. I think it would be better to strike up a conversation with her after she’s seen me a few times,” Demitri explained.
“O-kaaaaay. So do you just visit her at work or what?” Scott asked as he finished mounting the last of his armor on the wall.
“Work. I just plan on making stops there for lunch on the days she works,” he replied. Seeing that Scott was finished undressing, he went to Mainframe’s controls to shut things down for the evening.
“Think I could come sometime?” Scott asked eagerly.
“I suppose,” Demitri replied as the bright lights went down and the room was lit only by the glow of the monitors, until Demitri had the teleport set for Scott and its blue light came in a beam. “Will next Saturday work for you?” he asked Scott as he was entering the teleport.
“Yeah! What time?” Scott inquired.
“I’ll text you,” Demitri replied and Scott gave a nod okay.
The two then said their goodnights and departed for home. Scott first, followed by Demitri.
* * * * *
​
A couple days later, Demitri returned to the café. He was dressed as nicely as usual but with his sleeves rolled up and without a tie or suit jacket in an attempt to keep cooler on the blistering summer day. His C-Cuff would have been visible on his wrist but he kept it concealed with his powers, although he could have always passed it off as a large watch.
The café was having a particularly slow day. April brought him his order, setting it down slowly and glancing Demitri over while he was distracted with receiving his meal and iced beverage. When he had the things settled before him and glanced up, April stood with hesitance a moment before she thought of something to say.
“Um, it’s good to see you again, sir!” she said in an almost forced way, as though she were having trouble speaking. She had recognized him from the last time he had dropped in and was a bit surprised to see him again so soon. “Um, ah, I believe you were here the last time I was…working,” she added showing a hint of nervousness.
“Yes. April, right?” Demitri replied calmly.
“Uhm, yeah. I don’t remember telling you, tho-oh!” she hid her eyes behind her hand then dropped it down to her side as her shoulders slumped down with it. “Nametag! Doh! Totally slipped my mind,” she said as a slight blush appeared on her cheeks.
“Hah, you’re fine,” he replied with a smile.
“Well, I wanted to say thanks for the tip you left last time. You really didn’t have to do that, but I did really appreciate it!” April said gratefully then her eyes suddenly widened and she put a hand by her mouth. “Ah! Not that I’m hinting for that again or anything! Don’t take it the wrong way!” she clarified and Demitri laughed lightly. “I’m sorry, I’ll let you eat now!”
“I don’t mind,” he assured her, smiling but trying not to laugh any further as he took a sip of his beverage. April ducked away anyhow, slinking into the back room. Once out of sight from customers and her boss Whitney, she leaned her head against the wall and deliberately bumped it a couple times before giving a groan.
I need to stop talking to customers… she thought to herself, her face now bright red from embarrassment. Demitri, on the other hand, was quite happy that she had brought up a conversation. The more they talked, the closer he got to bringing her to Mainframe and expanding his team, although he did try to keep from getting too antsy, unlike Scott.
April avoided coming back out as long as she could, but when another customer was ready to order, Whitney peeked in back and gave her the task of fulfilling it, also directing her to clear off the tables afterwards.
Demitri had just finished and April saw him stand up and reach for his wallet. She casually walked by, pretending not to notice him now to avoid the feeling of embarrassment she found herself with earlier.
Demitri went on his way and got busy with his usual week. But for April, when she left for work, all she could think about was the things she had said to Demitri. She played them over and over again in her head, wishing she had phrased things differently. There wasn’t anything wrong with what she had said, but she thought on it all the same, over thinking things to the point of regret.
When Saturday came and the hot afternoon swept in, Scott received a text from Demitri saying to meet him at “the usual place” in ten minutes. Knowing he meant Mainframe, Scott hurried to get his C-Cuff, phone and some money. He turned on his television, locked his door and pulled down his blinds to be extra sure no one would see him. He then teleported to Mainframe to find the lights were still off and no one was there yet. He checked the time on his cell phone then sighed. Guess I’m a few minutes early he thought, then went over to see if he could figure out how to turn on the lights. He glanced over the large monitor’s screen. The smaller screens around it were all turned off so the glow from that screen was the only light Scott had. “Ughhh…how do you work this?” he asked himself out loud. It had symbols he didn’t quite understand on the keyboard and on the screen. Do I touch something on the screen or type on the keyboard? Uhhh…maybe I should just wait for Demitri…
“You’re early!” came Demitri’s voice suddenly from Scott’s left, causing Scott to flinch.
“Eesh! Even when you’re not invisible you’re sneaking up on me!” Scott yelled.
“Haha, sorry about that!” Demitri laughed. “Do you need some help?”
“Hm? Uh, yeah! I don’t know how to get the lights on,” Scott replied.
“No problem. Let me show you how real quick,” Demitri said and walked over to the monitor. “See this crescent moon in the top right of the screen?” he asked while pointing toward it. “Think of this as a sleep mode. When we’re done for the night you have to go into a file on Mainframe, then press this when it pops up on the screen. And when you want to turn everything back on…” he explained, then he pressed the moon on the monitor and the lights and other monitors came on. “...you just press the button again!” Demitri finished and the moon on the screen disappeared.
“Okay. Thanks for showing me!”
“Sure. I actually should teach you how to work Mainframe. Matthew knows some of the basics, but I should run you through it all just in case anything ever comes up and I’m not here to do it,” Demitri said. “But for now, how about getting something to eat?” he suggested with a smile.
“Yeah!” Scott cheered in agreement and Demitri set their destination.
“Leave your C-Cuff here. We can get by with mine alone for this,” Demitri instructed so Scott removed it from his forearm and set it on the floor underneath his armor.
When the two setoff they appeared in a place that wasn’t quite what Scott had first expected. He quickly remembered though that they couldn’t simply teleport straight inside the building or it would stir up too much commotion, so they were in a tight squeeze between two yellowish-colored buildings. The area was very pleasant, though the temperature was almost as hot as it was in Scott’s hometown.
“Let’s go,” Demitri said and led the way out from the buildings and down the sidewalk.
“How long of a walk is it?” Scott asked, just out of curiosity.
“The café’s just around the corner,” Demitri said and Scott suddenly felt anxious to arrive and darted ahead.
“All right!” he exclaimed as he ran around the corner, but in his hurry ran right into April’s young friend, Lance, almost knocking him over.
“Scott!” Demitri yelled.
“Sorry. Sorry!” Lance apologized once in a soft voice then a second time more clearly to make sure he was heard. Scott was backing up and only just realized what had happened.
“Ah, sorry man! I didn’t see you!” Scott said while holding his hands up in front of himself.
“No, don’t-I mean, it was my fault, sorry,” Lance said timidly while glancing down at the sidewalk beneath them. He was somewhat uncomfortable with eye contact. Scott paused a moment while looking at him, noticing his paleness and that he was beginning to shake.
“Hey, are you all right?” Scott asked, tilting to the side slightly and squinting his eyes as he looked more carefully.
“I’m fine. Sorry again,” Lance said without even glancing their way as he went straight off the sidewalk and onto the road. He then hurried across and went his way while Scott crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows.
“Try not to run ahead like that next time,” Demitri commented as he walked around the corner ahead of Scott.
“Did you see that guy? He didn’t look like he should be out. I hope he wasn’t sick or something, ‘cause I really don’t want to catch anything,” Scott said as he began walking behind Demitri.
“I’m sure he was fine,” Demitri said. “I’m pretty sure I’ve seen him in the café before. He was just as pale then. Probably just doesn’t get enough sun,” he presumed, then they came to the entrance of the café. “After you,” Demitri said as he held the door open and Scott walked under his arm to get inside. Scott looked around at the employees.
“Where is she?” he whispered as he noticed there was no sign of April.
“Shhhh. If you mean April, she’s probably not here,” Demitri replied. “But we’re here for a treat, not to meet with anyone, right?” he reminded Scott as they made their way to the counter.
“Riiiiight,” Scott agreed with a somewhat sarcastic tone of voice. The two came to a halt at the counter where April’s boss Melissa was working.
“Are you two ready to order?” Melissa asked.
“Umm…well I need to see a menu because I don’t know what my options are yet…” Scott said, glancing up at Demitri.
“I’d like one of your iced coffees and if you could get us a menu to look over with that, that’d be perfect,” Demitri said.
“Sure thing,” she replied, handing Demitri a menu that had been sitting on a small stack off to the side. “We’ll give you the receipt when you’re all done. I’ll send someone over with your drink in just a bit,” she assured him, then went in back while they got themselves seated.
“This café does things differently than the places I usually eat,” Scott commented as they sat down and he placed his elbows on the table. Demitri glanced at his elbows and shook his head slightly.
“Here, pick whatever you’d like,” Demitri said as he handed him the menu, though Scott paused when he noticed Demitri was seemingly without his C-Cuff.
“Demitri,” Scott whispered, glancing toward those working to make sure they weren’t eavesdropping. “Where’s your device? I mean your C-Cuff,” he asked in concern.
“Oh, it’s right here,” he replied, pointing at his wrist. “Invisible, but still present. No worries,” he quietly assured him.
“I wish I could do that,” Scott said then held the menu up in front of his face, blocking all other things from his vision. “Hmmmmm…” he hummed as he glanced over the desserts. “I think I’ll get a hot fudge sundae. Those sound good.”
“Whatever you want,” Demitri replied. A waiter soon came to take their order while dropping off Demitri’s iced coffee. “Thank you, sir,” Demitri said as he took it. “He would like a hot fudge sundae.”
“All right,” the waiter said then left. Scott put his arms back on the table and slouched over.
“Man…” he moaned. “I was really hoping I’d get to meet April today.”
“Why’s that?” Demitri asked with the hint of a smile while stirring his coffee with a straw.
“I dunno, I guess I’d just like to know her before she joins the team,” he answered as he sat up a little straighter.
“Mmhmmm,” Demitri responded then took a sip of his beverage. “So Scott, how is your comic coming along?” he asked, casually changing the subject.
“Good! My friend Jason and I finished what would basically be the second book if it were published. And by finished, I mean it’s fully colored and posted on the site. We’ve also got a few pages of the next chapter drawn. Jason still has to color those while I work on drawing the rest,” Scott replied. “The only bad thing is that not many people are reading it yet,” he added.
“That’s okay. Don’t despise a small start. The important thing is that you enjoy making it,” Demitri told him.
Scott gave a shrug. “I guess,” he replied.
The waiter came with Scott’s sundae and the two took a moment to stop conversing and thank him, then as he left Demitri resumed discussion.
“So what are the character names again? I haven’t read it yet but I know you were saying something about hero names,” Demitri inquired.
“Yeah! Well, mine is Valor. I thought it sounded cool, so I went with it,” Scott began, becoming a little more animated as he explained.
“Yeah, that’s a good name,” Demitri agreed.
“And then Matthew is Force. ‘Cause…you know, force fields,” Scott pointed out.
“Right,” Demitri replied. “So what is mine, then?”
“Your name is King, since you’re the leader and all,” Scott said then waited to see if Demitri seemed to like the name okay.
“I see,” Demitri said and looked down at his cold beverage. “So tell me,” he began then glanced back up, “how would you feel about actually using those names?”
“What do you mean?” Scott asked, leaning in a bit.
“Well I was thinking, we have the costumes, we have the job, why not have heroic names as well? You would be surprised at how many people ask for a name. It would be nice to have something to tell them, don’t you think?” he quietly inquired then took sip of his coffee.
“Wait, you seriously want to use my names?” Scott asked excitedly. “That would be awesome!” he exclaimed, then quieted himself when he realized he was getting loud. “Sorry! …Is it okay that we’re talking about this here?” he asked in a whisper, glancing around to make sure no one was listening.
“It’s fine right now,” Demitri replied with a smile. “Anyway, I am serious. We’ll practice calling each other by those names while we’re on duty.”
“Okay!” Scott cheerfully agreed then got back to eating his sundae, which had started to melt.
“Oh hey, I’m buying for today, just so you know,” Demitri said with a wink as Scott got to the bottom of his dish.
“What? Man, I wish you had said something about that earlier! I would’ve ordered more. I don’t mind spending your money,” he said bluntly and Demitri laughed. Scott grinned as he took his spoon around the bottom of the dish to scoop out the last bit of ice cream. “I wonder what Matthew’s gonna think when I tell him we’re using the names I came up with!”
​
CHAPTER SEVEN
IN THE NAME OF A HERO
“What!? There’s no way!” Matthew opposed with disgust. “Demitri, tell this kid we’re not doing that!” He turned his back to Scott, looking at Demitri, who was setting the training room for the night.
“It was actually my idea to use the names,” Demitri replied, paying no mind to Matthew’s whining.
“Why do we even need superhero names in the first place? It’s not like anyone knows we exist!” Matthew pointed out then halted a moment as a thought came to mind. “Well, okay, a few people know. But still, I don’t see the point!”
“It’s fun,” Demitri replied in a somewhat nonchalant tone.
“Uh, I’m not sure that’s the most convincing reply there…” Scott commented.
“Okay, fine, we’ll have hero names!” Matthew yielded and flailed his arms into the air, holding his helmet with one of his hands. “I just don’t see why he gets to pick them,” he griped.
“Because. The names are fine and Scott already has them written into his comic. Don’t you want to go by the book?” Demitri asked with a glance over his shoulder.
“Do you really hate the name you got that much?” Scott asked, swinging his arms back and forth.
“It’s not about how lame the names are, it’s the fact that I apparently don’t get a say in it but the new kid does. Namely, you,” Matthew replied with a glare down at Scott.
“Hey, Scott’s not ‘the new kid’ anymore. He’s been with us plenty long,” Demitri said in Scott’s defense as he stepped away from the training room’s control panel. “Now stop complaining like a teenager and man up, Force,” Demitri commanded with his arms crossed. “No offense, Scott,” he added in a swift breath.
“None taken!” Scott said immediately after.
“Hey, wait! You just called me Force but still called him Scott,” Matthew pointed out.
Demitri remained standing with his arms crossed. “Force,” he said and Matthew dropped his shoulders down.
“What!?”
“Put your helmet on,” Demitri said and Matthew’s attention was turned to the sound of the machines turning on and aiming their lasers towards them.
“Oh man!” he replied and scrabbled to get his helmet on while Scott and Demitri ran off, Scott going one way while Demitri went the other.
Shooommhh came the speeding sound of a shot that was immediately blocked by Matthew’s force field.
Scott slid down to safety, though he knew it would only be a short while before more machines came out from the walls and opened fire on him. They had been stepping up the difficulty a lot lately, but it was evident now that their hard work was paying off. Matthew no longer needed to work up to using his powers at all, he could summon a shield of energy at will, then lower it just as fast. Scott also found it easy to use his powers. He no longer had to get excited, he could just activate them whenever the need arose. His focusing point and control over the size of explosion had also greatly improved.
Scott hastily crawled between two machines and set his hands on them, his eyes looking ahead while he focused on the inner part of each machine. In only seconds he had them imploding, small streams of smoke rising out from the tiny cracks left by his handiwork. This method of destroying the inside kept the machines from shooting out any metal shards, making it easy for Scott to quickly sneak from one machine to the next, no longer worried about where he stepped.
Demitri was handling things well, as always, though he was only using his powers when he felt he needed them most rather than just keeping them active the whole time. Scott couldn’t help but watch when he could see him. Demitri would roll and jump, dodging attacks almost like a cartoon superhero as he pulled cords and tricked machines into shooting each other.
“Valor, watch your back!” Demitri warned Scott just in time for him to catch sight of a machine on the wall firing. Scott ducked down on one knee then charged at it. The machine was just out of his reach, but that didn’t stop him. Placing his hands on the wall just below it, he was able to focus his attack upwards, only destroying the machine. Just as he finished it Demitri and Matthew wiped out the last one, and the battle simulation ended.
“Great job, guys. Anyone get hit?” Demitri asked as he and Matthew walked to the front of the room where the elevator was.
“No damage sustained here!” Matthew happily gloated. “How about you, Scott?” he asked then looked back at Demitri. “Battle’s over so I can call him Scott, right?” he inquired.
“I guess. You should practice the new names while we’re suited up, though,” Demitri commented, then came a moment of silence.
“Scott?” Matthew repeated and saw Scott still standing by the wall, looking at his hands. Demitri and Matthew both walked over toward him. “Yo, kid. You there?”
“…Did you guys see that?” Scott asked, then clenched his hands into fists.
“See wha?” Matthew muttered in his puzzlement.
Scott whipped around to look at his comrades, pulling off his helmet to show a smile that glowed with confidence. “I blew that thing up without actually touching it! I was able to run my power through the wall just like it was an extension of my arm! It’s like when I make things implode, but at more of a distance, it was awesome!!” Scott cheered excitedly.
“Big whoop,” Matthew said and began walking to activate the elevator.
“Hey! I’d like to see you do something like that!” Scott shouted back at him, feeling ever-so-slightly angered.
“You did good, Scott,” Demitri assured him.
“Thanks! I didn’t really think about what I would do when I charged at it, it just came so naturally,” Scott remarked.
“Well, we don’t do this training for nothing. We’re all getting stronger, and the more you use your powers, the stronger you’ll become. Just like with any exercise, really,” Demitri said. “And just think, once April joins we’ll be even stronger,” he added and Scott lost focus on his surroundings as he reflected on the thought.
“Hey, you two coming?” Matthew questioned, his arms crossed as he stood next to the opening doors of the elevator. He tapped his foot a couple times against the cool metal floor.
“We’re coming!” Demitri shouted back to him and Scott snapped out of his thought. He hurried into the elevator behind the others, feeling excited about his growing strength and even more so about the growing team. Then, another thought came to Scott’s mind.
“Hey Demitri, just how far can your powers go?” he asked as they rose upward.
“Hm? That depends. What do you mean?”
“I mean, you can basically turn invisible, camouflaging yourself and what you’re wearing, but you can also focus it on just one thing like you did that time we ate out. You know, with your C-Cuff. So what I was wondering is, can you turn other people invisible?” Scott asked.
“Hmmmm…” Demitri pondered. “Let me think,” he said as he rested his arm on Matthew’s shoulder and they both disappeared before Scott’s eyes for a moment before Matthew shook Demitri off.
“Why don’t you just answer the kid inste-”
“Whooooa!”Scott interrupted Matthew as he gaped in awe. The elevator door then opened, allowing the three to walk back onto the main floor.
Matthew went on ahead to take off his armor, while Demitri and Scott only stepped out from the elevator and continued their conversation.
“It’s not quite as great as you might think. I have to be close to the other person, I have to have a grasp on their overall size, they have to stay still, and I have to stay focused on keeping us both invisible. It’s really not practical in most situations,” Demitri explained.
“But that’s so cool! How many people can you hide at once?” Scott inquired.
“It’s more a question of how much I can handle at once. So besides myself, I’d say two on average?” he supposed.
“Can you do it to me? I wanna know what it feels like,” Scott requested.
“I can, but you may be disappointed,” Demitri replied, then caused them both to vanish. “Feel any different?”
“No, not at all, but it’s so weird! Like, I know my hand’s in front of my face, but I can’t see-” Scott began to describe but Demitri ceased concealing him. “Hey!” he shouted and Demitri laughed.
That night came and went just as quickly as nights prior. The team had grown not only in strength, but in bond. Soon it would be growing in numbers, too. Demitri continued his regular visits to the café and also had more chats with April, to the point that he’d walk in and she’d greet him by name, though she still seemed a bit shy toward him at times. Of course, on her side she was a nervous wreck, always worried she may have said the wrong thing and always over thinking their conversations.
On a Saturday of overcast skies Demitri entered the café, planning to make the visit rather brief this time around.
“Hi, Demitri!” April greeted with a warm smile.
“Hello. And how are you this afternoon?” he greeted back as he went up to the counter to visit with her.
“Okay. Weather’s kind of got me down, but at least it’s not too hot now… So how about you?” she asked in return.
“I’m good. I just thought I’d stop in for a quick coffee.”
“Oh, let me get that for you!” she said, then hurried into the back. It wasn’t long before she brought a coffee out made just the way he liked it.
“Well that was fast!” he remarked, then began reaching back for his wallet.
“This one’s on the house!” she said, then tried to hand it to him over the counter.
Meanwhile, outside of the little café, Lance was just coming up to the glass windows. He looked inside to make sure April was there before he would go in, as she only worked Saturdays on occasion. He was delighted when he saw she was there.
Demitri paused a moment before accepting April’s offer. “Are you sure? Not even a tip?” he asked and she began to nod.
“You are a regular, after all! You’ve given us so much business, the least we can do is give you a freebie! Of course, I’m also the only one working right now…so…” she commented and he began to laugh as he took the drink from her hand. April blushed just a hint but then hid it away with a grin in shared merriment. Lance looked in at the two and decided not to go inside.
They looked so happy together, there in the otherwise empty café. Lance felt more and more out of place as he peered in, so he pulled back from the glass and backed up onto the sidewalk. He always saw April as a dear friend, but the way she acted around Demitri was so different from the way she was around him. His heart began to feel a bit heavy, and his usual headache began to kick in. He stumbled as he tried to walk away from the building, then he slowed down and tried to focus his breathing, but his lungs felt like they were being constricted. His heart beat faster. He pushed himself to move forward, walking a good distance, but he was quickly beginning to realize something wasn’t right.
Lance began sprinting for home, knowing he couldn’t run the whole way, but now he was feeling afraid to stop. He was thinking that he might not be able to push on if he did. As his head felt light and his heart was beating harder, he started to wish he had just gone inside the café, but it was much too late now.
Demitri and April remained blissfully unaware of the peril Lance felt. Demitri casually asked April what time she would be getting off work, and she told him around eight.
“Have you got any plans for the evening?” he asked and April’s brown eyes quickly focused on his, widening in wonder.
“No…” she cautiously replied, turning her head slightly to the right while her eyes stayed focused on his.
“Okay, well I’m getting together with a few friends of mine tonight to go bowling, and if you’d like, we’d love to have you along,” he invited.
“Um, s-sure. I mean, I’m not very good at it,” she commented.
“I’m sure you’ll do fine. And it’s just for fun, so don’t worry about it,” he assured her and she smiled.
“Okay. Well which alley are you going to? …You know actually I’m not even sure where one is around here…” she asked, then pondered.
“Oh, I’ll just drive over here and meet you after work. Would you like to carpool or follow behind me?” Demitri asked, though already having something else in mind.
“Um, I’ll follow. My car is actually parked back that way, though,” April said as she pointed over her right shoulder. “There weren’t any good parking spots here when I came in for work, so I’m over by the church on that corner. I should be the only car there, so you won’t have any problem finding me.”
“Okay, good. I’ll see you tonight at eight then,” he said, then gave a wave farewell, which caught April somewhat off-guard.
“Uhm, bye!” she said as he proceeded to make his way out from the building. He made his way to a good hiding spot for teleporting away, then went to plan out a course of action. April was sitting there inside the café looking rather gloomy as Lucas arrived with much-needed ingredients. Lucas asked if the weather had her down, unaware Demitri had stepped in and her gloominess was mostly due to her over thinking things again. She was worrying far too much about what Demitri thought of their light chat, daydreaming about other routes it could have taken.
Demitri instructed Matthew and Scott to be at Mainframe ten sharp that evening. Demitri stood at Mainframe, mapping out a plan from the buildings around the café. He needed a plan to get April without them being seen. He had no vehicle there to lead her away with, he felt he was going to have to catch her outside of her car.
“Unless…” he thought to himself as he considered a new idea that came to mind.
When evening’s shadow cast over the town, April closed things down and removed her work apron from over her pink t-shirt before leaving the café. She walked toward her car, spotting it in the wash of the single light that stood in the church’s parking lot. Once it was in sight she began digging through her purse to find her keys while steadily walking forward. There wasn’t a soul in sight, but the darkness hid many things. Despite the many times she had now walked through that place at night, this particular time she felt an uneasiness, as if being watched. She got her keys out and sighed from weariness as she leaned forward and began to put the key into the door to unlock it. Suddenly she had the sensation of something reaching for her, though nothing appeared to be anywhere around. She hesitated only a moment to glance to her right as the key went into the door’s lock, but in that instant Demitri took it as an opportunity to grab her, putting one hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming while activating his C-Cuff with the other hand. April’s heart leapt and she tried rolling a scream out through her throat since her mouth was covered, but it was all to no avail. She found her surroundings suddenly change from a dark parking lot to a bright white room. She was disoriented from the sudden change of light and had her eyes closed while she felt a release from her mouth and what felt like hands now on both her arms, trying to steady her.
“It’s okay, it’s just me,” Demitri said from behind to comfort her. April spun around to look but saw no one, and she was unable to recognize his voice through his helmet and her own disorientation.
“W-where are you!? Where am I!?” she stuttered out and stumbled back a bit, while looking around the room for a trace of her abductor.
“I’m right here,” Demitri answered as he made himself visible. This answer brought no comfort to her when she turned to see him standing high above her in height, despite being considered very tall herself. His mass and his dark clothing and armor, everything about him seemed too overwhelming to April who stood frozen before him, eyes widened and body quaking, her legs unable to move at that moment. “It’s okay. I just brought you h-” he began, but April gave out a shriek. “No, it’s okay!” he tried to assure her with his hands gesturing to calm down, but she began moving backwards, keeping Demitri in sight while trying to get some distance. Demitri cautiously followed. “I only want to talk!” he tried yelling over her screams and squeals, still holding his hands in front of himself and trying to motion her to stay calm.
“Ju-stay back!!” she screamed, then found she was against the wall.
“Please, I’m not going to hurt you!” he said, but she was now glancing back and forth at the things mounted on the wall behind her. She grabbed handcuffs off the wall since they were closest and threw them at him.
“I said STAY BACK!” she warned, grabbing another pair and holding them above her head.
“April, it’s okay!” he shouted and she suddenly lost her grip and dropped them. She glanced down at the handcuffs, then back up at him, putting her hands back against the wall and breathing heavily.
“H-how do y-you know my name?” she stammered, actually talking, not screeching.
“I’m a friend,” he said in a clear, calm voice, lifting his hands slowly from in front of himself to his helmet. “Now I need you…” he began to say then lifted his helmet off. “…to stay calm,” he said as his face was now revealed.
April’s glossy eyes widened further and her arms slowly lowered as she pressed her back against the wall.“Whhh…whaaat…?” was all that seemed to come out as she stared up at him.
Demitri gave an awkward smile. “I guess I really should have skipped the armor and cape today, huh? Sorry I scared you like that,” he said as he rested his helmet under his right arm.
April rubbed a hand over her face and tried to stand up straight. “What’s going on? I mean, wh-what kind of trick is this?”
“It’s no trick,” Demitri replied as he looked behind one shoulder, then the other, glancing around the room. “I have a lot to explain, so bear with me,” he said, then took a step to the side so April would have a clear view of things.
“Okay, I have no idea what’s going on. Where’s my car?” she asked, trying to steady her heartbeat and calm herself, but feeling anxious for answers.
“It’s still in the parking lot, but we’re elsewhere,” Demitri answered as he bent over to pick up the handcuffs April had thrown at him. April watched, then held her arms together and hunched her shoulders just a bit.
“Sorry…about that,” she said quietly as he stood up. He then smiled as though he wanted to laugh.
“No problem. I’m just glad you didn’t reach for a weapon. We have a few knives up there,” he said as he hung the cuffs back on the wall. “Anyway, your car isn’t here, but your keys are on the floor over there. You dropped them when we arrived,” he said as he pointed to them, lying just outside the teleport area.
“Where are we, exactly?” she asked, then slowly walked over to pick up her keys.
“This is Mainframe. It’s headquarters for people like us.”
“People like us?” she asked as she bent down to get her keys then stood up and slipped them into her pocket. “What’s that supposed to mean? …And can I ask why you’re dressed like that?” she asked, eyeing over his costume, then looking away with a glance to the white tiled floor.
“Well…you and I, as well as a couple friends of mine, we all have unique abilities,” he began to explain. “We’ve chosen to use those abilities to help mankind, although right now we’re not able to do much,” he said, crossing his arms and taking a few slow steps around the room, walking closer to April. “But with your help, that can change.”
“…What kind of unique abilities?” she asked, watching him doubtfully.
“You may have been too confused to notice, but I already used mine when I brought you here,” he replied. April looked at him with uncertainty expressed on her face. “Okay, watch,” he said, pausing a moment to make sure he had her full attention.
“Okay…?” she said as she watched him then she felt her heart leap in her chest when he vanished before her. “Demitri!?”
“Right here,” he replied as he reappeared.
She put a hand over her mouth and started shaking her head. “No, no, no. I cah-h-” she started to say but was at a loss for words and kept her mouth covered.
“That’s my power,” Demitri said seriously.
“There’s a trick, there’s got to be a trick,” she stated, lowering her hand from her mouth, clenching it to a fist over her chest as she forced a smile and shook her head slightly.
“I told you, there are no tricks here,” Demitri replied. “I am able to vanish at will. That is my ability. You also have an ability.”
“No, I can’t do anything like that, okay? I-I can’t even do a lot of the things my other friends can, I’m not a-er I can’t do that, okay!?” she scrambled to say and backed up a little.
“You’re right in that you can’t dictate what others perceive, but you do have powers. Superpowers, if you will. I can help show them to you,” Demitri told her and uncrossed his arms.
April shook her head and squeezed her tear-filled eyes shut. “No. No. No. This—this is all just some crazy fantasy!” she insisted, then stared up at him with a resolute look. “For all I know, I’ve fainted in the parking lot because something scared me. In a few minutes someone’s going to find me, wake me up, and this will all be over. Because you know what? I don’t have any kind of super weird or unnatural powers, I’m just a regular person who has been under way too much stress and now it’s getting to me! I’m hallucinating. This is all just too surreal to actually BE real. So yeah. Disappear! Disperse! Go away and let me just wake up now!” she demanded, trying to hold herself together, but she looked about ready to cry.
Demitri dropped his shoulders and sighed. “If you really want me to I can, but you’re not going to wake up. I know this is a lot to take in, but you’re fine. You’re going to be okay, and I’m going to help you through this,” he assured her but she continued to shake her head.
“Nooo, you’re going to take me home and we’re just going to pretend none of this happened. I’m ready to go now, so just make the parking lot appear again,” she said, pulling her keys out from her pocket while looking up at him the whole time.
“April, I really don’t think now is the best time for you to go driving. You need to calm down-”
“I am calm!” she shouted and Demitri held his hands forward defensively, gesturing for to her to calm herself. She blinked a few times and glanced downward. “I am calm,” she said again with much more composure. “I’d just like some time alone,” she told him with a deep breath, then exhaled slowly.
“I understand,” he said as he walked closer and put his hands on her shoulders. “But listen, I need your help. You have a unique gift, unlike any other.”
“I can’t do what you just did,” she told him.
“No, but you can help me do it better. Your gift empowers people like me. Just being around you helps, but if you learn to focus this power you’ll be able to pick and choose those you want to give it to,” he explained softly, focusing down at her eyes though she tried not to make contact.
“There has to be some kind of mistake,” she disagreed.
“Listen,” he gently requested, bending his head in closer.“You also hold in you the power to rejuvenate yourself. You’re meant for greater things than serving coffee,” he said and she looked up at him.“Not to say your service there isn’t appreciated,” he added with a smile and she inadvertently began to smile herself.
“If you…really think so… then I guess I could-”
“Whoooa! Okay, what’s goin’ on?” Matthew suddenly interrupted from behind her as a quick flash of the teleport faded out. April jumped back as she turned, skidding her side into Demitri’s chest as he unexpectedly released her shoulders. He had a sudden reflex to catch her but stopped himself when she quickly caught her own balance, though she had lost grip of her car keys.
“WHERE DID HE COME FROM!?” she cried in a high-pitched shriek, causing both Demitri and Matthew to tense up their shoulders briefly.
“Freaking out at me is not the solution!” Matthew yelled back.
“What?” Demitri asked and Matthew put his hands up as though surrendering.
“I don’t know! I didn’t see anything! I’ll just turn around and come back at ten!” he said as he turned around just in time to see the teleport flash again and reveal Scott.
“Hi th-”
“Come on! We’re going back!” Matthew told Scott before he could even finish his greeting.
“What? Why?” Scott asked then noticed April. “AW, man! What’s she doing here!? Why didn’t you guys tell me she was gonna come? I didn’t even bring my suit!” he wailed as he spread his arms out and looked down at his casual clothing.
Demitri looked at April, who was once again distraught, then he quickly looked back at Matthew and Scott. “What are you guys doing here so early? I said ten sharp, not eight thirty!”
Matthew turned back around. “Whoa, hey, I just sent Scott a text and asked if he wanted to hang here early, I didn’t know you’d be up here with your girlfriend,” he said defensively and April suddenly froze up and stared down at the floor.
Demitri gave a sigh. “You mean April. I was showing her Mainframe. Anyway, now that you’re all here, we might as well do the introductions. April, this is Matthew and Scott,” he said, gesturing first to Matthew and then to Scott. “Guys, this is April, the newest member of our team,” he told them and motioned his hand back to April, who stood at his left and quickly glanced back up.
“Nice to meet you!” Scott greeted.
“Could’ve told us ahead of time. Might’ve actually shaved this morning,” Matthew mumbled to Demitri beneath Scott’s greeting to April, stroking the stubble on his chin all the while.
“Wait, wait, wait! I didn’t agree to join anything, okay?” April stated, looking frazzled and upset.
“Why not? It’s so cool!” Scott said in disbelief to her claim.
Matthew then inserted himself into the discussion with a fake cough. “It doesn’t pay and it’s a lot of work, get out now.”
“Guys,” Demitri scolded them. He then turned his attention back to April. “You don’t have to make any decisions right away. It’s your choice as far as whether or not you’ll stay, but I do ask you join us for a week at least before coming to a final conclusion,” Demitri insisted.
Now feeling an urge to leave but pressure to stay, April agreed to his terms but then requested to be taken back to her car as she once again picked her keys off the floor.
“But you just got here! We’re gonna go bowling, you should stay!” Scott whimpered.
“Who says we need her for bowling? Matthew said carelessly as he stretched his arms into the air, clamping his hands together then resting them behind his head as he paced forward.
“April, you can go ahead and rest for the night if you really want to. I know this is a bit overwhelming at first, but it gets better,” Demitri assured her in a calm and gentle manner. “We can always reschedule bowling. I actually figured we might,” he added.
“…Kay…I just need time for this to all soak in,” April quietly replied.
Scott only watched, looking disappointed by her lack of enthusiasm.
“Just one thing,” Demitri said, standing up straight and tall. “You can’t tell anyone of the things you’ve seen or heard here tonight. This place and our identities must remain a secret. I trust that you can keep them safe,” he said, then cracked a smile while April nervously nodded her head. “All right, I’ll go set the portal for home.”
“Portal… right,” April said quietly to herself as he headed to do so and she turned away from him.
“…So Matt, what were you two planning to do exactly?” Demitri asked Matthew as he slowly and carelessly walked behind him while he was setting the teleport.
“Meh, nothing really. I was just hanging out in my apartment and got bored. Thought Scott and I could maybe do a little training round,” Matthew shrugged.
Scott looked at April, who was still having a lot of trouble grasping it all. “You okay?” he asked, looking up at her. She nodded her head but her face gave a different impression. “Don’t worry, in no time this’ll all seem normal. I remember when I first joined. I was pretty freaked but then I saw this place,” he said as he looked around the room in awe then looked back at April. “It was like walking into one of my comic books! And the best part is when we do the missions!”
“Missions?” she questioned.
“Yeah! Demitri’s our leader, if you haven’t guessed. He picks out jobs for us late in the night, then we teleport someplace where there’s trouble and help people! Just like superheroes!” Scott explained with enthusiasm.
“You ready to go?” Demitri called over.
“Y-yeah,” April said hesitantly.
“See you later!” Scott said, already bouncing back into a good mood. April gave a tentative wave goodbye as she joined Demitri to teleport back to her car.
“Just press this and you’ll be right back where you were before we left,” He said, then left the portal before she pressed it. She glanced out at them just before she pressed the button down, then in an instant the glowing blue light shone brighter and she suddenly found herself in the parking lot. She looked around and saw she was alone. Her heart strangely began to race again as she hurried into the front seat of her car. She gripped the steering wheel then gave a sigh of relief. She took a moment to sit still with her hands on the wheel before she felt ready to start the car, then she did her best to stay focused on driving as she pulled out from the parking lot and made her way home. Her mind kept trying to go back to recent events, but she fought it continually until she was pulling into her driveway. She hurried in the house, not wanting even a second extra spent outside.
“Oh, you’re home already? How was bowling? Did you go?” April’s mother asked as she came in.
“No, we rescheduled,” April hurried a reply sounding almost out of breath.
“Why’s that? You okay?”
“I’m fine. Hard day at work is all. I’m going to bed early, so don’t make me anything to eat,” she replied as she hurried up the stairs to her room, not once looking at her mother.“Wh-your dad’s going to be home any minute! Don’t you want to see him?” her mother called up to her, but only heard the banging sound of a closing door in reply.
“No, no, no, no, nooo, this isn’t real!” April said to herself as she threw herself down onto her bed, curling up on her side. “I’m not. He can’t be,” she whispered to herself in an exasperated gasp as her thoughts spiraled through her head. She grabbed her pillow and pulled it over her face as she let out a squealing hum, then she pushed it back and tucked it under her head. He’s like some sort of freaky, inhuman, thing! she thought then gave a moan. I don’t even know what to think. He’s so nice and…no, no! she thought as she shook her head violently. Totally creepy! Why would I even think that!? What if he’s not even human? And what kind of weirdo dresses like that? And if he’s so nice why’d he have to grab me and cover my mouth? It’s like he wanted to scare me! Her thoughts continued spinning down, almost out of her control, as her focus wavered and she exhausted herself with over thinking. She then glanced around her room from her bed and noticed her window open. Her mother liked to keep the house aired out, and it had slipped April’s mind to shut it when she came in.
She sat up from her bed, looking out the window as she pulled the hair band out from her ponytail, dropping her hair down past her shoulders. She scooted off her bed and went to close the window, but heard a rustling outside that caused her heart to skip a beat then rush until she saw it was only her black cat, Chocolate. April sighed then closed the window and the blinds. For a second I almost thought it was Demitri she thought to herself as she went back to her bedside and got her nightgown. She began to undo the button on her jeans then suddenly stopped and made sure the button was done up. Oh my gosh… she thought to herself then looked around her room. “If you’re in here right now you are in so much trouble,” she warned out loud in her paranoia. “I’m telling you right now, if you’re in my room, get out or I will report you to the authorities. Or worse, maybe I’ll tell your little secret!” she threatened, though no one was actually present in the room aside from her. “That’s it! I’m just going to sleep in this!” she said out loud once again as though Demitri were there. She tossed her nightgown into the floor, put her pillow in its place then huddled under the covers of her bed, even though it was rather warm. She spent the rest of her night waking continually and looking around the room from her bed in her paranoid state. Her hips felt a bit uncomfortable from rubbing against her jeans and her arms were feeling restricted even though the sleeves on her pink shirt were short. It was overall a miserable and restless night for April, while Demitri, Matthew, and especially Scott, all had a wonderful sleep that evening.
​
CHAPTER EIGHT
HOPE
Demitri looked over as Scott entered Mainframe at the early hour of eight. “Good evening, Scott. You’re here a lot earlier than I expected. How do you like the new chairs?” he asked as Scott looked at the white office-like chairs. One sat directly in front of Mainframe’s main screen, while two others were off to the side and out of the way.
“Nice, but why the chairs all of a sudden?” Scott asked.
“For the most part we don’t need them, but after all this time standing I just decided I wanted some. But don’t get any ideas, they’re not to be played with. Don’t let me catch you sliding them across the floor,” Demitri said with a smirk. “So what’s in the folder?” he asked as he eyed it from afar.
“Just some paper and pencils. My parents went out to eat and are gonna be out late, so I thought I’d come here to work on my comics,” Scott answered.
“Okay, make yourself at home,” Demitri welcomed as he spun his chair to the side and gestured his hand out to the room. “I’ll be leaving in a bit to get April…maybe.”
“Maybe?” Scott questioned as he sat down on the floor and set his folder in front of himself.
“Yeah, I’m not sure what approach I should take. It’s Sunday and she was off work. I’m still not in love with the idea of visiting her room, but I’m thinking that may be the only place I can find her. No saying when she goes to sleep, though,” Demitri replied, looking deep in thought.
“Hm…” hummed Scott as he pondered the situation a moment. “I have an idea.”
“What’s that?” Demitri asked.
“Well with Mainframe we can find her house easily, right? Why don’t we go outside her room and throw rocks at her window like they do in movies and stuff?” Scott proposed.
“Assuming we know which window is the right one, we don’t break anything, and she actually gets out of bed and looks out, that would be great,” Demitri said with a slight sarcasm at the end.
Scott scratched his head. “Aww, I guess you’re right. Well I thought it was a good idea,” he said in his defense.
“It’s not that it’s a bad idea, I’m just really not sure she would go for that. April only just saw this place last night, and I think she would be more than a little uncomfortable if she found out we knew where she lived on top of everything else,” Demitri stated.
“Yeah, she might think that you stalked her on her way home!” Scott teased, then stuck out his tongue.
“I suppose we could always wait until tomorrow. I believe she works so I could meet with her there and see about bringing her here,” Demitri said.
“I guess…I was just hoping we could all hangout tonight… When are we gonna show her the training room?” Scott asked.
“Next time she’s here,” Demitri answered, then heard a sound go off as Mainframe signaled the scan for heroes was complete.
“What was that!?” Scott asked, about ready to stand up.
“Mainframe’s finished scanning. Let’s see if we’ve got any new heroes out there,” Demitri said as he scooted his chair in and checked over the information. “…Nope. Looks like it’s still just the four of us out there!” he said but paused as he stared at the screen, then began quickly typing.
“…What’s wrong?” Scott asked, sensing something was amiss and getting up to see.
“There’s something not right on here. See those areas marked with red dots?” Demitri said as he pointed out two red dots on a map the main screen displayed.
“Yeah?” Scott replied, seeing the red but unsure of the problem.
“This one is Matthew, and this one over here is April, but look around this area,” he said, pointing out the area around April.
“It’s all…grayish or black. What’s that mean?” Scott asked.
“I’m not sure. Maybe it’s a glitch in the system. I’ve never seen anything like that before,” Demitri commented as he stared closer.
“Hey, is it spreading?” Scott asked as it widened just slightly, then suddenly the whole area disappeared and was replaced with a green color as it normally had. “Where’d it go!?”
“Must have been a glitch… Well, don’t worry about it,” Demitri said, then turned to look at Scott. “This reminds me though, I still need to give you a lesson about using Mainframe, don’t I? How about we turn that into tonight’s project until Matthew gets here,” he suggested.
“If he comes! You never know, he might bail on us,” Scott joked.
“He might,” Demitri said in an undoubting tone. “But either way, I should be able to run you through the basics. Maybe a little more in-depth if you don’t mind putting your comic book aside for a while.”
“Sure! I don’t mind. Let’s get to it!” Scott said eagerly and the two proceeded into a lesson. It continued until sometime after eleven thirty, when Matthew finally showed up.
“Hey, sorry I’m a bit late tonight guys. A lot is going on with my sister so I was distracted for most of the day, then evening came and I just lost track of time,” Matthew explained before the chairs caught his fancy. “Heeey, you finally broke down and got this place some seating! Nice.”
“Wait, you have a sister?” Scott questioned.
“Good to see you, Matthew,” Demitri said then looked over at the chairs. “And I wouldn’t say I broke down, but I did find some that I liked and they blend in pretty well. Also, I figured with April joining it would be good to have some seating available.”
“Yeah, if you don’t she’ll probably complain later down the road. You know, once she’s past that initial freak-out stage,” Matthew stated. “Next thing you know she’ll act like she’s the boss, gripe about anything that doesn’t go her way, blah blah blah,” Matthew said bluntly.
“Are you having lady problems, Matt?” Demitri asked as he raised an eyebrow.
“Ladies are problems,” Matthew replied without delay.
“Uh, I’m still waiting for an explanation about you having a sister,” Scott threw in, hoping to get a response this time.
Matthew actually looked down at him this time. “Yes, I have a sister.”
“Since when!?” Scott asked.
“Well she’s older than me, so since conception, whoop-de-doo!” he answered and Scott stood silently for a moment.
“O-kaaay. I just thought we were all in the only-child group, since you never mentioned having siblings before. Then again, I don’t think I’ve heard you say anything about your family at all before now,” Scott remarked as he thought it over.
“Yeah, I don’t feel the need to broadcast. So, are we doing anything tonight or just sitting in chairs staring at computer screens all night?” Matthew asked as he walked over closer, so he could see Mainframe’s main screen. “Whoa, hey! I just noticed you only got three chairs. Aren’t we up to four people now?”
“Oh, yeah. There’s a chair for me, one over there for Scott and another for April when she comes. You just get to sit on the floor,” Demitri teased.
“Okay, I’ve been around longer than both, I think I’m entitled to a chair,” Matthew argued with a smirk. “But no, seriously, why only three?”
“That’s all they had available at the store. So until they restock and I drop by for a visit, this will do fine. And yes, they all have to match,” Demitri explained. “Enough about chairs, though. Let’s get to work! One way or another, tomorrow we’ll have April with us. That will be continuing throughout the week, so let’s do something exciting tonight before we have to tone it down,” he suggested and the others were happy to oblige.
The three set off on one of their missions, eager to help the world in secret.
* * * * *
​
Late into the following morning April got ready for work, feeling exhausted after two nights of losing sleep. She was having a challenging time keeping this secret of theirs, yet she was also far too scared to tell anyone about them, despite her unheard threats when trying to sleep. She worried that she would be mocked for such tales, or worse, that the three might show up one night and see to her silence. She did wonder why she hadn’t heard a peep from them since she left that place they called Mainframe. As the afternoon was fast approaching, she tried to brush off those thoughts and head off for work. Though even with all of yesterday’s time for thoughts, she still couldn’t get them off her mind.
She got out from her car and straightened her pink skirt, which laid over her knee length white leggings. Being a bit early, she took her time walking to the café, but instead of enjoying the sunshine and smiles on the faces of people walking by, April stared off in a daze at the concrete ground before her feet. She continued to ponder about the supernatural and what seemed like pure fiction. She came into the café from a backdoor and got her work apron on. Her bosses Melissa and Whitney were already there, hard at work, and didn’t waste any time in sending her out to go clean tables.
“Good afternoon,” Demitri greeted as April came out to clear off the empty tables. He sat alone, pleasantly enjoying a cup of coffee just as he typically did. Still, April’s eyes widened and she halted a moment.
“Hurry up, girl! We’re busy today and we need those tables cleaned!” Melissa ordered as she squeezed past April and made a hasty sprint toward the back.
“Yes, ma’am,” April replied and made her way back to the two empty tables near the window, just to the right of Demitri. She cleared things off into a trash bag, then got a damp cloth for wiping down the table and chairs. Demitri didn’t say anything or pay her any mind, but she felt uncomfortable the entire time. It felt far worse than the feeling of shyness that usually crept up her neck and caused her shoulders to stiffen. It was as though he could see her even when he wasn’t looking, as if he could read her every thought. Then again, she hadn’t really considered before if maybe that was a power he had. Just the thought of it gave her chills.
She bent down on one knee to clean the surface and sides of a chair, really using it as a cover to see if Demitri was glancing her way at all, and to her surprise she found he wasn’t. It was as if nothing had happened. It made her worry she had dreamt the whole thing up, but she continued to remind herself it was very real. She stood up and made her way through the somewhat noisy room, slipping behind the distracted customers. She took the washcloth to the back and threw it in a sink before she washed her hands and prepared to go back out into the thriving room to help take orders.
“April, could you give me a hand with these?” Whitney asked and April had no delay in coming to her aid. “We need two more of the sundaes, both strawberry. Thanks!” Whitney directed as she was finishing up a butterscotch sundae with a touch of whipped cream. “I’m REALLY glad you got here when you did! This place has been so busy since we opened this morning. The stress was getting to both Melissa and I!” Whitney said as April finished the first sundae and handed it to her, while simultaneously making a second with her other hand.
“Yeah,” April quietly replied.
“Something wrong? You seem a little rundown.”
“Just… busy day at work, didn’t get much sleep. You know,” April told her, then handed over the other strawberry sundae.
“I gotta run these out. Can you take a look around and make sure no one is waiting out there?” Whitney requested as she hurried through the doorway to deliver the tray full of ice cream. April followed after her, then looked around. But she saw everyone was served, and no one new had come in yet. She stood behind the counter, making herself available in case any needs sprung up. Amazingly, things slowed down, customers finished and the noise quieted to light chit-chatting. Melissa took the register, while Whitney and April cleaned up as people left.
Demitri had finished his drink but stayed seated a little longer, and as the café entered a brief but refreshing time of tranquility, he arose from his place and saw to leaving a tip. He casually walked past April on his way to the door. Her chest felt tight for a moment, but as he went straight to the door she felt the pressure in her lungs release with an exhale of relief.
“Oh, April!” he said as he turned back. She suddenly felt herself tighten back up. “You missed out on bowling!” he said with a smile.
“Um…yeah. Sorry,” she replied, trying hard not to seem too conspicuous.
“Well, don’t let it trouble you. We can meet up tonight. I’ll see you later,” he said then took his leave.
April hardly knew what to say, but she had the feeling she would be going back to Mainframe soon, whether she liked it or not. She had agreed to join with them for a week. Even if she felt she was forced into it, it was her decision.
April walked up to the counter, rubbing her forehead.
“Ooooh, sounds like an adventure!” Melissa said as she approached, grinning a white smile and looking unusually giddy.
“What?” April questioned, caught off guard.
“Oh, come on, girlie! That guy is a catch! Annnd, you two seem to have hit it off pretty well,” Melissa teased.
“Ohh, no! It’s not like that at all!” April assured her, but Melissa refused to let it go.
“Oh, I think it is! He seems like a genuinely nice guy. He’s got a good head on his shoulders as far as I can tell. How old is he?” she inquired and April sighed.
“I don’t know, Melissa.”
“Well you should find out!” Melissa insisted.
“No, look, he doesn’t like me or anything!” April said, in her mind feeling positive that the only reason Demitri came around was because he thought she had some sort of power.
“You really can’t read guys, can you?” Melissa remarked and shook her head. “You ask that boy how old he is or I’ll do it for you. Though you know, age isn’t gonna stop true love, hon!” she teased.
“Stop!” April pleaded as she glanced back and forth at customers, though they paid them no mind. “You say that about every guy.”
“All right, all right,” Melissa said and turned away. “I’ll just let things be. But don’t say I didn’t tell you so when he gets down on one knee.”
“I thought you said you were going to stop!” April yelled as she entered into the back room.
As evening came and April got off work, she found Demitri already waiting outside for her.
“It’s almost like you’re stalking me now,” she mused as he waved.
“Well I’m dressed normally and visually present this time. That counts for something, doesn’t it?” he laughed and April nervously shook her head. “Come on, we have to go someplace a little less open before we can depart,” he said and began to lead the way. April felt uncomfortable, but followed him nonetheless. It was getting dark, but still light enough to see where they were headed. Going between two buildings, Demitri pulled up the sleeve of his white dress shirt and prepared his C-Cuff for their departure.
“What’s that?” April asked as he set it.
“This is what I use to teleport to Mainframe,” he answered, then offered his hand. “Here, take my hand,” he requested and she did so. Once he had hold, he teleported them both to Mainframe.
“Argh, this place is way too bright to go to in the evening!” April griped as she pulled her hand away from Demitri and rubbed her eyes.
“You’ll get used to it after a while. Now then, I asked Scott and Matthew to come early. Matt said he won’t be able to join us this evening, but Scott should be here any minute…” Demitri said as he walked further in. “You can have a seat until then if you’d like,” he offered and she nodded her head. She slowly walked across the room while Demitri took his seat directly in front of the main screen. April took hold of a chair from the wall and rolled it to where she would be able to see the screens, then she sat down and straightened her skirt before turning her chair to face Demitri.
“So…what exactly do you…do?” she asked, trying to bring some noise in the almost silent room.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I thought I’d mentioned it the last time you were here,” he apologized as he turned to give her his attention.
“Oh, um, maybe! I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it all, so maybe I just forgot,” she said, glancing down.
“Well, we help out those in need, though we do it in secret as often as we can,” Demitri explained, leaning forward with his arms rested against his legs. “As you’ve seen, we’re able to get around pretty easily.”
“Yeah… So how can I help with any of this?” she inquired.
“You’ll be able to make our powers stronger. My theory is that with your help, I’ll be able to conceal everyone in the team while Matthew shields us from harm. Scott would be able to distract or scare opposition, while I disarm criminals. You would be the most vital part of stopping serious crimes,” Demitri answered.
“How do I do that though? I mean, power you up?”
“I’m not entirely sure how your powers work. For Matthew, Scott and I, it’s pretty much the same. We have a strength well up inside of us that is then extended through the arms and down into the hands. At the start, it usually takes something exhilarating to help work up to that, but with time and practice it becomes an instantaneous event,” Demitri explained. “However, I’m not really sure if yours will work the same way. You were, um, and don’t take this the wrong way, quite excited when I brought you here last time, but I didn’t feel a difference in the power you were exerting.”
“Wait, a difference? I wasn’t ‘exerting’ anything,” April claimed. Except…maybe fear, she then thought to herself, but didn’t dare speak it.
“You’re constantly exerting it. You may not feel any difference, but I do whenever we’re in the same general area. Even my mind becomes clearer. The question is if we can focus your powers like we focus ours. I’m thinking the answer to that is yes, but we won’t know until we test it,” Demitri said.
“Okay…well how will we test it?” she asked with uncertainty, but an open mind towards trying.
“The training grounds,” he answered as he sat back in his chair and smiled.
“Wh-where’s that?” she asked with an awkward smile. “I haven’t even seen a door out of this room, just that teleport thingy,” she commented as she nervously brushed her blonde bangs to the right side.
Demitri was just about to answer when the teleport gave a slight flash and Scott appeared.
“Hey guys!” he greeted as he walked in.
“Welcome, Scott!” Demitri greeted back.
“…Hi,” April said shyly.
Scott stopped a moment and looked Demitri over. “Hey, where’s your armor? You’re not even dressed in the uniform!” he remarked upon seeing Demitri in semi-formal attire and not in costume.
“Well no need to go all out tonight. I had to pick April up while it was still light out, anyhow,” he replied, then turned back at April and stood up from his seat. “As I was going to say, there is a way in and out of here, aside from teleportation. We have an elevator, though we only really use it for going down into our training room,” he explained. “Come on, I’ll show you,” he said and she got up from her seat to follow him to the wall.
“Um…?” she began to wonder but Demitri placed his hand on the wall without doubt, causing the area to glow in a blue light before vanishing and revealing the elevator’s entrance.
“Right this way,” he offered and she walked in. She was followed by Scott, who was cheerful as could be, and lastly Demitri, who had the elevator set to descend into the training room.
“Aw man, I feel pumped!” Scott said as he made a fist and clasped his other hand around it.
April held her arm, her shoulders tense with anxiety. “So…how long have you been doing this?” she asked.
“Who, me? Or all of us in general?” Scott questioned, then thought on it. “I didn’t really keep track of an exact date… It’s been at least a couple months I think… And Matthew joined a year before I did…” he noted one thing after another as he trailed off further into thought.
“Um…how about you, Demitri?” April asked, hoping for a more precise answer.
“Three years, at least. Like Scott, though, I didn’t keep an exact record. I had planned on doing something like this very early on, but I had to wait until Mainframe was fully functional,” he explained as the elevator landed.
“How do you manage to forget when something like this happens? I’m definitely not going to forget when I got brought here,” she remarked.
“Apparently so,” Demitri commented with a smile. “Well then, we’re here. Shall we?” he said as the elevator opened to reveal the massive training room.
“All right!” Scott cheered as he ran out into it.
“Whoa…” April said in quiet awe as she walked out from the elevator and looked around, finding her eyes drawn to the ceiling as lights came on and lit the whole place up from afar. Demitri made his way to the panel on the wall, setting things up while April was distracted.
“Isn’t it awesome?” Scott said as he bounced around the room.
“It’s incredible!” April remarked, still looking around at its expanse. Scott looked up at her and smiled. It was strangely refreshing seeing the reaction of someone new. Upon seeing her, he recalled how he felt the first time he saw Mainframe, the training area, and all the other first-time adventures he had. But something else was going on inside him at that moment. Scott could feel a strange sense of power building up, and he couldn’t wait to try it out on some of the machines.
“All right guys. We’re due for some maintenance, so we’ll just be using a handful of the machines tonight,” Demitri said.
“Machines?” April quietly questioned as he spoke, but went unheard as Demitri continued.
“Don’t be afraid to cut loose, though. The goal is to destroy or shutdown all of the machines within five minutes. Oh, and I’ll just be observing this time, so Scott, work fast,” Demitri instructed.
“Got it!” Scott said with thumbs up.
“April, you only need to focus on that energy you’re exerting. Scott will take care of the machines, we just need to see if you can help him out, and from how much of a distance your powers work,” Demitri said as he activated a silent countdown to their training session.
“I still don’t think I have any ‘powers’ or way to help,” she said anxiously.
Demitri walked close to her and Scott. “I know you don’t feel it right now, but I’m confident you will. You need to believe it’s there, though. Concentrate,” he said and she glanced down at the floor, as she usually did when she wanted to avoid eye contact. Suddenly a signal sounded and five machines began to rise, each in a separate area, together surrounding the three targets; Scott, April and Demitri.
“This is it! Now remember what I told you!” Demitri instructed as he stayed back by April. Scott confidently ran after the closest one in sight.
“What are those!?” April shouted upon the sight of them.
“Your targets, but don’t mind those. You need to focus on your power on Scott,” Demitri told her and she inhaled a deep breath to try and calm herself.
Scott touched the first machine but the surge of power came faster and easier than he had expected. The machine blew up, knocking him into a backwards roll.
“Did you SEE THAT!?” Scott said when his tumble came to a halt and he sat upright with his legs sprawled out over the cold floor.
“What was that!?” April jumped at the sound but Demitri pulled her attention back to him.
“Focus. Don’t worry about anything else going on around you,” he said while Scott got up from the ground and moved out of the line of fire. April was focused on Demitri and tried to remain unaware of all that was going on around her.
“For just a second you almost had it. Scott was able to do quite a bit of damage. I also felt something,” Demitri told her.
“But I didn’t feel a thing,” she said doubtfully.
“That’s why you have to try again. Don’t let anything distract you, just focus…” he said in a calming way and April shut her eyes for a moment before exhaling. She started to open them and turn her head away from Demitri so she would have complete focus on trying to feel that energy he had talked about.
Shoooom! came a laser which caused her heart to leap and her concentration to break. She reflexively grabbed Demitri by the arm and swung back behind him to hide.
“No one said they were going to shoot me!” she squealed as she squeezed his arm tighter. He looked at her over his shoulder with a smile and held back laughter.
“They’re just holograms, they can’t hurt you,” he assured her, to which Scott overheard.
“Whaaat!? Why didn’t you tell me? I thought I was doing a great job dodging!” Scott said as he pushed aside the rubble from the second machine he had annihilated.
April slowly let go of Demitri’s arm and took a step back as she nervously looked around.
“April, you did it, though,” he said, turning around completely to see her. She wore a puzzled expression as she looked up at him.
“Did what?” she questioned honestly.
“Well,” he said with a grin as he looked downward and brushed the side of his nose with his thumb. “when you grabbed my arm I almost went invisible on the spot. It was like a surging chill through my arm and into the rest of my body, surely you felt it too?” he said as his eyes met back with hers, but she stared at him blankly and slowly began to shake her head.
“I just didn’t want to get hit,” she admitted.
“Hah, but it’s okay if I get nailed?” he jested. “Well I guess as a self-defense that works pretty well. You put your energy right into someone else so they can take the blow. I think it would be a good match for Matthew’s gift. I just wonder if it could be done at a distance since your powers already flow out like that. I mean, just look at Scott,” Demitri commented and they turned just in time to see Scott plant his hand down on a machine and blow it to pieces. April had a troubled expression while watching such destruction from such a young man. Scott stopped a moment as he stood up and saw them staring, then he waved hello with a grin before running after the next machine. He let its holographic lasers pass right through him rather than wasting energy on blocking or dodging.
“I’m not responsible for that,” April stated bluntly in reply.
“Haha, well not directly. His powers let him ignite things with touch, but yours make him a little more effective, even without trying to. You can probably help from a distance of one hundred, maybe two hundred feet? And once you learn to focus that power of yours, you’ll be able to help us significantly. And at your own choosing,” Demitri said as he watched Scott go. “It’s strange…I thought your powers were just immediate. Maybe they are and it’s just that I’m standing too close, but I still feel a sort of charge within myself. My mind seems so clear and focused…” he commented as they watched Scott finish off the last machine.
April was shaking her head just slightly. Not to be noticed, but just in reaction to her own thought of his comment. I don’t think I helped with that either… she thought to herself and Demitri turned and looked at her.
“But you did,” he said and she quickly turned and looked up at him.
“Wait, what?” she questioned abruptly.
“You definitely helped. Stop doubting yourself,” he said.
The buzz that signaled the training session had ended beckoned and Demitri began to walk over to Scott, congratulating him on a job well done, while April stood back and stared off in a bit of shock.
I didn’t say that out loud, did I? she asked herself in thought.
“April! You coming?” Scott yelled as Demitri touched the panel on the wall to reveal the elevator. April looked up and rushed over.
“Yeah!” she replied, brushing her worries aside. The three began the trip up, discussing the training while Scott practically bounced off the walls talking about what it felt like.
“I think tomorrow night we’ll try something a little different,” Demitri said as they stepped out from the elevator and into the main room.
“Wait…that was it?” April asked in surprise.
“It’s not so much about the time you put in as it is the effort. A little every day is what makes a big difference,” Demitri replied and Scott raised his hand. “Yes, Scott?”
“What are we doing tomorrow night?” he asked.
“How about I tell you when you show up?” Demitri teased and Scott hung his shoulders down as he rolled his eyes and tilted his head.
“So what do we do now? I’m still new to all of this,” she commented.
“We could play Go Fish!” Scott suggested enthusiastically and April gave him an odd look.
“Haha! There you go! We pretty much just hang out and take it easy once training is done. You can head home, chitchat, whatever you’d like,” Demitri explained, seeming carefree. April just rubbed her arm and looked around the room, unsure what she should do. “Oh hey, we did things a little differently tonight since you’re new, but we usually meet up around eleven in the evening. Although I’ve been to the café and your time zone is a little different, so you’ll want to be ready by ten. If you can plan out a place I could pick you up, that would be great,” Demitri said to April.
“Why so late?”
“Because it works well for Scott since his parents are asleep, and works well for us as a team to stay out of the spotlight. People don’t wonder where we’re at, and people don’t see us in action… usually,” Demitri explained and April crossed her arms and thought it over.
“…Would my backyard work?” she asked.
“Probably.”
“Okay then, I guess I need to write down my address?” April questioned and Scott grinned.
“Nah, we can-” Scott began to say, but Demitri prodded him in the back to urge him not to speak.
“Yes, that would be good,” he said to April and Scott kept quiet.
“Okay, I’ll need something to write on…” she said, looking around but seeing nothing that would work.
“Oh, just come type it up over here on Mainframe,” Demitri said and led the way over. Scott stretched his arms back, then began tinkering with things on the wall to keep himself busy while April gave the information to Demitri.
“Okay, there you go,” she said as she sat up from the seat. She felt a little relief when they asked for her address, but a little silly as she now figured there was no way Demitri had been in her room on the nights she struggled with sleep. “If it’s okay, I’d like to go ahead and head back home for the night now. I’ve just got so much going through my head…” she said and began to awkwardly smile as she rubbed the side of her neck. “…I think I should probably go to bed early. Especially if we have to do training so late tomorrow night.”
“Good idea. I’ll get things ready for you, one second,” Demitri said as he set things up. “Oh…I should probably head back with you. Just to walk you to your car,” he commented as he got things ready, catching Scott’s attention.
“Oh, that’s okay! I’m sure I can find my way,” April said but he shook his head.
“I’ll be sending you back between those buildings and it’s darker outside now than it was then. It’ll just be for the walk to your car, then you can go on your own,” Demitri insisted as the teleport showed it was ready to go. Though he didn’t say it, he was uncomfortable leaving her on her own. The chances of anything bad happening to her were unlikely, but Demitri felt responsible for escorting her back all the same.
“Demitri, you’ll be right back, won’t you?” Scott asked before they stepped into the portal.
“Yeah, it’ll just be a few minutes. You can hang here until I get back or go on home,” Demitri answered then activated the teleport for April and himself, whisking them away.
“Oookay…I can’t see anything!” April said as they landed, the sudden darkness obscuring her vision. Demitri pulled up his sleeve and clicked a button on his C-Cuff, causing a small but bright light to come on.
“There we go!” he said and pointed it out from between the buildings, lighting their path. “Always come prepared.”
“Ohh! I should have just pulled out my cell phone! It has a light,” she said in frustration with herself and Demitri smiled.
“Come on, let’s get you back to your car so you can go home and rest up,” he said and they began their walk.
“Are you worried anyone will wonder about that weird watch you’re using?” she asked and he shook his head.
“It’s not a watch, and I’m not worried. For the most part I don’t even see people out around here when the sun is down, but I’m sure people wouldn’t think much of it,” he replied calmly as he watched where they were going. Their eyes were beginning to adjust to the dark.
“So if you don’t worry, why do you always hide it?” she probed further.
“Heh, well when I don’t need it I try and hide it, just to keep the curious from asking about it. I wouldn’t want someone to see me in the café and ask for the time, when it’s for communication and transportation,” he explained.
“And a flashlight,” April added with a smile.
“And a flashlight!” he lightly chuckled back. After that things became silent, and April felt a little uncomfortable.
“So…” she said as she tried to think up a quick conversation piece, but nothing seemed to follow.
“Hm?”
“Um, so…how old are you, Demitri?” she asked as Melissa’s question seemed to be the only one that came to her mind.
“Twenty-three. Why?” he asked back as he looked at her and she quickly turned away.
“Just asking! I…actually thought you were maybe a little older than that,” she commented. She was feeling a bit surprised but his answer swiftly settled in as a satisfying one, and for just a short moment she began to fancy some of Melissa’s teases about them to be true, even if she had argued that three years was too big a gap.
“Hm…well I’ll be twenty-four early September,” he said and April’s fantasies came to a sudden halt as she realized September was just around the corner.
“Oh,” she replied in an almost disappointed tone of voice. The age gap now seemed a lot wider to her, which at that moment caused her to brush aside any of Melissa’s previous statements as being silly or simply unreasonable. The two continued their walk, quickly arriving at April’s car.
“Goodnight. I’ll see you again soon,” Demitri said as they went their separate ways.
When Demitri returned to Mainframe he found Scott sitting in his seat, spinning it in circles to pass the time.
“Oh hey!” Scott said as he noticed Demitri had returned. “Welcome back.”
“Thanks,” Demitri replied as Scott got up for him so he could reclaim the seat in front of the main monitor.
“So why’d you ask her for her address? We already had it,” Scott remarked as he pulled up his own chair to sit in.
“Yes, but we’ve already been over this. She hadn’t given it to us. I’m sure when she learns more about Mainframe and thinks about it, she’ll figure out we could have found her place with very little effort. But we want her to have a sense of security. Asking for her to share her address rather than saying we already have it will make her more comfortable,” Demitri explained, then sighed.
“…You seem tired,” Scott commented, a little surprised by his leader’s lack of energy.
“Yeah, I guess a little. My…head feels kind of strange,” Demitri noted as he rubbed at his temples.
“You mean like a headache?” Scott questioned but Demitri shook his head.
“No. It’s…nah, don’t worry about it.”
“Okay. We can go ahead and wrap up for the night. Besides, I’m really wanting to know what we’re doing tomorrow for training,” Scott said.
“Always the eager one,” Demitri replied as he got up from his chair. “You can go ahead and head out then. I’ll shut things down,” he said then paused a moment in thought.
“Kay,” Scott casually agreed.
“Oh, but Scott-“ Demitri began and Scott looked at him attentively. “See if you can think of some good hero names for April. Maybe get her opinion on them tomorrow night before sticking to one.”
“Sure thing!” Scott happily agreed. He then hopped to getting himself home, setting things up and whisking himself back to his room. He slipped out from his uniform and into something comfortable to sleep in, ready with high hopes for what tomorrow’s training might be. Something new, something different. Scott almost always loved the surprises unveiled at Mainframe. As he laid back in his bed, his thoughts shifted from his anticipations to his comics and team. He needed to think of a hero name. A good one.
Night went on, the morning songs of birds came before Scott knew it, and the day passed before his eyes. He managed to come up with some names he liked and he couldn’t wait to get to Mainframe and tell them to April for an opinion. It was quickly approaching time to leave, and Scott began putting on his uniform just before eleven hit.
Meanwhile April was nervously watching the clock, waiting until precisely ten in the evening to go out into her backyard. Still fully dressed, she quietly opened the backdoor, flipping a switch to turn on a backlight before she slipped outside. She gently closed the door behind her then looked back and forth, but saw no one there.
“Demitri?” she called in a whisper but there was no answer. She gave a sigh and let her arms fall to her sides. She figured he had yet to come. She began to walk over to one of the outdoor chairs, thinking she would wait for him a while.
“Ready to go?” Demitri asked and startled April, but she quickly sighed in relief as she saw it was him. “Sorry. You seem to startle quite easily,” he said with a grin.
“That’s your fault! Why were you invisible?” she asked as she crossed her arms.
“So no one would notice me. Plenty of people are still awake at ten,” he commented, then offered his hand with a more gentle and inviting smile. “Come on. Let’s go,” he said and she took his hand to be transported with him. Soon the brightness of Mainframe replaced the darkened sky above, and within seconds of arriving, Scott showed up, too.
“Good, you’re here!” he said as he ran over to April and Demitri with a list in his hands.
“We just got here moments before you did,” Demitri replied then glanced down at the paper Scott held. “What’s the list for?”
“Hero names! I came up with some like you asked. April can tell me what she thinks,” Scott explained then held the list up for April to see.
“I’m sorry, what’s this?” she asked, tentatively taking the list from Scott.
“Hero names,” Demitri answered. “As a member of the team, you need a name for while we’re on the field,” he explained.
“Something to help keep your identity a secret!” Scott added.
“Um…but don’t you guys already work in secret?” she asked.
“It’s also for fun. But it’s never a bad idea to plan ahead,” Demitri noted and April began reading over the list.
“I tried to come up with names that would work with your role. For example, Demitri is our leader so his name is King,” Scott explained.
“Hope?” she questioned as she came across it written on the list .
“Yeah! ‘Cause your power increases our power, you’d be like our only hope in a tight spot,” Scott replied.
“That’s a nice name,” Demitri commented. “Seems fitting.”
“I…guess so,” April said, then began considering it when the teleport had a wisp of light introduce Matthew to the group for the evening.
“Heeey. ‘Sup?” Matthew greeted as he joined in their circle.
“Hi Matt!” Scott greeted back.
“Hey, Matthew. April was just looking over some hero names,” Demitri said and Matthew glanced at the list before she lowered it shyly and stiffened up a little.
“Hero names? Wait a minute… Can I see those?” he asked, holding his hand out to April to receive the list of names. She slowly handed it over and he snatched it up, reading a few. “Hey, how come SHE gets to pick HER name? I didn’t get any say in what I was called!” Matthew griped. Though he was really just teasing as usual, April thought him serious at first and felt put on the spot before Demitri stepped in.
“Do you want to change your name?” Demitri asked and Matthew glared a moment as he thought about it.
“Nah, I’m just giving you all a hard time,” Matthew replied in a cool and casual way, then smirked as he offered the list back to April. She began to reach for it but he pulled it away just before she touched it. She timidly retreated her hand before he grinned and gave it back. “So, what are you all up to, besides picking out a name for the new girl and plotting behind my back?” Matthew asked as he went to pull up a chair.
“We haven’t started anything yet. I was waiting for you, but there’s no rush to start things. Let’s take a little time to unwind first,” Demitri said and followed Matthew over to the chairs.
“Unwind, huh? So what, you can get us all wound up again?” Matthew jested as he sat back and spun his chair to look at Demitri. Demitri also took a seat and held a smirk as he glanced Matthew’s way.
“On the contrary, to help us with the particular training I have planned for tonight relaxation is a must,” Demitri replied then closed his eyes as he laid back in his chair with his chin held high.
Scott was anxiously awaiting April’s feedback about the names, ready to write her pick down to use in future volumes of Comic Book Hero. Assuming, that is, that she would choose to stay with them. April contemplated the names for a moment, then considering the positive feedback she received over the name she read out loud, she decided.
“I’ll go with Hope,” she said, handing the list back to Scott.
“You sure? There aren’t any other names you like better?” Scott asked and April nodded.
“Hope is fine,” she said. It was easy to decide when thinking she may not even stay with them once her week was through.
Scott ran over to where Demitri and Matthew sat, ready to get on with whatever Demitri might have planned. “All right, April picked a name, so let’s get to training!” Scott urged and Demitri sat up.
“She’s going with Hope?” Demitri asked and Scott nodded. “All right, then!”
“Do we need to get our armor on?” Scott asked as he, Demitri and Matthew currently only wore the uniforms that went on underneath.
“Nah, we don’t need it for this. Actually, we don’t even need to go into the training room,” Demitri answered and faced his chair toward Mainframe’s monitors, scooting forward and setting a location for the teleport. “We’re going on a little fieldtrip tonight. I set a lantern by the wall over there. Grab that and turn it on before we leave,” he instructed Scott. Matthew stood up as Demitri did. April slowly approached them while Scott followed Demitri’s orders. “All set?” Demitri asked as he looked at his team.
“Looks like it,” Matthew said.
“Yep!” Scott chimed in.
“Then let’s go!” Demitri said and led the way. The four teleported together and when they landed, Scott looked around with curiosity. His eyes quickly adjusted to the dark with a few blinks. Without looking he could tell his feet rested upon grass, and upon looking up straight above he caught sight of a night sky more brilliant than he had ever seen before. The stars in vision were vast and the moon seemed brighter than ever. The moon and yellow glow from Scott’s lantern were not the only sources of light. In a large circle around them stood little blue lanterns which Demitri had placed prior to their visit. The lanterns were low to the ground, just marking the woods around them.
“Where are we?” April asked, Scott wondering the same thing as he noticed there was not a building in sight.
“Think of this as our campsite. I found this spot, flat, peaceful, surrounded only by woods. If you walk in that direction,” Demitri began as he pointed the way, “the trees quickly start to thin out and there are some hills and things from there. Whereas if you walk in any other direction, there’s nothing but trees. So now you have a grasp on our surroundings, it’s pretty much just what you see. We won’t be heading off anywhere else. All of tonight’s training will be held right here.”
“So what are we supposed to do out here? Test out our powers and knock down a few trees?” Scott asked eagerly while April felt uncomfortable about the idea.
“No, leave the trees be. The point of this place is that it’s serene. There are no buildings, no people, no electronics aside from what we’ve brought. Our source of light comes from the solar powered lamps below and the mass of stars above,” Demitri said as he looked to the stars then back at the others.
“I can see that,” Matthew negatively remarked.
“So that means…?” Scott questioned, waiting for Demitri to fill in the blank.
“Thus far we’ve pushed our limits under pressure, through timed battles against Mainframe’s machines. We’ve seen what we can do with a rush of adrenaline, now it’s time to see what we can do with patience and peace of mind,” Demitri explained. “We’re going to sit down, take in a deep breath and let it out as we focus on calming ourselves.”
“…Are you serious?” Matthew asked, dropping all jokes as he stared at Demitri with disbelief.
“Yes. I am. And once you feel nice and peaceful, focus your mind on your special abilities. Your gifts. That’s tonight’s training. Patience, focus, and repose. There’s to be no speaking until I say it’s time to go, and if I catch you sleeping you will be put through this again tomorrow night. You are to think only on the positive. Imagine yourself stronger and how you could use that strength to help others. That’s the assignment,” Demitri explained, proceeding to sit on the grass once he was through with his instructions.
“We just sit on the ground?” April asked, looking below at the patches of grass and dirt.
“Yes,” Demitri answered.
“Is this really what we’re doing?” Scott asked with a slight whine in disappointment.
“Yes,” Demitri answered again, having a faint smile on his face but looking just as solemn.
“Let’s just get this over with,” Matthew said, dropping to the ground, then crossing his legs and placing his hands on his knees. April watched him do it, then saw Scott start to sit down, so she did as the rest but sat with her feet tucked under herself. She looked around at the others, just barely able to tell they had their eyes closed and were already at it. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, but she quickly felt unsure just what it was she needed to focus on. She didn’t know what her gift really was, despite their efforts to try and show her. She felt just the same as she always had.
What is my gift? she pondered to herself, thinking heavily on their powers and unable to see her own. Can I really help anyone? she wondered in thought.
“…For the record, I’m not a patient man,” Matthew commented, breaking the silence and throwing off April’s train of thought.
“This feels like quiet time,” Scott whispered.
“Shh,” Demitri hushed them both and the sound of chirping crickets resounded.
April peeked around at the others, their eyes all shut as they tried focusing. She noticed Demitri remained seated upright, looking as composed and leader-like as ever. Scott seemed to be a little wiggly, likely moving with his imaginations. As for Matthew, he stayed surprisingly still and even seemed to be taking the mental exercise seriously, though he was a bit slumped over in his seated position. They all seemed like a true team, and April closed her eyes feeling a little distant. It wasn’t her wish to be withdrawn, only what came natural as she saw the bond between the three. In that moment of silence and contemplation, April wished she could feel like she really belonged.
Scott tried to keep focused on the positive like Demitri instructed, but his mind was so busy with thought on what he wanted to accomplish next. He continually made plans in his head, thinking in ways to get from where he was to where he wanted to be and broadening his horizons as he did so.
As for Matthew, he did try in earnest, which even he thought at one point to be unlike him. Still, much was going on in his life that he did not talk about. When he came to work alongside Demitri it was a chance to put the rest of his life on hold. He wasn’t a patient man, true, but he certainly was good about putting things off. Especially if he saw them as a hassle. Then again, most would probably find the hero business to be a hassle, but Matthew did discover some reward in it, which is likely why he kept coming back even when at times it was a drag.
Demitri had them sit quiet and still for a solid hour before he got to his feet, opened his eyes and looked them over. “All right. We’re free to head back,” he said and Scott leaped from the ground up.
“All righ-“ he began to exclaim but felt dizzy a moment from standing up so suddenly and had to regain his balance. “Right,” he said in a less exclamatory tone.
“Well that was fun,” Matthew said less than thrilled.
“Grab the lantern and let’s be on our way,” Demitri commanded and soon the four were teleporting back to Mainframe. Demitri took April as she still lacked a C-Cuff of her own. As they arrived she discreetly dropped back behind the others, giving herself the distance she felt. Demitri looked at Matthew and Scott who both stood before him but looked ready to depart.“Now everyone, I have one further assignment,” Demitri said, catching everyone’s attention. “I want all of you to do a bit of self-examination. Pick a flaw or area that could be improved upon and work toward fixing it this week. You don’t have to tell me what it is, but if it would help you resolve the issue you’re welcome to.”
“Well you can’t get better than perfect,” Matthew teased as he gestured to himself. Scott shook his head but grinned at Matthew’s typical remark.
“Matt, you can work on your ego,” Demitri jabbed.
“Um…what do you think I need to work on?” April asked and Demitri turned around to see her.
“I would like each of you to pick something out for yourselves. I was only teasing Matthew. Remember, if we’re to stand for justice we need to find ourselves just. None of us can be perfect, but that doesn’t mean we should give up striving to be,” Demitri replied.
“Sounds good!” Scott said in agreement then gave a yawn. His eyes felt sleepy and his mind was now only focused on wanting to get to bed.
Matthew had walked over to set the teleport for himself, but went ahead and got things ready for Scott instead. “I can tell you’re tired,” he remarked in reference to the lack of Scott’s usual overabundant energy. “You can go first, Scott,” he offered and Scott was grateful to go on ahead. One-by-one the four departed, ready for a good night’s rest.
Scott arrived home and immediately laid back on his bed, still dressed in what he liked to think of as his super suit. He pulled off his C-Cuff and carelessly dropped it off the side of his bed. He was far too tired for messing with things and just wanted to get some rest. He did think it funny that sitting still for an hour wore him out more than all the running and jumping and fighting that they usually tackled. He certainly wasn’t used to slowing things down and sitting still for so long, and though he felt somewhat empowered by the fact that he did it once, he really didn’t want to do it again. At least, that’s what he thought as he turned onto his side and closed his eyes in slumber.
​
CHAPTER NINE
APRIL'S DECISION
On a warm summer’s morning April awoke to her last trial day as a hero-in-training. She was still dwelling on the assignment Demitri had given to all of them a few days back, and though she had thought of plenty of things that needed work, she couldn’t pinpoint just what it was she felt she needed to work on. What character flaws stood out the most to others? She pondered that as well as why Demitri had asked for things like her height and measurements, why Matthew suddenly seemed so opposed to her joining the team, and a great deal of other things regarding Mainframe as she readied herself for work. The week had proven to be an interesting one, with various exercises and explanations clouding her mind and quickly becoming an expected end to each day. It was a bit tiring, staying up late and waking up early. On days she didn’t have work, she’d sleep in as long as she could before her mother would wake her and insist she start on her day.
When April had arrived at work, her mind still lingered with Mainframe and the team over her tasks at the café. Lucas was quite distracted himself, but Melissa caught April spacing out on several occasions and, aside from that, looking quite distraught. When they sat in back for a short break, Melissa wasn’t shy about asking what April had been up to.
“Seems like you’ve had a lot on your mind this week. Today especially,” Melissa noted as they sat there, April nibbling on some granola bars she had brought in for lunch.
“Ohhh, it’s nothing much,” April paused her snacking to say.
“Come on, I want to hear it! You seem to be getting quite a bit closer to that Demitri fellow,” Melissa teased but April kept her composure.
“Nothing’s going on. We’re just friends,” April said surely.
Melissa stood up and put her hands on her hips. “I’m gonna get you to spill it eventually,” she insisted and April laughed.
“I’m serious! We just hangout a lot. That doesn’t mean anything,” April said, then took another bite to eat.
“Mmhmmm. Well that other boy must think it does since he stopped coming around,” Melissa pointed out and April’s chewing slowed before she swallowed.
“…Boy?” April asked and Melissa dropped her arms to her side as she slumped back. She thought April to be just about hopeless.
“You know, that boy we used to see about three to four times every week?”
“You mean Lance?” April questioned.
“Yeah. It’s been over a week now and he hasn’t so much as walked by the building. I figured he probably caught you two doing something and gave up the chase,” Melissa said and April looked a little surprised. “Not that you probably noticed, what with prince charming always around,” she said with a wink then turned away. “I’m gonna get back to work now. You finish up your lunch.”
April sat still a moment in thought. Melissa was right, she hadn’t noticed. But it was more than just a lack of seeing Lance in person. April didn’t receive a single text, call or email from him all week, and Lance usually sent something now and again, even when he didn’t have much to talk about. April felt compelled to send him something, wondering if what Melissa said might be true, so using her phone she sent a quick text message asking what he had been up to before she proceeded to finish her lunch and get back to work.
Meanwhile, Scott had been up to a task of his own; working on comics with his friend Jason. The two were in discussion over characters and superpowers, concepts and so on. Scott informed Jason that the new heroine would be named Hope, but insisted he still wasn’t ready to add her to the story. Really he was just covering up the fact that he had no idea how to draw her heroic appearance yet as she lacked a costume of her own.
Jason and Scott carried on, drawing up the latest chapter which was really the last good story Scott had to tell before April joined their team. Scott was unsure what he would do the next time they met up. He considered picking colors for April and making up a costume until she decided whether or not she would stay for sure. Then it hit him that tonight could possibly be the last night she was with them. He hated the thought, though, partially because he realized he had acted a little too quickly in announcing her as a character in his comic. His fingers were crossed that she would choose to stay with them, but he was unsure what she’d decide.
When the evening at last struck the hour of eleven, Scott departed to join his comrades. April and Demitri were already present, and Matthew came soon after Scott had arrived.
“All right, team. Tonight will be our first mission in a while, and April’s first entirely. With her help things should go just fine,” Demitri announced. Matthew stood with his arms crossed and rolled his eyes, as the others weren’t paying close attention. Scott was a bit on the bouncy side but was actually feeling a little nervous for April. He knew this mission might very well be the deciding point for her, and if things went poorly it could easily spell the end.
April’s thoughts were a bit divided but she tried to remain focused. They had done a lot of training over the week, and at one point she had felt a little something, but she honestly wasn’t sure if those were her powers thrusting forth or just a panicked response to a tricky situation.
Before the others began the art of small talk, Demitri presented April with her own C-Cuff to use for communication and teleportation. Yellow in color rather than the silver Matthew and Scott had.
April looked at the device he offered then looked up at him. “You’re really giving me this?”
“Of course. Take it,” he said and she took it from his hands and looked it over. “It’s up to you after tonight,” he said and she glanced back up at him, looking unsure. “Your week is up, so you get to choose whether or not you’ll come back tomorrow night,” he said with a smile, then went to find them a mission. April looked deep in thought as she put the C-Cuff on her wrist.
“I hope you keep coming!” Scott said with a grin and she snapped out of thought and looked at him, a bit surprised, before she smiled sheepishly.
“Th-thanks, Scott,” she said. He rubbed his finger across the bottom of his nose as he glanced away, still smiling.
“Yeah, yeah. Bring us something to eat when you come from now on,” Matthew said in a callous-sounding tease.
“Guys, shouldn’t you be suiting up? Or have I let you go so long out of full uniform that you feel it unnecessary to hide your identities?” Demitri called over, really just trying to quiet them down as he continued his search for good missions.
“Oh, right!” Scott said and hurried over to put his armor on. Matthew leisurely walked after him, while April stood in place, unsure what to do.
“…Do I need to wear anything special?” she asked, fearing the top and knee-length skirt she wore might not be suitable.
“You’re fine,” Demitri assured her without even looking her direction. He then paused as he held something to his ear, privately listening for news of crime. “Guys, you almost ready?” he asked abruptly, standing up tall and looking their way.
“Almost!” Scott yelled as he pulled the armor up over his knee.
“Good. I found something. Not sure if it’s a definite problem, but it sounds like it could escalate into one,” Demitri explained, then turned back to set the teleport.
“Okay, status report? What are we looking at?” Matthew asked before putting on his helmet.
“Suspicious behavior outside a pretty fancy place. The caller, a neighbor to the home owner, said she saw a car circle around the block at least three times and had just noticed a man dressed in dark clothes checking the place out,” Demitri explained.
“Well if nothing’s broken out yet we could just leave it to the cops. Sounds like a burglary in the making, but it might not be anything,” Matthew shrugged.
“We’ll check it out,” Demitri said as he pulled handcuffs from off the wall.“With April’s help I can give us a good cover. We’ll stand watch and if anything springs up-” he paused as he tossed Matthew the handcuffs. “-I want you to run in and stop it.”
“Yes sir,” Matthew said then went and stood in the light of the teleport awaiting their departure. Demitri then went to put on his helmet.
“Scott, if that vehicle circling around turns out to be a getaway car, I want you to run over and pop the tires in the back. Pop them from the side of the vehicle though and do not try and pop the tires in the front,” Demitri commanded and Scott nodded.
“What about me?” April asked readily.
“You’re with me. We’re going to provide a camouflage for them,” he answered, then directed Scott and April to join he and Matthew in the teleport. “Remember team, while we’re on the field, we go by our hero names only. Scott’s Valor, Matthew’s Force, April’s Hope.”
“And you’re King!” Scott said and Demitri grinned from under his helmet. Once they were all set he transported them near the area. There was the usual whisk of light that caught brief attention from passersby, but with Demitri keeping the team invisible, they soon brushed it off as the flickering of outdoor lights.
“There he is,” Scott whispered to the others as he caught sight of the reported man. He had his hands in his pockets now and waited for the late night strollers to go on their way before going from the sidewalk toward the window of the tall and stately house. No one appeared to be home. The owners were likely on a nice end-of-August vacation.
“Yeah, this guy’s definitely up to something,” Demitri said in a whisper to the rest of the team, then pushed Matthew ahead to lead and held on to April’s wrist as they moved in on the property. Scott remained squatted down near the sidewalk, Demitri still keeping him hidden while they moved in, though he was finding it a little more difficult to do while they were in motion.
“Shouldn’t we stop him before he breaks in?” April whispered to Demitri.
“Shh. No. We can’t act until he does. He’s not guilty of anything yet,” Demitri explained in an even softer voice, then the three were close enough that Demitri had them stop. He removed his hand from Matthew’s back and released April’s wrist.
The man took one last glance around, then pulled gloves out from his pockets and put them on his hands before he started to move toward a side door on the house. Matthew followed and watched him carefully while Demitri and April stayed back.
“Shouldn’t we follow?” April asked as the man was getting out of sight.
“No. Force can handle it. Besides, it’s easier for me to keep him covered if we stay still,” Demitri answered.
Matthew was closing in, standing close behind and watching readily when the man began to break in the door. Once busted in, Matthew immediately followed in and grabbed him, cuffing one hand but unable to link it to the other due to the man’s sudden jerk back. He looked behind and couldn’t see Matthew, so he assumed him to be just outside the doorway. Matthew stepped inside, trying to quietly slip behind him while still invisible.
“Did you hear that? What’s going on in there?” April asked Demitri as they sat outside.
“I’m trying to focus! It’s significantly harder for me to hide him when I can’t see him, so I need quiet,” Demitri snapped with an apologetic look, still trying to be as kind as possible while under stress. April immediately hushed down and didn’t hold it against him. She wondered how Demitri was even able to do what he did.
Matthew had successfully gotten behind the man but saw him reaching into his jacket as he surveyed the area ahead. Matthew realized quickly what this man carried with him and he felt his chest tightening as though a grip was placed on his heart. Still, Matthew pulled together his courage and charged him from behind, knocking the man to the ground and causing him to fire his gun off at the bushes by mistake. Matthew’s ears were ringing from the noise and the man tried to shake him off, but Matthew persisted in holding him down.
April gasped as the bullet sounded. Scott’s heart leapt and he turned his attention off the road and toward the house. Demitri dropped his own cover and began running to Matthew’s aid, focusing only on keeping him hidden and leaving April and Scott without cover.
“You two go back!” Demitri commanded as he hurried to help Matthew. April was still unfamiliar with her C-Cuff, however, and wasn’t sure if he meant to return to Mainframe or stay back from harm. Scott understood clearly and held his C-Cuff ready to send him back, but then noticed April was unsure how to respond.
Demitri refocused his powers just as he ran around the corner to hide himself. He saw the man pinned but could tell Matthew was struggling to hold him down. He went to assist in cuffing the man and pulling the gun away from his hands. The man didn’t yell but grunted plenty as they wrestled with him. The struggle didn’t last long with Demitri’s help, and they kept him to the ground. Meanwhile, Scott rushed over to help April teleport back, but as he got over onto the grass where she stood, he heard the screeching sound of tires as a car came to a stop right on the sidewalk. The driver was obviously in on the thievery but came to a halt when he saw Scott and April.
“Uh-oh! Come on!” Scott yelled and took April by the arm. He skipped past teaching her how to use her C-Cuff and just used his own to teleport them away. The man did a double take then slammed on his car’s horn as he knew they’d be found out by now. His buddy, however, only yelled out to him, as he was unable to make a retreat.
“They got me!!” he yelled as he still struggled to try and get Matthew and Demitri off. Upon hearing that, his unfaithful partner in crime hit the gas pedal to try and make a getaway, but the sudden lights of police cars ahead of him threw him off guard and caused him to swerve around in such a way that he pulled their attention to him like a moth to a flame. When the cops managed to stop the vehicle, a few officers went to check out the house.
“Over here!” Matthew called out then he and Demitri let the man go just before the cops came to the side door. When he tried to get up and run, Matthew tripped him. To the cops it looked like he had only lost his balance.
“Let’s go,” Demitri said quietly to Matthew.
One of the cops overheard and looked around. “Did you hear that?” he asked his partner when he was unable to trace the sound. Demitri and Matthew didn’t hesitate to teleport away, seeing as the cops had things under control and were starting to get curious.
Upon arriving at Mainframe April put her hand over her chest and gave a sigh of relief while Scott grinned widely.
“Oh, thank goodness,” April sighed.
“Welcome back!” Scott greeted after.
Demitri pulled off his helmet and smiled. “Thanks,” he replied to Scott. Matthew took off his helmet and went straight to the wall to hang it up for the night, while Demitri looked at April and raised his eyebrows. “You okay?” he asked as she was still looking troubled.
“Hah…yeah,” she replied and started to smile. “It really freaked me out when that gun went off,” she admitted, then lowered her hand and shook her head as she smiled.
“Life of the hero. No place for cowards,” Matthew said, seemingly unfazed, though at the time it happened he was just as startled.
“We usually try and avoid gunfire. This was a rare case for us,” Demitri assured her.
“But you know, it was awesome!” Scott chimed in with his usual enthusiasm. “I mean sure, April and I couldn’t stay for the action, but that feeling when the gun went off, then the car pulled in and we were trying to get out of there was SO COOL,” he said with great emphasis and Demitri laughed a little.
“Yo, guys!” Matthew called over, most of his armor already put up for the night. “I’m gonna head on back to my place. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“See you then, city boy,” Demitri said, gesturing goodbye with two fingers held to his forehead then flicked away.
“Bye, Matt!” Scott said as he waved.
“Um, bye!” April said timidly. Matthew walked across the room to set the portal for his home, then waved to all of them at once a fond farewell before departing.
“Well, you two can also go back to your normal lives, get a good night’s rest, you know,” Demitri said and went to hang up his cape. “I think it was a successful evening.”
“You guys really take this thing seriously. I mean, you could be putting your lives at risk any night,” April commented, glancing away from them.
“Whether we live in the safety of our homes or we’re out on the nighttime streets, tomorrow is never promised. We have only what is before us today, so it’s best to make the most of it,” Demitri replied. “As we get stronger, our missions will become more risky. I’ve already decided this. You still have the chance to back out if you want to,” he offered and April thought on it silently.
“I’m not backing out” Scott said.“More dangerous missions? That’s the kind of thing I’ve been waiting to hear! We’re already a lot stronger than we were when I first joined,” he noted happily.
“I guess…I’ll have to think about it,” April said with uncertainty as to whether or not she’d come back. “I’m still not really sure about this whole hero thing.”
“That’s fine. Why don’t you go home and rest? It’s been an exciting evening, it would probably be better to think it over after you’ve been able to unwind,” Demitri said and April agreed. The three wrapped things up, April leaving first, followed by Scott and lastly Demitri. April and Scott headed back to rest up for the new day ahead, but Demitri would likely be up a few more hours working on a project.
When the dawn of a new day had come, the sun arose shining brightly while April chose not to rise up at all. She was content with sleeping in on her day off. She dozed on and off throughout most of the morning until she started to feel hungry enough that she forced herself out of bed. As she sat up with her feet over her bedside, she glanced up at her phone which sat next to her C-Cuff. She wondered a bit about the choice in color. Most of her clothes were either pink, white or black, so the light yellow came as a bit of a surprise to her. Then again, so did the whole device.
She stared at it in a bit of a daze for a while more before she suddenly recalled the message she had sent to Lance just the other day. She checked her phone for any missed replies, but there wasn’t a word from him. She felt a bit concerned now, an unsettling feeling that something was wrong. Still, she wasn’t sure what to do about it, and she did consider the possibility that she was just worrying too much.
She went along with her day but strangely found her worry wouldn’t cease. It became a strong, nagging feeling that something was wrong, which persisted until she couldn’t take it any longer. She stepped outside into the sunlight, glancing around the neighborhood, then began a walk down the street to visit with Lance. She would see for herself what he had been up to. As she got closer the nagging feeling began to fade away and she wondered if she should maybe just forget it. She didn’t have anything she needed to talk with him about, and it wasn’t like a week and a half was such a long time to go without hearing from him, or so she thought as she slowed her walking. Then again, when she considered how often she did hear from Lance, a week and a half without so much as a peep from him did seem unusual, and so she continued forward, walking up the sidewalk to his house and knocking on the front door. After only a moment’s wait a lady, short in stature with brown hair and just a few hints of gray, opened the door. The muffled sound of a radio playing could be heard coming from inside, but the noise didn’t bother the lady one bit and she smiled when she saw April.
“Oh, hello April! I haven’t seen you in a while. Are you here to see Lance?” she asked, holding the door wide open as she spoke.
“Hello Mrs. Ember. Yes, just thought I’d pay him a quick visit,” April replied with a subtle smile.
“Oh good. He’ll be glad to see you! He’s been isolating himself in his room all day,” Lance’s mother said and let April step inside.“He gets a little angry when I keep checking in on him, so I’ve tried to give him his space. I can’t help that I worry, I’ve been a wreck ever since last week! I’m glad you’re here so I’ll have a good excuse to knock on his door,” she said as they walked toward his room. April listened intently. “Lance!” she called, knocking hard against his bedroom door over his loud music. “Someone’s here to see you!” she said a bit louder and the doorknob began to turn.
“Yes?” Lance asked as he opened the door, looking a bit drained before noticing April. “April! I…didn’t know you’d be visiting!” he said, barely heard over his music. He stepped back and turned off his stereo, making the house incredibly quiet.
“How about I make up some tea while you two chat? Would you like some, April?” his mother offered.
“Yes please,” April nodded and Mrs. Ember went into the kitchen. April looked back at Lance who didn’t seem at all as perky as he usually was, and he swiftly turned his pale green eyes away as if he didn’t want her to look at him.
“Uh-um, you can come in if you want,” he said, stepping back to make room for her while holding the door, his eyes staring off toward the floor. April accepted his offer, stepping inside and looking around while he shut the door behind her. Things seemed relatively tidy, just a few CDs piled up by his stereo and a messy bed that he sort of looked like he had just rolled out of. That aside, the floor was clear and the carpet gave indications of being recently vacuumed. April did think it seemed sort of dark, though. The lights were off as the sun would have normally lit the whole room by itself, but his blinds were down and adjusted so only a little light seeped in. “I don’t have my games in here anymore. I haven’t really felt like playing them,” Lance casually mentioned as he went and leaned against a wall, sticking his hands in his pockets.
“Your mom mentioned something about last week... Seemed kind of frazzled,” April commented hoping he might fill her in on what happened.
“Yeah…she worries a lot,” Lance said, still not making eye contact.
“Did something happen?” she asked.
“Meh…” he shrugged, looking a little depressed and trying to brush the question aside. April looked around the room as she tried to think of something else to talk about to break the silence.
“Your music was pretty loud,” she said with a smile and he glanced up.
He gave a sort of half-hearted smile back. “Yeah. I’ve been having some really…weird headaches, so…I’ve been trying to block them out a bit,” he explained.
“Wouldn’t that make them worse?” she asked and he smiled like he wanted to laugh as he glanced down and shifted his feet around a little.
“No, it helps,” he assured her. The two then stood quietly for a while as they both had different thoughts running through their heads. “So…” Lance finally said and April glanced over to him. “Why did you come to visit?” he asked only out of curiosity. “I-I mean I’m happy you did! Just…confused, I guess…”
“Ah, well um...” April mumbled out as she tried to think of something to say aside from her having been worried about him. “I hadn’t seen you around the café in a while so I thought I’d drop by,” she told him.
“Hah, okay,” he said with a grin. “Well I’m sort of grounded so I couldn’t really come by even if I wanted to…” he said almost as if it were a joke.
“Grounded? For what?” April laughed, thinking the idea that he could be in any kind of trouble was completely preposterous. Lance sheepishly looked away this time, not really sure if he wanted to answer. “Whaaat? What did you do?” April inquired further.
“I didn’t really do anything, my mom just doesn’t want me to go off anywhere right now,” he said then sighed. “I just…” he began to say, dropping his shoulders down as he was struggling to decide if he would fill her in on the story or not. Part of his drawback was that it all took place on the same day he had seen her and Demitri together. It was easy for Lance to see April liked Demitri, but it was hard for him to stand. More than anything when he thought back on that day, it was seeing the two of them that troubled him far more than the things he was about to tell her.
“It’s just?” April repeated, seeing as he was conflicted about talking but obviously had something he wanted to say.
“It’s just tha-“
“Lance! April! The tea is just about ready!” his mother called out to them and Lance put a hand over his face.
“Hah, that figures,” he said while putting on a smile. He went straight to opening the door, then waited for April to go out first. Mrs. Ember was pouring the tea just as they walked in to the quaint dining room. Lance made a quick pace around April to pull out a chair for her and wasted no time in moving over to the other side of the table to offer a seat to his mother.
“Thank you, Lance,” his mother said as he took the kettle from her hands.
“Thanks,” April said soon after his mother was seated and he was heading into the kitchen to put the kettle away.
“Lance, did you remember to take your medicine?” his mother called in after him. April glanced up from adding sugar to her tea to look first at Mrs. Ember, then peer through the doorway, though she was unable to see Lance now.
“Not yet,” Lance replied, just barely audible.
“I didn’t know he was on any kind of medication,” April commented in a hushed voice to his mother.
“Well you know he’s always had health struggles. After this last scare I just told the doctor to do whatever it takes to get him better,” Mrs. Ember explained.
“What exactly happened?” April asked, adding a hint of milk to her cup of tea.
“You mean he didn’t tell you?” Mrs. Ember asked in genuine surprise.
“Tell her what?” Lance asked as he stepped back into the room and pulled up a chair for himself. His mother shook her head at him then looked back at April.
“Lance passed out on his way home the other week,” she told April and Lance began to sink down into his chair.“Thankfully someone found him and was quick to call an ambulance. They used his phone to get a hold of me. I nearly fainted myself when I got the call,” she explained.
“Oh my gosh, what caused the fainting?” April asked them both.
“Well at first they thought he maybe had a heat stroke, but when I was able to bring him home he was having worse headaches than usual, ear infections, nose bleeds, then he had another fainting episode while inside where it was nice and cool! I just don’t know what’s wrong. They still haven’t pinpointed it yet, either, but the doctor did prescribe some medicine and Lance is taking that to see if it helps at all. If not, we’re going to have to get some tests done,” Mrs. Ember explained with great distress while Lance remained quiet.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t know. If there’s anything I can help with, just ask! Drop offs, help around the house. I know runs to the hospital can be pretty time consuming so I’d be willing to help out anytime I’m not working,” April offered.
“No, no! Thank you so much for the offer but we’ll get by just fine,” Mrs. Ember insisted, then took a sip of her tea.
“Are you sure?” April asked, then looked at Lance, catching him a little off guard.
“U-um, i-it’s fine,” he said and his mother nodded.
“But you can come to visit more. We’re always glad to see you!” Mrs. Ember encouraged with a smile and April smiled back bashfully. They went along enjoying their tea, but a mere moment after they were finished, Mrs. Ember was pulled away by a telephone call. She quickly excused herself from sitting and slipped into another room, leaving April and Lance alone yet again.
“So…why didn’t you tell me what happened? You could have called,” April said.
“I didn’t want to worry you. And…it’s not like there’s anything you could have done to help,” Lance replied.
“But I want to know if something like that happens! What if things got worse? Don’t you think it’s fair to let your friends know so they can come see you or send something?” April scolded and Lance looked a bit guilty.
“I’m sorry. I really didn’t want to trouble you,” he said. He leaned forward and stood up out of his chair. “But I’ll be okay. I’m getting better.”
“You don’t really look better. Your skin has even less color than usual, and that’s saying something with you. What do you think is wrong?” April asked as she also stood up.
“I don’t know. And like my mom said, the doctors don’t either. Funny though, they have no idea what’s causing it, but they still prescribe medicine,” Lance said, then glanced down and shook his head slightly as he thought about it. “It’s like they just want to take more money from my mom. As if she hasn’t paid enough already. Lot of help they were when my dad-” Lance suddenly swallowed his words and closed his eyes a moment. “Sorry,” he said with a strained smile. “I’m sorry,” he repeated, turning away.
“No. You don’t need to be,” April assured him.
“No, I do. There’s no reason you should have to listen to me. I shouldn’t be blaming them, anyway. They did what they could to try and save him. I just…hate hospitals,” he said.“…Yet I keep ending up in them!” he added, trying to laugh about it.
“You can talk to me about stuff, you know. You’re always so reserved, but I really don’t mind hearing what’s on your mind once in a while,” April said then gave out a sigh.
“…Okay.”
“Sorry about that!” Mrs. Ember said as she walked in abruptly.
“Oh, it was no problem. I actually need to get headed home now, thank you for the tea,” April said.
“You’re welcome. Thank you for coming out to visit us today,” Mrs. Ember replied.
“Yeah,” Lance added then gave a smile.
“It was my pleasure. Goodbye! I hope the medicine works!” April said as she started toward the door.
“Thank you and bye!” Mrs. Ember replied.
“Bye,” Lance said in his usual soft-spoken way.
April walked home feeling relieved that she decided to visit. Lance seemed much weaker than usual at first, but by the time she was leaving he seemed to have a bit more energy. At first, she didn’t think it much more than him cheering up a bit with her visit, but then she started to wonder if maybe her company did have a deeper effect. Demitri had said she impacted their powers with her presence alone, and with focus it went even further. She began to wonder if maybe, just maybe, her powers could also empower people with a physical recovery. If she herself recovered faster than the average person like Demitri said, then maybe there was a way she could learn to focus her powers to heal other people as well. She decided then and there that she would return to Mainframe that night, and a few nights after, merely to test her theory. After all, she couldn’t be sure until she gave it a try.
Scott was ecstatic to see her return, though she kept her reasons for doing so to herself and said she’d like to give it a couple more weeks before she made her mind up about staying or not. Demitri gladly agreed and reminded her that on the upcoming Saturday they would be going to the bowling alley for a night of fun and relaxation.
Saturday arrived in no time, and the four met up at Mainframe, waiting a good ten minutes extra for Matthew who was running late yet again. They enjoyed light chats until Matthew showed up, then they departed for the nighttime streets and took a brisk walk over to the bowling alley.
“This is it!” Demitri said as he went ahead up the stairs and leaned back on one of the front doors to open it.
“Looks nice,” April remarked as she followed Matthew and Scott into the establishment while Demitri held the door open for them. “Hard to believe it’s open. It looks almost completely vacant inside.”
“Isn’t it great?” Scott commented gleefully. “This way we get the whole place to ourselves!”
“Yep. Just us and a couple employees,” Matthew added.
Demitri walked around the three standing in the entrance, making his way over to the counter to pay for their lane and get them their shoes. “Matt, we’re playing teams this time. You can establish sides,” he said and Matthew rubbed his chin as he thought on it.
“Just so you guys know, I’m not very good at this,” April said with just a hint at being nervous.
“Oh good, then you’re on his side,” Matthew commented as he motioned his thumb back over his shoulder at Demitri.
“Awww! I wanted to be on Demitri’s side!” Scott griped.
“Sorry, kiddo. I still haven’t paid him back for the last time he beat me. Besides, what’s so bad about being on my team?” Matthew asked and crossed his arms as he glared down at Scott and waited for an answer.
“Well if we lose you’re gonna say it’s my fault!”
“Nah. As long as April’s at your skill level…or below it, all’s fair. I should be able to make up enough points to win this,” Matthew assured him.
“Gee, thanks,” April mumbled before Demitri motioned them over.
“Hey guys, go ahead and pick out your shoes and bowling balls. We’re ready to go,” Demitri said and the three hopped to it.
When their lane was open and set to go, April went first. Her cute pink and white swirled ball moved a bit slow and with far too much curve, going left and down into the gutter.
“Try again, try again,” Demitri urged but she ended up with the same result the second time as well.
“Well that’s a great start…” she said as she walked back up to the others with her arms drooping down in front of her.
“Really? I thought it was terrible!” Matthew commented and she glared at him. “Hey, chill. Lemme show you how it’s done,” Matthew said confidently, holding his navy blue ball up in his hands. He headed toward the lanes and swooped the ball down, thrusting it forward with great accuracy. All but one little pin in the back were knocked down, but he got a nice spare and walked back over to the group with the same confidence.
“Not bad,” Demitri said with a nod.
“Your turn!” Scott pointed out and Demitri stepped up. He used a heavier ball than the others with a swirled crimson red design. He didn’t go up with the intention of showing off as Matthew did, but he looked serious and focused right until the ball left his fingertips, then he watched it swiftly move down the lane and give him a perfect strike.
“NO! Right on the first go?” Matthew groaned while Scott and April clapped for Demitri.
“My turn!” Scott said, running out with a traditional black bowling ball in hand before Demitri had even made it back over to the chairs to sit down. Demitri watched from a standing position while Matthew and April remained seated. Scott’s first ball went so perfectly straight that he ended up with a split. The others clapped but Scott was unsure how to knock both pins over with such a space between them. After giving it some thought he settled with aiming only for one and succeeded in hitting it. “Well, I got all but one,” he said with a shrug as he rejoined the others and sat down at the same time as Demitri.
“April, you’re up,” Matthew said then gave her a smirk. “The goal is to hit the pins, by the way.”
April glanced at him with an indication of disdain, which only made him chuckle and grin. She took her ball and tried again, giving her best attempt to not curve left. The ball trailed down fairly straight for a while, but then off it curved again to the left at the very end, just missing the pins. April sighed and put a hand on her face but didn’t turn around to see Matthew trying to contain his laughter. She felt enough embarrassment just standing there.
Demitri got up from his seat and met with her as she was reaching down to grab her ball and try again. “Here, let me help,” he offered and she reluctantly accepted. He stood right next to her as he talked her through it, then took the ball for just a moment to give a demonstration.
“You better not do it for her or I’m docking you points!” Matthew shouted from behind while they paid him no regard.
“Wow, this thing’s really light,” Demitri noticed as he weighed it up and down in his hand.
“Yeah, yeah, I know I’m weak!” April pouted.
“I didn’t mean that. Anyway, watch what I do,” he said as he began to instruct her without releasing the ball from his hand. After describing his technique he handed the ball back to her and she did her best to mimic it.
The ball rolled down at a steady pace, but she cringed when she saw it curving toward the end yet again. Still, it managed to knock down two pins to the left and Demitri nodded his head in approval.
“You’re getting it. That’s quite a curve you’ve got, though,” he commented.
“Yeah…at least I hit something this time,” she replied as they turned around to rejoin the others.
“And something that wasn’t me! What a relief,” Matthew joked.
So the night went with April slowly improving. It came to a near draw by the end of it, but the overall victory went to Matthew and Scott. April hung her head low as Matthew bragged on and on, but Demitri gave her a reassuring pat on the back and just smiled in disregard to his friend’s boastfulness.
On Sunday, Demitri ran a scan for new members but had it come to a halt when the screen began to show gray again. He contacted his uncle to arrange an inspection of things then got busy working on his special surprise for the evening. Much of Demitri’s time had been devoted to it the last few days. He could hardly wait for it to be finished.
Scott was spending most of his own day playing video games and slacking off. Though still a while away, he dreaded the end of summer vacation and decided for today he was going to do nothing but treat himself. He planned to enjoy every last bit of his break. Though as expected from a day of self-centered contentment, things came to an end all too quickly and he headed off to Mainframe feeling drowsy.
April was already there, and Matthew joined near the same time as Scott.
“Okay, everyone’s here now!” Demitri said and opened the elevator to pull something out from it.
“Ohhh- ohohoh! I know what this is!” Scott exclaimed as Demitri wheeled out a suitcase.
“Shhh!” Demitri hushed him with a smile and a wink then set the case in front of April. “It’s for you,” he said as she looked down at it curiously.
“Me?” she questioned, then squatted down next to it to look over the large case and consider what might be inside of it.
“Open it!” Scott said as he was feeling far more excited than anyone else there.
April stood on her knees and unzipped the large suitcase, revealing her very own uniform and set of armor which she stared at a moment as it sank in. The costume itself was white with the same light color of yellow that her device was in. The armor was beige and designed a bit differently from what Demitri, Matthew and Scott all wore. It lacked the spikes on the shoulders that Demitri’s had but added detail was made to the chest. The armor also included an additional piece to wear around the waist that resembled a belt with metal tassels that hung on the sides and around the back like a miniskirt while still open in the front.
“Wow…” she said finally after getting a good look at it.
“You’re one of us, so you’ll have to start dressing like one of us!” Demitri said. “Of course I designed yours to be a bit more feminine. You can hang the armor on the empty rack next to ours. As for the uniform, keep that somewhere safe at home. Make sure you put it on before coming in every night,” he instructed and she nodded with a big smile.
“Oh, except for every other Saturday! You know, dress how you normally would to go bowling and stuff,” Scott added.
“Right,” April confirmed then pulled her costume out and held it up to herself. It looked like a perfect fit. “Do you make these?” she asked Demitri.
“Yes. I designed and crafted each one myself. Of course I always hold off until I know what size to make the parts and if the person they’re for seems like they plan to stay,” he explained.
“It looks like this would take forever to make!” she exclaimed as she held out the uniform then looked down at the armor.
“Well if that’s all I’m focusing on, three to five days usually. But I’ve got some practice,” Demitri replied and April found it surprising yet convincing.
“I could never do that,” she commented quietly.
“Me neither. SO!” Matthew suddenly shouted as he clapped his hands together. “Who’s hungry?”
“I am!” Scott answered as he raised his hand.
“What did you have in mind?” Demitri asked.
“Pizza at my place? You know, to celebrate the occasion. There’s a pizza place just a block away and they deliver!” Matthew suggested. “I mean as long as you guys don’t mind eating in my crummy apartment. The place is actually in pretty decent shape right now because I just did my yearly cleaning.”
“…Yearly?” April questioned and he only gave her a quick glance while he waited for an answer from Demitri.
“Do they deliver this late?” Demitri asked, checking the time.
“Oh yeah. They deliver till like two in the morning. We’re good.”
“All right, then. Why not?” Demitri said and the rest seemed to be in agreement.
“Great! I’ll set things up to go,” Matthew said and left their little conversation circle to set the portal.
“I could never invite you guys to my house. It’d freak my parents out I think,” Scott said, putting his arms back behind his head.
“Same,” April said.
“Benefits of living alone. Go ahead and get in the portal, guys,” Matthew said as the teleport lit up.
“You mean you want us to go toward the light?” Scott teased while walking in as he was instructed to.
“Just get in there,” Matthew replied while Demitri and April also stepped in. “Everyone ready?” Matthew asked and the group confirmed it with a resounding yes. He pressed the button that transported them directly into his apartment. “Here we are! Make yourselves at home,” he said welcomingly.
The group looked around, spreading out a bit. He had an average sized television set in front of a slightly worn brown couch. The carpet was beige and flat while the walls were an olive green, a few posters taped to them giving a personal touch. Though the room seemed a fair size, it was a living room, dining room and kitchen all in one space undivided by walls. There were three doors along one wall. The door which was on the other side of the sofa was the exit from his apartment, while the door in the middle led to a bathroom and the door to the far left, in the kitchen and dining area, led to a bedroom. He barely had any counter space, and his dark brown circular table had only two chairs by it, though it was a bit piled up with empty food containers and various papers anyhow. There were some clothes laying in the floor and some dishes on the counter, but Matthew excused any slight mess with the fact that he was a bachelor.
“Awh, you should see my room. It’s WAY worse than this!” Scott assured him.
“Yeah but this is what I consider clean,” Matthew said with a smirk. “Yearly cleaning. It’s all downhill from here! Anyway, what kind of pizza do you guys like?” he asked, grabbing his phone off his couch.
“I like cheese,” April answered.
“Pepperoni or supreme!” Scott replied. “But I don’t really like mushrooms…”
Demitri thought for a second. “I’m fine with anything,” he shrugged as Matthew finished dialing the pizza place and held it up to his ear.
“Gotcha,” he said just before a man on the other end answered. “Yeah I’d like to order two pizzas…” he began while the others waited quietly. April took a seat on the couch and Scott soon joined her while Demitri remained standing and crossed his arms. “…Okay,” Matthew said upon hanging up his phone. “Pizza will be here in a bit, now for some entertainment while we wait,” he said, turning on his television then falling backwards onto the couch. He landed right between Scott and April and caused both of them to sink in towards him before they sat up straight again. April gave herself an extra few inches of space. “Hey Demitri, there’s still room on the couch. Take a seat!” he said, pointing to the other side of Scott. Demitri uncrossed his arms and joined them without any comments on the matter.“So, April, you really ready to be a part of the team?” Matthew asked as a commercial break started.
“Hm? I…guess so,” she replied. “Why do you ask?” she turned the question back at him.
“Hrm…wondering. You seemed like you weren’t really sure about joining us,” Matthew replied as he stretched his arms and laid back against the couch.
“She’s in! Right April?” Scott said enthusiastically, but April glanced down, not focusing on the flickering lights of the television but simply staring off in thought.
“Um… Well I need a little more time to decide for sure,” she replied and Scott stared at her wide-eyed for a moment as his enthusiasm quickly fleeted from his countenance.
“Whaaat!? But you’ve got a suit and everything now!” he said in disbelief of her detached feelings for the group.
“Hey, it’s okay. It’s her choice,” Demitri inserted in a calm voice and had Scott simmer down. After that things became a bit stagnant. No one really wanted to talk, at least not in front of the whole group, so they sat there watching television until someone knocked on the door.
“Pizza’s here!” Matthew said without a moment’s hesitation to get up from the couch. He smacked Scott on the knee as he rose up from his laid-back position. “Come on, you carry them while I pay,” he ordered and Scott dragged himself off the couch to follow behind him.
They received and paid for the two pizzas. Scott carried them in while Matthew cleared space for them to be set on the table. He made space by simply pushing everything else off to the sides of the table to the point where they were practically about to fall off.
“One cheese and one pepperoni, let’s eat!” he said. April arose from the couch to go and join them. Matthew was already pulling out a slice for himself and Scott was reaching in. She paused a moment to look back at Demitri, still seated on the couch but bent forward with his head bowed, his eyes closed and his lips moving in a silent prayer. She went on ahead to slip the cheese pizza box out from under the pepperoni and get herself a slice. Demitri joined the rest, the four sharing in laughs and conversations that had little to nothing to do with their night jobs. They spoke over the background noise of a sleepless city and ended the night with a toast to April by the tapping of soda-filled glasses in celebration of her official membership. She shyly joined in, feeling a little guilty that she was really in it for her own reasons at this point. It wasn’t a path she would have picked for herself, but at that moment, everything felt right.
Once Demitri, Scott and April had departed from the apartment, Scott hurried on home from Mainframe and Demitri was about ready to set things up for April.
“Um… hey Demitri?” she said in a quiet voice and he turned to face her.
“Yes?”
“Sorry about losing the other night. I’ll try to do better the next time we go bowling,” she apologized and he raised an eyebrow. “…What?” she asked, feeling as though she had done something wrong in even mentioning it.
“You don’t need to apologize for something like that. We just do it for fun,” he assured her then suddenly expressed doubt. “Well, Scott and I do, at least. Who knows with Matthew,” he noted and she giggled.
“Thanks,” she said softly.
“Don’t mention it,” Demitri replied with a smile. “Now there’s nothing else that you’ve been dwelling on lately, is there?” he asked, crossing his arms and giving her a teasing glare as if she’d be in trouble if there were.
“No!” she said and laughed. “Although…I do have a question,” she admitted.
“Okay, shoot.”
“Well, how long have you had your powers, Demitri? And could you tell you had them right away or did they take a while before you started to feel them?” she asked and he glanced up a moment.
“I got my powers at the age of six,” he replied and April gave a faint gasp.
“But that’s so young!” she said in astonishment.
“Yeah. I was in a private school when my powers started to activate. It was at the end of the school day, I went invisible and the teachers thought I had already been taken home. When someone came to pick me up there was a lot of confusion and I couldn’t understand why they were looking for me. I tried telling them I was right there, but they couldn’t even tell where my voice was coming from,” he described as he recalled memories from so long ago.
“That sounds horrible! And you remember all that from when you were only six?” April remarked compassionately.
“Mmhm. I remember having my first headache then, too. My powers are mental after all. It was a huge strain on my mind and I collapsed soon after I reappeared. Needless to say my parents decided to pull me out of private school.”
“So wait then,” April requested, pausing him from his story to ask, “were you ever able to go back to school?” she asked and he shook his head.
“I was homeschooled from that point on. My parents did hire some tutors once I started to get my powers under control, but they were always pretty stressed that someone might find out about me. I was told I couldn’t show or tell anyone about my powers. The only exception to that was my uncle, but that was only because my father thought he could ‘cure’ me. He didn’t want to accept that I would always be like this,” he said, uncrossing his arms. April looked a bit troubled over having asked.
“I’m sorry. Here mine came and I didn’t even know I had them. It still kind of feels like make-believe,” she confessed, sounding a bit sad, but he only smiled.
“Don’t be. These powers were the best thing that ever happened to me. Thanks to them I ended up spending a lot of time with my uncle, which ended up changing every aspect of my life, from my goals to my outlook and beliefs. My powers, which had been formerly referred to as disturbing or weird, he referred to as a blessing,” Demitri said with a reminiscent look of gratitude.
“Wow. It’s amazing to think one person could make such an impact on someone else,” April remarked with a smile.
“Isn’t it?” Demitri agreed. “But enough about the past, you should probably be getting back now. It’s late and we’ll both need our rest,” he commented and April gave out a yawn at the mere mention of rest.
“All right. Goodnight Demitri,” she said with a short wave of her hand.
“Goodnight,” he replied before they parted ways. Thus the evening came to a close.
​
CHAPTER TEN
SUMMER'S SNOW
“It appears to be interference,” the man said, brushing the few gray hairs by his right temple back against the rest of his jet black hair. “Everything is still working. You said the gray area’s spreading, though?” he asked as he got to his feet and then looked at Demitri.
“Yes. Even just last Sunday it was better than this. Our newest member lives in that area and she doesn’t pop up when she’s overlapped by the gray zone,” Demitri explained.
“Hmm… There is reason to be concerned if it keeps spreading. I’ll come back and have a look at it again sometime next month, when my schedule’s a little less crowded,” the man said as he grabbed his briefcase from the cool tiled floor.
“All right. Thank you so much for coming in today, Uncle James. I really appreciate the help,” Demitri replied with a nod that was almost like a bow and his uncle smiled.
“And I appreciate what you’re doing. You’ve become quite the hero,” his uncle replied.
“Couldn’t have done it without your help,” Demitri replied gratefully.
“Though I suppose Mainframe does help, it’s not at all required. You know that,” he said with a smirk and set the teleport to go. “Goodbye for now, Demitri. Keep up the good work. It looks like you’ll be keeping busy until my next visit.”
“Yeah. Quite a surprise, but I think the others will be glad to hear the news. Bye, now. I’ll look forward to seeing you again,” Demitri replied, glancing to the screen after his uncle’s departure.
Scott was sitting on his bed flipping through the channels on his television and looking completely uninterested. His desk had a few sketches he had worked on over the week, mostly of April in her new armor. She really had become a part of the team now. Scott expected to see her each night just as much as he did Demitri or Matthew.
“Argh…” he said as he yawned and deliberately fell forward onto a pillow set in front of him. Just as he could barely stand his boredom, his phone suddenly vibrated to tell him he had received a text message.
Are you available to come in? the message from Demitri read. It was only four in the afternoon but he didn’t feel it was a problem. He sent a text back to confirm he was free, and at Demitri’s request he got ready to go. He shut his blinds, locked his door and hurried to put on his uniform. He couldn’t recall the last time he went in during the day and knew something big had to be up. It was Sunday, after all.
“Hey, Demitri!” Scott greeted upon arrival. “What’s the news? Did something happen?” Scott asked as he hurried to Demitri’s side.
“See for yourself,” Demitri answered, rolling his chair back and gesturing toward the screens. “I started the scan much earlier than usual so my uncle could have a look,” He commented as Scott stared at the screen, wide-eyed and almost jaw dropping.
“Is she one of us?” Scott asked and Demitri nodded with a smile.
“Well not officially, but she does have powers. I want you to go meet her,” he answered.
“Me? Have you met her already?” Scott asked but Demitri shook his head.
“No, but she’s around your age and I thought it might be good if you two tried to build a friendship before bringing her here,” Demitri explained.
“Oh, you mean like what you did with April.”
“Exactly. Although this should actually be easier. She lives out in the country so you can go to visit without worry of neighbors or cameras,” Demitri said, looking back at the screens. “Her powers have been on and off constantly, so I think they developed sometime this week and she’s already learning how to use them. I want you to encourage her to keep them a secret, find out who she’s already told, and just use your best judgment as far as when you tell her about Mainframe and the rest of us,” Demitri instructed.
“What are her powers?” Scott asked.
Demitri turned back and met his eyes with a smile. “I think you should ask her that,” he said then began setting things up for Scott to depart.
“I’m gonna put my armor on!” Scott said and rushed to grab it, feeling a twinge of excitement.
“Good idea. I did a little snooping around already. She should be out in the woods a ways so you’d be fine to approach her,” Demitri explained as Mainframe’s portal was set to go. “I’m going to be heading home after you leave, so don’t feel like you have to come back and report to me.”
“Okay, got it!” Scott replied as he wrestled the armor on over his shoulders. Once fully outfitted, he grabbed his helmet and put it on as he briskly walked to the teleport. “Bye!” Scott said with a wave to Demitri.
“I’ll see you tonight,” Demitri replied with his usual gesture of two fingers against his forehead, flicking them away to signal a sort of salute goodbye. Scott departed, whisking down into the woods near the girl’s house.
“It’s so humid here,” Scott groaned, looking up between the branches of trees to see thick, light gray clouds overhead. He looked around the area, watching and listening to get an idea as to where he should go, but he didn’t see or hear anyone. He began scouting out the woods and quickly came to a pathway that had been cleared. One way led up out of the woods, the other going deeper in. It would be easy to turn around and go the other way if need be. Demitri had mentioned she was in the woods, so Scott decided he would go in deeper. Not long after, the path widened and he could see a large clearing ahead. He saw her there, kneeling beside a small creek that ran through the woods, distracted with something down in it, though he couldn’t quite tell what. He started to walk closer to lessen the gap between them. He wondered if he should say something before he got too close to keep from startling her badly but that worry was quickly replaced with another when a slight sprinkle of rain began to fall, lightly tapping against his armor. The girl suddenly arose, but she didn’t look behind to see Scott, she only stared up at the sky through the trees, flipping her black hair back behind her shoulders and tucking the hair on the right side of her face behind her ear. Scott was just about to say something but noticed the tapping of the rain on his helmet ceased and large white snowflakes drifted down before him, gently melting away the moment they touched the ground. He watched as the girl caught one of the flakes. She looked it over after it landed in the palm of her hand.
“E-excuse me,” Scott finally said and the snow suddenly changed back into rain as the girl, startled, turned around quickly to face him. She didn’t feel any less startled when she saw the way he was dressed, but he quickly gestured with both hands held out in front of himself that it was okay. “Ah, sorry! I was trying not to startle you!” he apologized and she tilted her head to the side a little.
“That’s…okaaay, I’m fine… Um?” she hesitated, rubbing her hand against the side of her jeans to wipe away the moisture from the melted snow.
“Uh, I’m Scaah-ver-Valor! I’m Valor!” Scott stuttered as he suddenly decided not to use his real name, but his hero name instead. “So, what’s your name?” he asked, trying to sound friendly and start up a chat.
“Valor?” she pulled the conversation back to his name with a raised eyebrow. He simply nodded his head. “I’m…Crystal. Nice to meet you? But whaaaat exactly are you doing in our woods?” she asked, referring to her family’s property. The light drizzle of rain was becoming less and less noticeable as they stood there, a good distance from each other.
“Oh…uh, I came here because I wanted to tell you about… something,” he answered, not really sure what he was supposed to say at that point. It was apparent Scott hadn’t considered what he’d say upon meeting her.
“Okay…well first tell me why you’re dressed like that,” she requested as she pointed at his costume.
“This is my hero uniform!” Scott replied.
“Hero what?” Crystal questioned.
“You know… a super suit of sorts,” Scott explained further and Crystal stared at him blankly.
“Yooooouuuuur super suit. Are you serious?” she asked bluntly.
“Yeah! I’m a superhero!” he shouted, then put his hand on his helmet as if he had a headache. “Argh, it sounds stupid trying to explain it!” he said and Crystal giggled.
“Okay, so are you one of our new neighbors then? I know a family moved in about a couple miles east of us. I didn’t know they had boys but I can’t imagine you’d come this far out if you didn’t live nearby,” Crystal reasoned as she began to walk closer. “I take it you’re into superheroes and dressing up. That’s cool, I mean I like that sort of thing too, but could you take off the helmet and return to planet Earth for a moment?” she asked teasingly as she reached for his helmet to pull it off by herself.
“Hey, no!” Scott yelled as he stepped backwards. She laughed.
“Come on, I just want to see what you look like!” Crystal said and pursued after him.
“You’re not shy, are you?” Scott remarked as he evaded her reach a second time, running back behind a fallen tree.
“Nope!” Crystal said, taking a large step on top of the tree and balancing on it as she looked down at Scott. “Now come here!” she said as she jumped down, but he ran back towards the middle of the clearing.
“No! You can’t take off my helmet!” Scott said and she stopped chasing.
“Okay then, you take it off!” she demanded, standing confidently with her arms crossed over her green t-shirt.
“Why do you even need to know what I look like!?” Scott retorted as his best defense.
“Because it’s weird talking to a stranger that dresses so… strangely,” she said, then moved her hands to her hips. “Or are you trying to protect your secret identity, o great hero!” she mocked.
“Hey! I’m not kidding around!” he said sternly but his seriousness only made her giggle. “FINE! Have it your way! I’ll take off the helmet! But then you’ve got to do me a favor and hear me out, okay?” Scott bargained and she nodded her head with a smile.
“Okay, deal! Now take it off,” she urged. Scott slowly removed it, Crystal tapping her finger against her mouth while she watched.
“Hmmm…”
“Hmmm?” Scott replied in an exaggerated mimicry.
“Not bad,” she said and he suddenly got wide-eyed and held his helmet back in both hands.
“What do you mean by THAT?” he questioned loudly and she laughed yet again.
“Didn’t you have something you wanted to tell me?” she reminded him and his reason for coming suddenly snapped back into thought.
“Oh right!” he said as he put his helmet back on. “What I was saying before, I’m a superhero! Or at least, a hero in training. But it’s not just a costume, it’s my actual suit. I’m just like you, I can do things other people can’t!” Scott explained and Crystal’s smile faded away.
“What do you mean ‘Like me?’ I’m not a superhero,” she replied and Scott sighed.
“Okay, I’ll just go ahead and show you. Don’t freak out, it’s no different from turning rain into snow, really. It’s just…hotter!” he said and picked up a small stick from off the ground. Crystal remained silent, surprised enough by his comments and concerned over his knowledge of what she was doing. She watched him with her full attention as he took a few steps back and held the stick out where it was clearly visible to her. “Ready?” he asked.
“What are you going to do?” she inquired in return and he squeezed it as each end of the stick suddenly broke off and sparks flew with it. “Whoa! How’d you do that?” she asked, thinking it to be a sort of magic trick.
“That’s my ability, or at least a mild version of it. I can make stuff blow up just by touching it!” Scott explained, but Crystal didn’t quite grasp it. “That includes things a lot bigger than sticks, but I don’t really want to start a fire…” he murmured while Crystal bent down and grabbed a significantly larger stick, one that would be great for walking with.
“Do it again with this one,” she requested, walking up and handing it to him.
“Uh, okay?” he replied as he took it from her. “You might want to step back, though,” he pointed out and she backed up a bit. Scott held the stick straight up. “I’ll just make the top part explode this time,” he said and soon after a large chunk of the upper stick flew off and spiraled to the ground, burnt and smoldering. Crystal stared at it in amazement.
“That’s…incredible! How did you learn to do that?” she asked in awe and excitement.
“I didn’t learn- well, I did but normal people can’t just learn to do something like this on their own!” Scott replied and crossed his arms. “…At least I don’t think they can…” he commented with an upward tilt of his head in thought. “Anyway, I’m getting off topic. I came here to meet you because I’ve heard that you also have powers like me.”
“Wait, what?” Crystal suddenly responded as though just snapping out of a daydream and back to reality.
“Did you hear anything I just said?” Scott asked as his shoulders dropped.
“Yeah, I just don’t understand. Why are you here? I mean, what do you want from me?”
“I want to invite you to join a league of heroes! We use our powers to help other people and stop criminals, just like real superheroes,” Scott explained and she took a couple steps back.
“Okay. So how do you know what I can do?” she asked, her previous happy-go-lucky attitude being replaced with caution as she distanced herself from him.
“Well I saw what you did and how the rain turned to snow. I don’t know what else could have caused white fluffy flakes to fall out here in August when it’s so hot and humid,” Scott replied.
“But how did you know where to come find me? Do you just wander through the woods and look for weird stuff? Or are you working for the government or some organization and hijacking my personal information? What’s your deal?” Crystal interrogated and Scott quickly found himself feeling very uncomfortable.
“Well we…we have a hero tracker! Sort of… It tells us, uhm, heroes, when someone else develops powers so we can find them and recruit them!” Scott explained as best he could on the spot. “For the record I DID have to search for you,” he added to help justify it.
Crystal hung her head down in thought. “So you know about it…” she said in a soft voice. “I wasn’t going to tell anyone... Not for a while, at least.”
“Well I’m not exactly sure what all you can do, honestly. Turn water into ice?” he questioned and she glanced back up.
“No, not just that,” she said. “But wait, before I tell you anything, I want to see your hero tracker. You’ve got the device, right? I want to see it,” Crystal demanded.
“I don’t just carry it with me! I’d have to take you to Mainframe to show you…”
“Mainframe? Is that your hideout?” Crystal asked with curiosity and interest.
“Uhhhhh, yeeeeaaah…” Scott replied, rubbing at his neck and glancing away.
“Okay. Show me,” she commanded upfront.
“Wait a sec! I dunno if I’m allowed to take you there yet!” he said as he waved his hands for her to slow down.
“Why not? You came here to recruit me, right? ‘Cause of what I can do? Why not just get it over with then?” she said as her rich green eyes gave a piercing look of determination that Scott couldn’t refute.
“All right! I’ll show you. But you can’t touch anything, okay?” he said and she smiled.
“Deal,” she agreed.
“Here, grab my arm or something,” he instructed as he held his elbow out toward her and began messing with his C-Cuff.
“Okay?” she replied as she firmly grasped his forearm.
“Here we go,” he said just before pressing his C-Cuff and whisking them into Mainframe. Crystal pulled away and looked around swiftly with a jerk to her right then back to her left where Scott stood.
“This…how did we get here!?” she asked.
“My device. It’s called a C-Cuff, and it teleported us here,” Scott answered, unsure how she felt about the whole ordeal. “Welcome to headquarters,” he added as he took off his helmet.
“THIS IS AWESOME!!” she squealed as her eyes continued to scout out her surroundings. Her eyes narrowed in on the armor to her right and she ran from Scott’s side over to get a closer look.
“Hey! Don’t touch, remember?” Scott retold as he ran after her.
“I know, don’t worry,” She assured him without glancing back. She put her hands down on her knees, bent forward and scanned over the armor. “Are all of these in use by other heroes?” she inquired.
“Yeah,” he answered.
“So there are only four of you, then?” she guessed after counting the racks they hung upon.
“Um, yeah. But if you join, that’ll take us up to five,” he commented.
“Will I get a costume like yours, or will I have to make one?” she asked, standing up straight and looking at him.
“Our leader makes the costumes. Once you’ve been a part of the team for a while he should make you one,” Scott replied as he mounted his helmet to give rest to his arms.
“Awesome! So what do I have to do to join?” she asked eagerly and Scott stared blankly, almost in disbelief.
“Uhh, you just show up every night and take part in training or doing missions to help people. There’s nothing else to it, really,” he answered and she gave a beaming smile.
“All right! What time?” she asked readily.
“Whoa okay, wait! You already want to join?” Scott asked, stunned by her willingness and acceptance.
“Of course! I mean, I don’t know if I’ll be much help, but I’m in pretty good shape, I’ve got a lot of energy and I’ve got those superpowers or whatever you were mentioning before!” she answered, sounding quite sure of her decision.“This is like a dream come true for me. I’ve always wanted to go on some adventures or be a part of some secret group like this. It’s just like a movie or book! Or like those old shows where you’d have five teenagers chosen to protect the world and stuff. It’s awesome!” she exclaimed with glee.
Scott gave an awkward smile and scratched his head. “Yeah, I guess.”
“So anyway, what time do I need to show up? Oh, and where’s that hero tracker you were supposed to show me?” she asked.
“Uhm, we usually come here at eleven, but it might be a bit earlier for you. I’m not sure…” he answered while considering her time zone. “You’ll have to have someone come and get you until you’re considered an official member. You’ll get one of these after a week or so and then you’ll be able to come here whenever,” he said in reference to his C-Cuff as he held his arm up.
“I see,” she replied.
“So, let me show you Mainframe’s technical stuff. That’s how we find heroes,” he said as he walked her over to Mainframe’s monitors.
“You guys really are like comic book superheroes, aren’tcha?” she remarked. “Aww, gee! This is just so unbelievable! I can’t believe I’m really in a place like this! Just taggin’ along with some guy I met in the woods,” she laughed and Scott grinned.
“It feels surreal for at least a month before it really sets in,” he replied then looked down at Mainframe’s monitors. He reached back behind himself to grab Demitri’s chair and pull it closer to have a seat. Once comfortable he got it to show the satellite scanner. “We run a scan over the United States every Sunday which can detect a certain biological thingy,” he tried to explain, though unsure of how to phrase it. “You know, people with unique powers? Anyway, they pop up on this map as little red dots and then we teleport down to find them,” he explained and she nodded.
“Okay, makes sense,” she replied.
After each explanation he gave, she had a handful of other questions for him. He sometimes was unsure what to say, causing him to reflect back on his own questions to Demitri when he was first brought to Mainframe. Demitri was so articulate, always having an answer ready. Scott did his best, but the more questions Crystal asked, the worse he felt about how many questions he had asked within such small periods of time.
Finally, after having satisfied her curiosity, the two returned to the woods where Crystal showed him how easily she was able to freeze the water within the creek.
“That’s so cool! I’ll come up with some hero names for you tomorrow and you can pick one out!” he said cheerfully.
“Hero names?” she questioned with raised eyebrows.
“Yeah! Like my name is Valor and our leader’s name is King,” he explained and she started to glare.
“Waaait a minute…you never told me your real name!?” she yelled and he suddenly retreated from his merriment.
“Oh yeah… I didn’t,” he admitted as he raised his shoulders and sheepishly shrugged. “My real name is Scott, but I go by Valor when I’m in my suit,” he explained.
“I see,” she replied, then turned and took a few slow steps as she held her hand to her chin and thought to herself. “I want a hero name now,” she decided and turned around quickly to look back at Scott, her hair whipping back behind her.
“Wha-now?” Scott stuttered and she gave an exaggerated nod.
“Why not? I’m going to join you guys, right? I want to come up with a hero name now so I can get used to it!”
“Okay. I guess we can do that,” Scott said, then began to ponder to himself. “Snow!” he said quickly and she stared at him disapprovingly.
“Nah,” she replied and he immediately got back to contemplating names without being disheartened.
“September is coming up and sounds cool. How about that?” he suggested and she shook her head. “Okaaay… Hmm…How about Ice?”
“No. Something cooler!” she said and his arms drooped down with his shoulders.
“What’s cooler than Ice? It’s LITERALLY COOL,” he exclaimed and she grinned. “Okay, fine! How about…Frostbite?” he asked and she perked up a bit.
“I like it!” she said, almost to his surprise.
“Okay…I thought Ice was just as cool but whatever you like, it’s your name. So, Frostbite it is!” he determined.
The two spent a bit more time together, but when they heard someone calling for Crystal, Scott made a hasty retreat after informing her to keep everything they talked about a secret. Crystal did ask if she should expect to see him that evening, but was told she would have to wait.
“I’ll come here again around noon tomorrow, will that work for you?” he asked in a hurry and she nodded with a yes. With that he took his leave and the two parted ways.
When the evening rode in, Scott sat in one of the chairs at Mainframe twiddling his thumbs until April and Matthew had arrived. Now with all members accounted for, it was time to tell the rest of the group about the new possible ally.
“So, what are the plans for tonight?” Matthew asked, casually walking about the room.
“Tonight I have a very special announcement to make,” Demitri replied as he stood up from his chair and all attention turned toward him. “We may have another member joining the ranks soon,” he stated.
“Uh, yeah actually, she’d like to come in tomorrow,” Scott chimed in quietly and suddenly all attention in the room was on him.
“Really?” Demitri asked, but Matthew was quick to cut in.
“Hold up! Who is it? What sort of powers we talkin’?” Matthew asked.
“Her name is Crystal. She’s only a year older than Scott and her power is over temperatures,” Demitri explained.
“Oh, THAT’S a real help. I guess if we’re caught in another wave of summer heat she’ll be able to cool us down?” said Matthew in a snarky tone of voice.
“She can freeze water!” Scott snapped in an intolerant reply, while April remained quiet on the matter.
“Thank you, Scott,” Demitri said, then continued. “She is able to control temperatures to an extreme in focused areas, or mildly over a vast amount of space. In other words, she can make things hot or cold enough to quickly freeze water or cause it to evaporate,” Demitri clarified.
“Wait a minute!” Scott poked in. “I didn’t know she could heat things up, too! We were talking about hero names and we were going to call her Frostbite!” Scott said.
“Wait, you already met her?” Matthew asked the same thing April was thinking.
“Yeah, and I showed her Mainframe,” Scott said.
“You sure don’t waste any time!” Demitri remarked with a smile. “But it sounds like things went over well?”
“Yeah! I told her I’d meet her tomorrow around noon. I’ll need to see what time that is where she lives compared to where I’m at, but I was thinking we’d meet up and I’d invite her to join us for training tomorrow at the usual time?” he explained, with uncertainty creeping in toward the end of his plan.
“Sounds fine. What do you two think?” Demitri asked Matthew and April.
“That’s fine!” April replied.
“Sounds good!” came Matthew’s overlapping words. “We just let anyone in right off the bat now, so whatever,” he then mumbled to himself.
“Then it’s settled. Send me a text if she needs to come sooner than eleven. Or ten, I think it’s ten where she lives. Either way, let me know and I’ll be here, otherwise let’s all plan on meeting here tomorrow at the usual time,” Demitri said and the rest nodded. “Now let’s see if we can help someone in need,” he commented as he reclaimed his seat in front of the main screen and the others gathered around him. It was an exciting night for Scott, and he could hardly wait for tomorrow.
​
CHAPTER ELEVEN
FADING INTO SEPTEMBER
As the hands of the clock showed it was just before one, Scott hurried to Mainframe. He then teleported to the woods to meet with Crystal. Almost noon her time, she was already there waiting for him. She was feeling too excited to wait till later.
“Hi Scott!” she greeted with a wave.
“Hi! I just thought I’d fill you in. I’ll come to the edge of the woods where the trail starts around ten tonight. Meet me there and we’ll go to Mainframe,” he told her.
“Okay. How long will we be at Mainframe?” she asked.
“Training doesn’t really take that long… We’ll have to introduce you to the other three, but maybe plan to go home around eleven your time?” Scott suggested.
“So an hour visit. Sounds good but short,” Crystal agreed, clasping her hands together behind her back. She swayed side-to-side with a smile.
“Hey Crystal…” Scott began, crossing his arms and glancing down at the leaves and twigs below their feet.
“Yeah?” she asked, encouraging him to keep talking.
“Why didn’t you tell me you controlled temperatures!? I thought you had ice powers so I kept coming up with cold sounding names, and now I find out you can heat things up, too?” he shouted in a sort of teasing frustration.
“How do you know I can heat stuff up?” she asked inexpressively.
“Mainframe. You know, hero tracking thing. It can give us a bit of information on how someone’s powers work, although it doesn’t always tell us the full extent of someone’s powers,” Scott explained, then sighed. “So yeah, I guess the name Frostbite doesn’t really work.”
“But I like it. I’m not changing it if that’s what you’re angling for,” she told him with her usual stubbornness.
“All right, all right! I wasn’t going to make you change anything, I just thought you might want to,” Scott commented.
The two ended up spending a good amount of time in conversation, talking about their powers and common interests, then goofing around before finally parting ways until evening.
As the night grew dark and they arrived one by one at Mainframe, Scott headed back for Crystal. He stood anxiously waiting on the outside of the woods, having a view of her house and feeling tense and somewhat bothered by how dark it was. The lack of company certainly didn’t help as he stood there awaiting her arrival, though he would never admit it out loud. He tapped his foot, twiddled his fingers and tried not to jump when he heard the sound of coyotes howling a good distance off. When he saw Crystal sneaking out from the house, he felt a great relief knowing they would soon be back at Mainframe in a brightly lit room. He would be far away from wild animals and the abundance of insects that were there around him.
“You weren’t waiting here long, were you?” Crystal asked between breaths in a hushed voice as she ran over to meet with Scott.
“No. Let’s go,” Scott replied and offered his arm to her. She didn’t hesitate to grab on and soon they were back in Mainframe, where April and Demitri stood waiting and Matthew had yet to show.
“Welcome,” Demitri greeted with his armor on and arms crossed. April also was fully dressed in uniform and armor, but she remained silent and gave a shy wave with her fingers. Crystal stood up straight and stared a moment, unsure what she should say.
“I am the leader of our group. My name is Demitri,” he said then leaned his head to his left. “This is April.”
“Hi,” April said softly.
“Ohh, nice to meet you! I’m Crystal!” she said without hesitance or shyness and offered to shake hands.
“And a pleasure to meet you,” Demitri said as he uncrossed his arms and obliged to her handshake.
“You’re really tall,” Crystal commented afterwards then shook hands with April. “And you’re really tall for a girl. I’m feelin’ short here,” she said with a grin.
“How do you think I feel?” Scott remarked. “I’ve been the shortest and youngest one in the group for the longest time, and you’re still just as tall as I am!”
“Oh, how old are you, Scott?” Crystal asked in reply.
“Sixteen,” he answered and she smiled, but tried not to laugh.
“Well then you’re still the youngest!” she said as she stretched her arms into the air. Demitri glanced at April, shaking his head with a smile hidden by his helmet.
“Wait a minute! What about you?” Scott asked in disbelief over the idea that she could be older than him.
“Seventeen!”Crystal said triumphantly.
Scott crossed his arms and looked pouty for a moment as he thought of a comeback. “Yeah, well I still got my powers first!” he bragged in his own defense.
“Hey, you should enjoy being young,” Demitri told Scott with a nudge. Crystal looked around a bit, then up at Demitri.
“So what are we doing?” she asked, feeling ready to try out anything.
“Right now we’re waiting for Matthew to join us, then we’ll be going down to train,” he answered. “In the meantime, do you have any questions?”
“Mmmmm…nope. I pretty much asked Scott everything last night,” she replied and Scott hung his head.
“She did!” he added.
April waited to see if anyone else would be talking, and seeing her chance, inserted herself. “May I ask a question?” she said to Crystal, though all paid attention.
“Sure,” Crystal replied casually.
“How long have you had your powers?” April asked. It didn’t take much time to reflect on it for Crystal to reply.
“About a week.”
“And she’s already got the hang of them, too,” Scott added, sounding relatively impressed. Hardly a moment after he spoke Matthew arrived.
“Welcome, Matt,” Demitri said and Crystal and Scott turned around quickly to see him.
“Yeah, yeah. If anyone tries to wipe their feet off on me I’m gonna pound them,” he jested in a mutter then stared at Crystal. Crystal gave an awkward smile. “Oh right, new kid. We sure are getting laid back about bringing the newbies in, I don’t even have my helmet on yet,” he commented as he brushed past the others to fetch his armor off the wall to his right.
“And who do we have to blame for that?” Demitri questioned.
“Oh come on, I was distracted. I’m not that late,” Matthew defended. “Anyway, kid, I’m Matthew. Try not to be jealous when you see me dominate in the training grounds,” he said as though he were serious.
“I’m Crystal! Nice to meet you,” she replied. “Hey, do we get to pick what color our costume is?” she asked in general.
“Did you get to pick your name?” Matthew asked in response while slipping the armor onto his arms.
“Yeah,” she replied and he suddenly stopped to turn and look at her. He raised an eyebrow as if he didn’t believe her answer, but she stood casually turning her shoulders back and forth with her arms behind her while sending a genuine smile in his direction. “…So is that a yes, then?” she asked and Matthew glared at Demitri as he resumed fastening on his armor.
“Everybody but me,” he said in response to their hero names.
“Like I was saying the other day,” Scott said and pulled Crystal’s attention back to him. “Demitri makes the armor. He’ll pick something out for you.”
“Unless there’s a specific color you’d like,” Demitri inserted and Crystal smiled while Matthew glared.
“I like the color green. Other than that, I don’t really care. Although I kind of like the armor color Scott and Matthew have,” she replied.
“All right then. I’ll keep that in mind,” Demitri replied, then went to open the elevator.
“I’ve been here the longest and I get the least say in my alter ego,” Matthew griped as he finished fastening his armor on around his chest and rolled his shoulders a bit.
“Aw Matthew, your ego’s too big to alter!” Scott teased.
“Watch it,” he commented as he put his helmet on. Scott couldn’t help but snicker.
“All right, let’s go do some training!” Demitri said as he stepped to the side and April went ahead and entered. Scott, Crystal and Matthew weren’t far behind, and once all were inside, Demitri entered and set the elevator to head down.
“We get many more newbies and we’re going to need a bigger elevator,” Matthew commented as they started downward.
“Yes, after all this time it’s hard to believe one year would turn out three new heroes,” Demitri replied. Of course, he was very pleased by the increase in numbers.
“If we get that many members then we can take turns coming down,” April stated, seeing how there was still room for all of them to move about.
“True,” Demitri said.
“Maybe take turns running shifts instead? Have five or six heroes here while the rest take the week off, switch it around next week and so on,” Matthew suggested.
“Oh sure, Matthew. Of course, you already take more time off than anyone else here so you won’t get a week to yourself, but I’m sure our other members will greatly appreciate it,” Demitri teased and April giggled.
“They’re pretty much always like this,” Scott whispered to Crystal and she grinned.
“Hey, you got something to say, kiddo, say it to the group!” Matthew told Scott and Scott raised his hands in surrender.
The elevator landed and opened up, letting the group out into the training room.
“Wow!” Crystal exclaimed and ran out to get a good look around the enormous room. “This place is huge!!” she yelled, causing a brief echo.
“Yep,” Scott said as he walked out after her with his hands behind his head.
“What sort of training do we do?” she asked eagerly.
“The useless kind,” Matthew answered.
“Hey, that’s not true! We dodge lasers as if we were dodging bullets, take down machines and get a good workout in the process!” Scott defended while Demitri listened in, then glanced toward April.
“I have been thinking about adding something else,” Demitri said to her in a whisper as he set the controls on the wall. “But then again, if it’s not broken, why fix it? This certainly prepares us to defend and fight under fire,” he commented while Scott, Matthew and Crystal continued talking noisily behind them.
April gave a simple “Mmhm,” with a nod in response.
“Wait, wait. Lasers?” Crystal questioned back at Scott and Matthew in disbelief. “Are you guys for real, or was that a joke?” she asked, honestly not sure if they really meant it or not.
“Okay guys!” Demitri began to announce before she could get an answer. “We’re doing a ten minute round set on an average to hard difficulty. Lasers can make contact, but will be less than a bee sting this time. It’s just enough to let you know you got hit.”
“Oh gosh, you guys weren’t joking,” Crystal said quietly to Scott and Matthew while Demitri spoke.
“I didn’t know he could lower the pain those lasers gave!” Scott said in a harsh whispered voice, sounding a bit outraged.
“…and make sure you help each other out to avoid injury and deal out some damage. Any questions?” Demitri asked the somewhat distracted bunch.
April raised her hand. “I have one,” she said and he gave her the go-ahead to proceed. “Crystal is new to the group and this is her first time here, so shouldn’t we have things set easier and without painful consequences in getting hit?”
“Normally, yes. However, with such a big team now and how good at this we’ve gotten, I don’t think it would really count as training to do something that easy this time,” Demitri explained.
“Makes sense,” Matthew commented while April remained quiet.
“Anything else?” Demitri asked with one last look around. “Okay then. We’re going to get started. One thing to take note of, Crystal, when we’re in our armor we’re to refer to each other by our hero names. This will be good practice for that.”
“Oh yeah, because she’s just now learning our real names, why not make things more complicated!” Matthew said sarcastically as he threw his arms into the air.
“Ahem,” Demitri grunted to Matthew and he quieted down. “Anyway, I’m King, Matthew is Force, April is Hope and Scott is Valor.”
“And I’m Frostbite!” Crystal added cheerfully then gave a thumbs up. “Got it, King!”
“All right team, let’s get started!” Demitri said and the sound of the large equipment moving underground and in the walls could be heard. The loud noise from all around halted as the machines were revealed. Crystal readily watched the others to try and figure out what to do. “One last thing guys, only hit the machines if the light on them is red!” Demitri shouted and a signal sounded to let them know to engage.
Scott immediately ran after the closest machine while Matthew moved in the opposite direction, leaving Crystal, who had been standing right between them all alone. Crystal looked to see April run for cover, looking for machines without a red glow to hide behind while Demitri just vanished all together. When Crystal saw a machine rotating toward her after its original target disappeared, she ran in Scott’s direction just in time to avoid getting shot. When she looked ahead, another machine was already focused on her. She tried pulling the heat out of it in order to freeze it up. The machine still fired, though, and Crystal swayed to the side as the laser whizzed right between her arm and body, just barely missing her. She continued pulling the heat out from the machine ahead, trying to get closer and behind it at the same time. Once she was close enough that she could actually touch it, the machine froze completely. What little moisture was in the air around it crystallized as the red light on the machine went out.
“I did it!” she exclaimed, feeling proud of herself. She turned to her right just in time to see Scott blowing up a machine. He had been the target of more robots than she, so it took a little longer for him to get in range. Once he did, though, Crystal was awed by the blast from his powers, which were far more impressive here in combat than back at her home where he had set off sticks with small sparks.
Crystal reached forward as she focused on the leftover flames caused by Scott’s attack. Out they went, to his confusion, before looking back to see her smirk of confidence. He smiled, then quickly focused his attention back on the machines, this time eyeing two that were mounted on the wall.
“Come on!” he yelled and Crystal followed his lead towards them. Meanwhile, Demitri had already taken out two machines, while Matthew was working on his first, though trying something new this time. Instead of pulling a wire or tricking the machines into blasting each other, he placed a force field over a machine and continued expanding its size until the machine was crushed enough that smoke and sparks went up. Matthew took in heavy breaths through his nostrils and gave it one last push, while April tried to help. She was actually feeling a surge of energy in herself as he forced the machine down and crushed it.
April grinned and stood up. “Did you feel that?” she asked excitedly. Matthew grinned back as he started to glace up to reply, but suddenly his eyes widened and he created another force field around her, blocking two hits from two different directions.
“Focus, this is no time to chat!” he scolded and hurried to destroy one of the two machines. April ducked back down, her happy feeling being replaced with a sinking one. She peeked around the tranquil machine she hid behind, observing Crystal and Scott from across the room. They were working wonderfully together as they both set fire to the machines on the wall, then Crystal pulled the heat from the flames and caused them to quickly dissipate.
Demitri was doing brilliant as always, running faster than anyone else, though April could only see him as he appeared over one machine and ripped out cords, then he disappeared before getting to the next.
Matthew was making the most of his powers with both defensive and offensive techniques. April felt like she was seated so far away from the rest, but they certainly appeared to be getting by without her. How much help was she, really? she wondered. Her pondering was cut short when she felt a sudden sting on her back. She turned around quickly to see a machine about ready to fire and hit her a second time, but as she began to scramble to get up, Matthew came up over the top of the machine behind her and jumped overhead, charging at it and creating a shield to keep from getting hit. Demitri suddenly appeared just as Matthew reached it and pulled the wires out before he could finish it off.
“Beat you to it!” Demitri bragged and Matthew pushed him while a sound buzzed to let the team know training was over.
April rose to her feet and brushed herself off. The sting from being shot had already faded away, but a different sort of sting took its place when Scott and Crystal ran past her to boast to Demitri about neither one of them taking a hit.
“Good job,” Demitri said while Matthew crossed his arms.
“Same here,” Matthew commented, while April walked over to join them. “But I did have to block a few for miss Hope over here,” he pointed out with a look in her direction. April hung her head low and rubbed her arm.
“And that’s what we’re supposed to do. We need to know we can count on one another when the going gets tough,” Demitri said. “Good work, team. I think that’s one of the best rounds we’ve had,” he congratulated.
“That was really epic!” Crystal replied happily. “I can’t wait for the next one!” she said and Scott grinned from beneath his helmet as he thought about it.
“We make an awesome team,” he said and Crystal nodded.
“Yeah, we do!” she agreed then looked at the rest. “All of us do! I’m even more excited about joining you guys now,” she said with a laugh.
“I’m glad,” Demitri replied, then began walking back to the wall where the elevator was hidden. “Well, what do you say we head back up?” he said with a glance back over his shoulder, then continued walking with the rest following closely behind. Up they went, back to the main floor. Crystal and Scott were talking the whole way about what they had done and how they had worked together.
“I’m glad you two were able to use your powers together like that,” Demitri commented as they got out of the elevator. “And Crystal, your ability to put out fires is really something. You could do a lot of good with it.”
“It’s nothing much,” she said modestly. “I just pull the heat out from them. Controlling temperatures is pretty handy, though!” she said with a smile. Demitri and the others began removing their armor and hanging it up for the night while Crystal watched. “Hey Demitri, how come you get a cape?” she asked out of curiosity. Demitri shook it out a couple times.
“Because I’m the leader. And I like capes,” he said as he hung it up.
“Doesn’t it snag on stuff, though?” she questioned.
“…Sometimes,” he admitted then laughed while Scott and Matthew snickered.
April hurried along to get her armor put up and Scott noticed her speed.
“What’s the rush, April? Aren’t you gonna hangout?” he asked and she glanced his way briefly between mounting things up.
“No. I’ve got to get my sleep for work tomorrow. Besides, I have a friend who has a birthday coming up, so I need to hit the stores and see if I can find him something,” she replied.
“What friend?” Scott asked.
“Lance. His birthday is September seventh,” she answered as she hung up the last of her armor.
“Hey, same as mine,” Demitri commented, he and the others listening in to the conversation.
“Really?” April asked and he smiled.
“Yep. I wasn’t really planning on doing anything special, though, so I’ll still be coming in that night,” Demitri answered and Matthew leaned back on a wall with his chin held high.
“Oh really? So what, no cake?” he commented as though Demitri were being selfish.
“Well if you guys want cake-”
“And ice cream!” Matthew interrupted, to which Demitri shook his head.
“Am I supposed to bring it?” he said with a laugh and Matthew nodded.
“It’s your birthday. I’m not buying you a cake,” Matthew remarked.
“Hey, that doesn’t sound right at all!” Crystal inserted as she crossed her arms and Scott laughed while April glanced around and stepped back a bit.
“I’ve got to get going,” she said.
“All right. Let me go set things up for you,” Demitri offered and they stepped aside. Matthew rubbed his forehead while Crystal and Scott swayed back and forth as though waiting for something.
“This team sure grew fast,” Matthew remarked and Scott nodded. “Seems like Demitri’s getting a little too casual about all this, though. Let’s just let whoever in now!”
“Matthew, I’m standing right here. And I think you’ve expressed your concern about that enough now,” Demitri commented from across the room and April lowered her head to hide a smile.
“So are the random people you let join our team!” Matthew exclaimed back at him.
“Wait, we’re not random! We’re the only people in America with these powers!” Scott said triumphantly.
“Well, we haven’t really checked out Canada, or a number of other places, but yeah, the States…” Matthew mumbled, getting off his original subject.
“Bye guys!” April said with a wave that caught their attention.
“Bye April!” Scott yelled.
“Bye!” Crystal said simultaneously while Matthew just gave a relaxed wave goodbye.
Demitri rejoined the group in discussions and plans for the morrow while April headed out. She was considering Demitri’s birthday, pondering what sort of things Demitri might like. It seemed like she knew him really well until she started to consider a present, then it seemed like she knew nothing about him.
I’ll think of something while I’m out tomorrow, she thought to herself as she got ready for bed. When she had her teeth brushed, pajamas on and alarm set, she tucked her blankets up close with hands by her face and thought over the evening, mostly about Crystal. Crystal’s powers were really something, and she didn’t need anyone else to teach her how to use them. April wondered if she would have ever learned about her own gift if Demitri hadn’t come along.
The following morning came and went, and the moment April was off work she headed straight for the store. She strolled through the aisles, trying her best to think of something Demitri might like. What do guys even like? she wondered to herself in mild frustration. Coffee! she suddenly realized as she walked by an aisle with freshly ground coffee, the delicious aroma drifting through the air and reminding her of all his visits to the café she worked at.
April hurried in the aisle to browse the flavors. She picked a few different kinds, including some instant coffee with an added hint of vanilla and caramel. Once she had his gift picked, she carried it in her hands, then went to look at cards. She stuffed the packages of coffee between her arm and stomach so she could have a hand free for picking something out. She was far too persistent in her method of carrying things now to go back for a shopping cart. Most of the cards she pulled off the rack she quickly put back, then finally she came across the right one. It took her fancy and she thought he’d like it. It was a bit more extravagant and expensive than the others. Designed with a shiny dark blue cover, pulling out from the side with bold letters and becoming the size of three cards once fully opened, it was a nice choice. After getting Demitri something extra nice she recalled her original plans and picked out a little something for Lance then went ahead to the checkout with just the coffee and cards. Once finished, she made her way through the parking lot, leaving the items in her car before walking back to hit the next store. She browsed through CDs until finding something newer that she had a pretty strong hunch Lance would like. Upon purchasing the CD, her shopping trip came to an end.
April drove home. When she arrived she carried her purchased goods straight to her room. She made a trip downstairs to grab scissors and tape, then rummaged through her mother’s stash of wrapping paper before returning to wrap up the gifts. She felt relieved once all was said and done. She did prefer to get things taken care of sooner rather than later, after all.
Between then and the start of September things moved on as if nothing had changed. Crystal was welcomed right into the group and had already grown accustomed to coming every night she could. On the first of September she received her very own hero uniform. The design was like April’s, but the color of the armor matched Matthew and Scott’s sleek silver, and Demitri had incorporated her favorite color in the suit and details. It was a deep green base with lighter green stripes up the side. Crystal immediately loved it and could hardly wait to try it on. In addition, Demitri and Matthew had installed a fifth rack for her armor to hang on and Demitri finally found and added two more matching chairs to Mainframe’s main room.
With his birthday fast approaching, Demitri decided there was something special he would like to do. As they wrapped up the evening and the second of September changed to the third with the stroke of twelve, he proposed his idea.
“A camping trip?” Scott questioned while Matthew leaned his head back and rolled his eyes.
“You’re kidding, right?” Matthew remarked and Demitri shook his head.
“I know Crystal isn’t familiar with it, but you all remember our campsite, right?” Demitri inquired looking to April, Matthew and Scott. “I was thinking since the weather is supposed to be cooler tomorrow night, we should take advantage of it. It will be nice! A good change of pace from our training, missions and bowling routine,” he explained.
“I guess so,” Matthew said, rubbing at his ear.
“I think it sounds fun!” Crystal said optimistically. “Will we set tents up and everything?”
“Yep. I have two huge tents we can use. One for you and April and one for us guys,” Demitri answered.
“Can we do s’mores?” Scott asked, already planning things in his mind as if going were absolutely certain.
“Of course!” Demitri replied.
“…I’ve never had s’mores,” Matthew commented.
“Then it’s settled! One way or another, we have to do it now. You’ve got to have s’mores at least once,” Demitri said.
“How have you never had s’mores before?” Crystal asked.
“Well GEE, it’s kind of hard to do s’mores over a fire when you live in a big city where fires are illegal!” Matthew replied, to which Crystal raised her eyebrows.
“…Okay!” Crystal said as she put her hands in the air.
“S’mores are really good,” April commented and Matthew smacked his forehead.
“Can we drop the whole s’mores thing now? I get it!” he demanded and the others snickered and laughed.
“All right, then. Let’s meet here at the usual time tomorrow. Come casual. I recommend wearing something you’re comfortable sleeping in,” Demitri told them. “Also, bring your own sleeping bags and pillows, plus any snacks you want. I’ll provide water and everything we’ll need for s’mores.”
“What if we don’t have a sleeping bag?” Matthew raised his hand and asked while Crystal sighed as if he were hopeless.
“If you don’t have a sleeping bag you can bring a comforter or something else that’s big and soft to sleep on. Any other questions?” Demitri asked and looked around to see their heads shaking no in reply. “All right, good! Then I’ll see you all tomorrow night,” he said and the group dispersed as, one by one, they all teleported back home.
​
CHAPTER TWELVE
CAMPING FIASCO
Scott looked over the assortment of items he had set out on his floor, mentally going through a checklist to make sure he had everything before shoving it all in his backpack.
A flashlight, snacks, cell phone and a portable game system, extra batteries, his journal and a couple pencils. All were packed one after another into his backpack. He wore his C-Cuff on his arm, put on a loose, light gray t-shirt and black shorts, then took his sleeping bag in one hand while he swung his backpack over his shoulder with the other.
“All set,” he said in a quiet voice as not to disturb his parents. Scott then turned off the lights in his room and departed. He arrived at Mainframe to see only Matthew present. “Where are the others?” Scott asked as he slipped his backpack down his arm and held it by the straps, letting it dangle just above the tiled floor. “I mean, I know I’m a couple minutes early, but Demitri is usually here…” he commented with a glance at a large pile by Matthew’s feet, which included a cooler, a store-bought log, a sleeping bag, pillows, large tents in their boxes and a blanket. “Wait a sec-”
“HA!” Demitri yelled as he grabbed Scott from behind and caused him to jump and scream.
“WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM!?” Scott yelled. Demitri let him go, laughing to the point that he almost couldn’t breathe.
“I expected you to jump but I didn’t expect you to scream!” Demitri said as he got it together and his laughter faded to just a grin of pleasure.
“He got you good,” Matthew said to Scott, who was still very worked up.
“Ya THINK? But seriously, what was that!? You’re acting like Matt!” Scott pointed out.
“Hey, I don’t turn invisible and startle people,” Matthew teased in a serious tone of voice, casually leaning back against the countertop that Mainframe’s monitors sat on.
“You know what I mean,” Scott replied with a glare.
“It’s just a little vacation fun,” Demitri told him, then vanished again. “Now don’t tell April or Crystal, I’m going to try and get them both, too,” he said and Scott walked over to set his things in the stack by Matthew. Once unloaded, Scott sat back in a chair, twirling it around while they waited. As soon as he saw the portal light up and reveal April, he stopped turning the chair and watched readily. April took a few steps forward, dropping her sleeping bag and still holding her pillow while looking over at Matthew then at Scott.
“…Why are you staring at me?” she asked Scott and he suddenly snapped out of awaiting Demitri’s surprise and tried to cover it up.
“What? What?” he said, pretending as though he were spacing out.
“Never mind,” she said, then felt strange, as if someone were sneaking up right behind her. She put her right hand on her neck as she glanced behind her shoulder, then looked back at the others. “Is Demitri here?” she asked and Scott, with wide eyes, shook his head just as Demitri started to appear behind her.
“H--” he started to shout but April both jumped in fright and swung her pillow back, smacking him right in the face with it before he could grab her or yell.
Matthew and Scott both stared, while April realized what had just happened and pulled her pillow back slowly, revealing a less-than satisfied expression on Demitri’s face.
“Pffffff-AHAHA! Serves you right!” Matthew cackled while Scott laughed good and hard.
“Wow! I didn’t think April was the type to react so violently,” Scott remarked in shared enjoyment.
“Well that was unexpected,” Demitri finally said which caused even more laughter from Matthew and Scott, while April gave an awkward smile.
Crystal arrived right then, in the midst of their laughing, dressed like April in comfortable pajama pants and a loose black t-shirt. She stood in bewilderment, puzzling as to what was going on, and tentatively walked over to set her things in the pile by Matthew and Scott.
“What did I miss?” she asked and Scott caught his breath.
“Nothing!” he said, still smiling.
“Something,” she remarked with a glance back at April and Demitri.
“I’ll tell you about it later,” Scott said.
“All right. Everyone’s here. We all set to go?” Demitri asked and Matthew stood up straight, turning around to check Mainframe and open the teleport.
“Aye, captain,” Matthew said, then reached down to grab his pillow and large blanket.
“Okay then. Grab your things and let’s go,” Demitri instructed the others. He carried one tent over and set it in the portal, then went to get the other while the rest of the team got their things together and waited. Once all set, Demitri turned out the lights and they departed to the campsite, all ready for a great night of fun, and no one suspecting that the moment they arrived they’d be in a soggy mess. The ground was marshy from rain that had obviously been going all day, and now, though the night sky had mostly cleared up, the ground was left far too wet for fires and tents.
“…Well this is nice,” Matthew remarked sarcastically.
“Ugh… that’s what I get for not checking the weather myself,” Demitri commented.
Crystal looked around, then took her load and set it on top of the cooler.
“What should we do now?” Scott asked and Demitri looked torn. Crystal stepped over toward one of the lamps and kneeled to the ground while they were talking.
“I’m not camping in Mainframe,” Matthew commented.
“Hey guys!” Crystal called over and they turned to look at her. “I think I solved our problem,” she said with a couple knocks with her fist on the ground, which was now hard and dry beneath her.
“Wait, what did you do?” Scott asked, noticing slight fogginess and a lack of water and dampness where she stood.
“I heated the ground until the water evaporated. I think I could take care of the rest of the water within this area that the lamps are circling, but it might take a while,” she said.
“Great idea, Crystal! Guys, help me move these things out of the way,” Demitri instructed. They began moving things aside while she tried evaporating the water in the places that were already cleared. “April, can you set your things down and help her? I think if you give her a boost she could do it faster and a bit easier,” Demitri suggested and April began focusing on Crystal.
“Now that’s more like it!” Crystal said, standing up and holding her hands out toward the ground. A thick steam came up in front of her but not directly under her, and within moments, all the water was gone and a nice, flat and dry surface for camping remained.
“That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” Matthew said, carrying things back.
“Way to go, Crystal!” Scott cheered.
“We owe you one. Good work,” Demitri added.
April stood back a moment as if in thought but then forced a smile. “Thanks, Crystal,” she said quietly.
“Aw, it was nothing guys,” Crystal blushed. “Now let’s get those tents setup!” she exclaimed.
Demitri opened up the large boxes. The bottoms of the boxes were already soggy from sitting on the wet ground, but the tents inside were nice and dry. Demitri pulled out the first tent while Scott got the pegs for it and followed after him. Matthew joined in setting it up to the far right of their campsite while April and Crystal got to work pulling the other tent out and setting it up on the far left. Once the guys had finished, they took over for the girls and hurried it along.
“There we go. Tents fit for kings and queens!” Demitri said as they finished pushing the last peg into the ground.
“Of course, the ‘queens’ get more room because there are fewer of them,” Matthew griped.
“Matthew, you can sleep under the stars if you want to,” Demitri politely offered, to which Matthew quickly rejected.
“It’s fine! I’ll sleep in the tent.”
“When are we gonna do s’mores?” Scott asked while feeling more than ready to dive into the snacks.
“Oh! Let’s get the fire started and we’ll do those right away,” Demitri said and went to grab the log he had brought along. He brought it to the center of the campsite and set it down while he sighed. “Well guys, I forgot matches.”
“Wait!” Crystal chimed in and sat down next to the log, putting her hands out as if there were flames. She focused intensely on the log, then smoke started to billow up and it caught on fire. “There!” she said cheerfully.
“Whoa! Good one!” Scott said as he went to sit down next to it.
“Is there nothing you can’t do?” Matthew asked and she smiled sheepishly.
“I’d have tried but I think the log would have blown into a million pieces,” Scott snickered and Crystal laughed with him. Demitri pulled out the marshmallows along with five forks perfect for roasting them from the cooler. He handed out the supplies and they all got started.
“Okay! These catch fire way too easy!” Matthew exclaimed as his marshmallow almost immediately flamed up.
“Blow it out!” Scott yelled.
“I’m trying!” Matthew retorted and Crystal laughed.
“Never a dull moment with these two,” Demitri commented while focusing on cooking his own marshmallow.
“I actually like them charred,” April stated.
“Well then here, trade me,” Matthew demanded as he handed her his fork and took hers. His marshmallow was no longer on fire but looked to be black all the way through.
“Okay, this one is so scorched there’s no marshmallow left!” she said and Demitri and Crystal snickered slightly.
“Here, the graham crackers and chocolate are on the top,” Demitri said as he got up and opened the cooler for April.
“Thanks,” she said before leaning back to reach inside.
“Argh!” Matthew suddenly yelled. “That is the second mosquito to bite me! How do you guys stand this sort of thing?” he griped as he swatted another one off his arm.
“I dunno, they’re leaving me alone,” Scott said as glanced over his own arms.
“I don’t like mosquitoes, but the weather sure is nice! It’s cool, but not too cool, and there’s just the right amount of wind to keep the fire going, but not cause problems,” Crystal said optimistically.
“Of course, if the fire went out, you could just relight it. And if it tries to spread, you can always put it out. Handy powers. I’m almost jealous,” Matthew admitted and honestly complimented.
“Yeah, I think out of all of us, Crystal’s powers are the most handy. I mean, you can have any beverage at just the right temperature, immediately boil water or make ice cubes, heat your food if it starts to get cold, it’s awesome!” Scott said and Matthew looked at him.
“And notice how everything Scott mentioned had something to do with food or drink,” he said and Crystal giggled.
“So it begs the question,” Demitri began as he pulled his marshmallow back from the warm flame and rotated his fork while he looked it over. “Why do you choose to roast your marshmallow slowly over the fire when you could have it held over your hand and perfect in seconds?”
“Well I just want to do it the old fashioned way,” Crystal replied.
“Well in that case there are sticks you can put your marshmallows on,” Demitri teased, pointing off to the woods around them.
“No, no! I’m fine with the fork!” she laughed, and Scott and Matthew snickered. April sat quietly, eating her s’more. It was a strange feeling she had, but it wasn’t the first time she felt it. It was as if something inside her were sinking. Her chest felt tight, her stomach unsettled, and her mind seemed to slip into lonely and negative thoughts. Even with the others right there with her she felt alone and left out.
“So, I’m going to go out on a limb and say after Crystal’s powers, mine are definitely most handy for life situations,” Matthew said.
“How so?” Demitri asked and the others sat curiously waiting.
“Well you see-” he began, taking his marshmallow off his fork and standing to go to the cooler and get the chocolate and graham crackers, “-if it rains I always have an umbrella. I mean sure, I usually have to stand in one place to use my force fields, but I’m starting to incorporate the whole shield while moving thing and it’s not that hard,” he explained, trying to stick his marshmallow onto the cracker and get it off his fingers. “Or say there’s a holdup when I’m at the bank-”
“Because that’s a typical life situation,” Scott murmured sarcastically.
“I could block a bullet and be on my way,” Matthew finished.
“Well I guess I’ll give you points for the rain idea. I hadn’t really thought of using force fields like that,” Crystal commented and Demitri nodded.
“Not bad,” he said as he reached into the cooler and pulled out a graham cracker and chocolate. “By the way, Matthew, you can leave the marshmallow on your fork until you’ve got your cracker and chocolate ready…” he explained as he put the cooked marshmallow on the chocolate and in between the two crackers, then squeezed them together as he pulled his fork out. “…then pull the marshmallow off, using the rest of the s’more so your hands don’t get sticky.”
“Oh, now you tell me,” Matthew remarked as he bit marshmallow off his thumb.
Their night continued on like this for hours. April finally excused herself and got in the tent to setup her sleeping bag. The others decided to lay their sleeping bags out too, though they were a bit too restless to fall asleep. Scott laid on his stomach and continued talking, and though a bit of space stood between the two tents, everything said in one could be heard in the other unless very quietly whispered.
The hour got much later before they all finally fell asleep. At dawn, Demitri arose and stepped out from the tent. The morning light just barely started to creep up, but the trees shaded it so well it looked to still be evening.
Demitri quietly walked away from the campsite to do some stretches and pray while the others were still asleep. Not long after Demitri had gone, April woke up and quietly slipped out from the tent. The troubles of the evening had followed her to the new day and she gazed at the ground while she stood deep in thought. The sun was up high enough now to cast long and cold shadows of the trees. The longer she stood there, the more uncomfortable she felt, till finally she put on her C-Cuff and began to walk toward the one thinned-out part of the woods. She quickly left the dew-covered grass of the campsite, now walking over the saturated soil around it. She moved at a slower pace once the campsite was no longer within sight.
April watched the ground before her feet, giving just enough thought to avoid the puddles that scattered across the marshy ground. She didn’t really know where she was headed, she just knew she wanted to get away. All she could think about were reasons to leave and she thought time alone would help. She wasn’t the one who wanted to be a part of the team, they dragged her into it. She was more of a distraction than a help, anyway. At least, that’s what she kept thinking to herself as she wandered along.
Then again, it may have been envy. In truth, the idea of having powers was a thrilling one, but the powers she had been blessed with felt more like a curse. Was she only meant as a battery to keep them running?
She would have continued to think such things if it hadn’t been for the ripples she caught sight of in the puddle she had just stepped over.
She paused, not turning back to look, but simply letting her head remain downward with her eyes fixated on the water to her left. She traced the ripples back to their source and found her initial thought to be right.
“What do you want?” she asked and she glanced away.
“I just thought I’d follow you. Where are you going?” Demitri asked as he appeared behind her. It was obvious he had planned on being caught, though it maybe took a bit longer for April to notice him than he had expected.
“It doesn’t matter,” she answered. "It’s not like you guys even need me, now that Crystal is here,” she said indignantly.
Demitri crept around her but she didn’t lift her head or even glance his way. “That’s not true,” he assured her with a smile.
“I mess everything up. Besides, everyone seems a lot more interested in her than they ever were in me,” April argued.
“You have to keep in mind that as far as Scott goes, she’s a lot closer in age to him than we are, plus they share a lot of interests. Now, I can’t really speak for Matthew, but as for myself, I’d argue that statement,” Demitri replied. “Crystal does have impressive powers, but her joining doesn’t mean we suddenly don’t need you. If anything, we need you even more now. Think of all the help you’ll be when the two of you work together, like you did last night.”
“You mean when I boost her up! How is it I’m the only one in the team that doesn’t have abilities of my own? I have to help everyone else when I can’t even help myself! And everyone else can go out there, taking down machines or taking down vandals, while I’m stuck behind!” she retorted in a continuous rant, “It’s like I don’t even have powers!” she spat as she turned with a glare at Demitri, but when her eyes met his and she saw him standing tall with his arms crossed and that smile of suspicion, she hastily looked away. It was as if his eyes pierced right into her soul, and she quickly realized that the longer she looked at those piercing and brilliant brown eyes, the more insecure and embarrassed she would feel over what she had just shouted.
“So this is really just going back to the idea that you’re somehow not cutout to be a hero, is that right? All just because your powers work a little differently than ours?” Demitri inquired but April only crossed her arms and stood with her back turned to him. “You know, all people, powers or no powers, have a special role to play,” he continued. “Some might not seem as important as others, but kind of like the different parts of a body, you need everyone to do their job in order for the world to function. Workers that do their best, no matter what the job, make a better world for everyone, don’t you think?”
“Yeah? Well I’m feeling a bit like the garbage man right now,” April said bitterly.
Demitri shook his head. “Well I’m personally thankful those who are willing to work that job. I think they deserve a lot of respect and I’d hate to imagine life without them,” he said. “But that’s not the point. You’re needed, April. And you’re just as much a part of this team as me or anyone else.”
April stood quietly. She didn’t want to try and argue anymore. She felt silly over her little outburst, but even more so over trying to leave the team on foot. Still, she felt her stomach turn at the thought of going back to their campsite.
“April,” Demitri said and she gave a heavy sigh.
“What?” she asked, turning around to look at him with an agitated expression.
“If you don’t come back willingly, I’ll have to make you,” he said as a grin slowly crept across his face.
April tried to hold onto her bad mood. “You think you could?” she challenged.
“Yes,” Demitri answered.
“And just how do you plan to do that?”
“First I would catch you, and if you tried to struggle I’d tickle you, and then I would carry you all the way back,” Demitri stated.
An awkward smile started to creep across her face but April shook her head to shake it off.
“You don’t believe me?” Demitri said as he raised one eyebrow.
April took one step backwards, then paused, watching him all the while. “…No,” she answered.
Demitri looked at her very seriously and she stared back at him, looking somewhat perplexed and unsure. She turned her head just slightly, when he suddenly dashed forward, grabbing her arm. She let out a high-pitched squeal as he pulled her closer and she tried to pull away. He got both his arms around her and in helpless laughter, she tried dropping to the ground, but he tickled her all the way down.
“Stop!” she shrieked with laughter as she tried to stay squatted without losing her balance.
Demitri laughed and ceased his tickling. “You give up?” he asked teasingly.
“Fine, whatever! Just don’t make me fall in the mud,” April pleaded and he laughed some more.
“All right,” he agreed and offered his hands as he was still bent over her. She took hold of his hands and he stood them both up. “Feeling better?” he asked her with a smile and she shyly glanced down.
“Yes,” she admitted.
“All right then. Let’s head back to the camp. The others might wake up soon and wonder where we’re at,” Demitri told her then turned in the direction of the campsite and tapped her arm. “Come on.”
April let him take the lead then followed behind him with a smile that slowly faded. It actually might have been nice, she thought. It might have been nice if he had really carried her back.
​
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THE STRUGGLE WITHIN
The week seemed to move tremendously slow, but at long last, September the seventh arrived. April had made plans with Mrs. Ember the morning prior to visit Lance early for his birthday.
April stood at their front door, ringing the doorbell once then waiting a good while before knocking, yet no one came to answer. She checked her cell phone for missed calls or texts but there were no notifications from Lance or his mother. April sighed and held both his card and present in one hand then knocked loudly one more time and waited, but still no one came. Rather than give up, April tried calling Lance on the phone, but there was still no reply. As a last attempt she called Mrs. Ember’s cell phone, and after a few rings she answered.
“Hi, Mrs. Ember. Sorry to call, I just came with Lance’s present and you guys didn’t seem to be home,” April explained.
“I’m so sorry, it all just happened so fast I haven’t had time to call anyone until just a few minutes ago,” Mrs. Ember apologized with just a slight quiver to her voice.
“Wait…what’s wrong?” April asked, suddenly feeling very anxious.
“Well you know Lance had been struggling a bit ever since the first episode he had. The doctor said he probably just had the flu and it was the fever getting to him, but this morning he went…” she paused a moment, calming herself before going on. “He had a seizure and collapsed. There wasn’t anything I could do for him. I did everything I was told, but now they’re wondering if it wasn’t a reaction to the medication he was on,” she said. April could hear her trying her best to keep from crying.
“I don’t even know what to say,” April admitted in astonishment. “I-is he okay now? What are they doing?” she asked.
“He woke up during the ride over in the ambulance. They’re going to run a few tests but I won’t know anything for a few hours,” she explained.
“All right…” April said softly. “Which hospital is he at?”
“We’re at the one just off of Ferris street. It’s about an hour’s drive from where we live.”
“Okay. Call me as soon as you know what’s going on,” April requested and Mrs. Ember agreed. “Thank you for filling me in. Bye for now.”
“Absolutely. Thank you, April. Bye-bye,” she replied and they ended the call.
April slowly walked back home in disbelief, but she quickly set her mind that it was all going to be okay.
Meanwhile, Scott was going over the latest plans for his web comic with his friend Jason. They were only just introducing the newest character, Frostbite, into the series.
“I’ve noticed we’ve actually got some people aside from our friends following the comic now. Maybe by this time next year, Comic Book Hero will be a hit?” Jason commented as he looked over Scott’s newest storyboards.
“Who says we have to wait a year to take off? Maybe we could go to a comic convention and spread the word. We could hand out business cards and everything.”
“Have you ever even been to a convention?” Jason asked and Scott looked off in another direction.
“Well, no. But there’s a first time for everything,” he said optimistically.
“What about transportation? I mean, all of the big cons are in places like L.A. or Chicago, and I don’t think your parents are going to spring for that. Not to mention hotel costs and all,” Jason said, thinking realistically.
“Hey, you just make us up some business cards and I’ll handle the rest!” Scott insisted.
“Whatever you say,” Jason shrugged.
“Anyway, I’ve got to work on a special picture of King. Today is a friend of mine’s birthday and I thought he might like it,” Scott said as he pulled out a blank sheet of paper.
At the same time Scott was working on a gift for Demitri, Crystal was busy at home with her own little project of making chocolate cupcakes to celebrate the special occasion. She had more than one of her siblings come in and ask what she was up to, and she quickly brushed it off by saying she was making cupcakes just because she felt like it. This reply, of course, led to a few of her delightful treats being eaten immediately after the frosting had been put on, but she set aside five of the best looking cakes to take with her to Mainframe.
April went the rest of her day without hearing a word from Mrs. Ember, but by nightfall her concerns were replaced with the giddy excitement of giving Demitri his presents, then came the fear of maybe choosing poor gifts.
They all met at Mainframe, April arriving first with Scott almost immediately after. Crystal then arrived with her tray of cute cupcakes and the three waited for Matthew and Demitri.
“Wow. Demitri is almost always here first--OH, you had better not be invisible right now!” Scott yelled out as if Demitri were there to hear him.
“Those cupcakes look really good, Crystal,” April said, paying little mind to Scott’s nervous search for Demitri.
“Thank you! I made enough that we could all have one,” she replied happily.
The teleport lit up from behind them and Demitri walked in, dressed in a black suit and tie rather than the usual hero uniform.
“Oh, sorry guys! I try to get here before anyone else but I had kind of a late night,” he apologized.
“We can tell,” April remarked as she looked over his suit with slightly raised eyebrows.
“We got you presents!” Scott suddenly burst out, holding up the illustration he drew of Demitri dressed in armor, looking ready for battle.
“Oh, these are for me?” Demitri said humbly. “Thanks, guys. You didn’t have to,” he said with a pleased smile.
“We wanted to!” Crystal said and Matthew suddenly entered the room.
“Honey, I’m home!” he called as he walked in.“Whoa, cupcakes,” he remarked as he reached for one from Crystal’s tray but she yanked it away.
“Demitri gets first pick!” she scolded, then offered the cupcakes to Demitri.
“Haha, thank you,” he said, taking the one closest to him. “Mmmm, ohh, these are good!” he said after his very first bite. “Where did you get them?”
“I made them!” she said while Matthew snagged one off of the tray for himself.
“These are excellent. You will have to make these for everyone again when we celebrate the next birthday,” Demitri said before taking another bite. He then took the illustration from Scott with the hand he had free. “Did you draw this?” he asked, quite impressed by Scott’s work.
“Mmhm,” Scott gave a nod.
“Impressive. Thank you,” Demitri said. Once he was finished with his cupcake April handed him what she had bought. He began opening the card first, while Matthew glanced back and forth.
“Uh, just so we’re clear, I didn’t get you anything,” Matthew commented and Demitri glanced up with a smile.
“That’s all right,” he assured him, just starting to pull the card out from its envelope.
“Well, you know, I just figured my presence was gift enough,” Matthew added and Demitri grinned and shook his head.
“Oh wow,” Demitri remarked as he pulled the card open and it got bigger and bigger.
“Whoa! Now that’s a card!” Scott said. Demitri read it over and smiled, then he began opening the presents. “Coffee!” he exclaimed as he finished. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome. Happy birthday!” April said.
“Yeah, happy birthday!” the others added, then joined in eating cupcakes and talking over their days. April decided not to mention anything about Lance since she didn’t want to be a downer. When their evening wrapped up, Matthew was the first to go, followed by Scott and Crystal. Demitri got things all set for taking April home and she departed.
At last it was time for Demitri to go, but before he so much as shut off the lights he was unexpectedly hit with a pounding headache and a strange tingling sensation through his body. He clutched his hands over the sides of his head and dropped to the floor as his vision blacked out. His vision continued to fade in and out through blurs, the large room he sat in waning into a small white room with what looked to be light blue curtains and a small television where Mainframe’s monitor should have been. His headache pounded through it all until he finally gave a scream and squeezed his eyes shut. When the headache suddenly stopped he opened his eyes again, but now they had a pale green luster instead of a rich and brilliant brown. Though he still sat in Mainframe and the visions of the other room were gone, he looked around nervously as if he had no idea where he was. He got up slowly, shaking nervously and gasping all the while.
“…Where…?” he quivered in a whisper between his breaths of air, then put his fingertips against his mouth as if he couldn’t believe the sound he heard. Confused, afraid, but worst of all, alone. He was panicked and unsure what to do, but his worries quickly left with the sudden strike of another horrendous headache, and once he opened his eyes again they had returned to their former brilliance. He held his forehead as he tried to recall what had just happened but he was unable. Soon even the memory of his prior headache had gone, and he came to think that he had only spaced out while setting Mainframe to take him home.
On the following morning, April got a call from Mrs. Ember regarding Lance. He seemed to be doing better, but they were still uncertain what was causing the episodes. He would have to stay in the hospital until they knew more. All the tests they had run came back negative, and actually implied that he was in great health. Still, it only troubled his mother more with not knowing how to help him.
In the evening the group met up, in uniform and ready to take on a mission. This time it wasn’t long before Demitri found something, but he gave the group a solemn look before explaining what this mission would entail.
“Guys, we’re talking about the serious stuff. It’s a gang that, as I speak, is holding up a hotel. There are at least three men, most likely a driver or two outside. They’re armed and they’re ready to take a life if that gets them their money,” Demitri explained bluntly. “Are you ready? And does anyone want to stay here?” he asked and a couple of them looked a little nervous, but they remained standing.
“I’m ready,” Matthew said first and walked straight into the teleport. He turned back to face the rest of his team as he waited to see who would join him.
“I’ll go,” Scott said and stepped in.
“I’m coming too, then,” April determined and joined them, then Crystal gave a nod.
“I’ll try my best!” she said and ran into the teleport.
“Okay guys,” Demitri began as he stepped in with them and put his helmet on. “Scott, the second we’re there I want you to use a smoke bomb wherever you see the most hostages. Matthew, you use your force fields to protect those people. When the smoke shoots out the bad guys might start firing. Crystal, heat their guns up as hot as you can, and April, you give me the best boost you can muster so I can make sure we’re all hidden,” Demitri commanded, his hand hovering just over the button that would launch them into the midst of the holdup. “Got it?”
“Yes sir!” his team answered positively.
“Then let’s go, heroes,” he said and pressed down on the button.
Demitri had them covered immediately, hiding them from the view of the people present and the three men holding the place up.
“LET’S GO!” the gang leader shouted, pointing his gun at the hotel clerk to make her hurry and get the money. The other men stood with their guns toward the small crowd of guests, though their fingers stayed off the triggers.
As soon as Scott got his bearings, he tossed a ball that ignited in midair, gushing out smoke and catching the eyes of the entire gang. Matthew already had the crowd covered, but there wasn’t much he could do for the clerk or his team. The gang leader shot into the air when he saw the smoke quickly filling space. Those who had started to run suddenly ducked low to the ground behind the smokescreen. The gang men were looking frantically for any sign of police or guards.
April felt her heart racing but stayed focused on her team. She was gripping Demitri’s hand tightly and trying to concentrate on increasing his abilities. She could feel her powers coursing through her, and Demitri could feel them flowing into him.
Crystal was focused primarily on the leader’s gun.
“GIVE IT TO ME!!” the leader screamed at the clerk, then reached across the counter and ripped the bag she had been filling out of her hand. As he pulled the bag toward himself, he pointed his gun directly at her head, but a sudden scorching heat caused him to drop both his gun and the money. He swiftly tried to pick the bag back up but Demitri kicked him to the side, inadvertently revealing himself. April gasped loudly, but Crystal suddenly burned the gang members’ hands as they turned to see Demitri, causing both of them to drop their guns.
The leader grabbed Demitri by the leg and tried pulling him down but Scott ran in and tackled him while Demitri shrouded the team again and proceeded to handcuff the man while he struggled with Scott.
At that point the clerk dropped down out of sight, hiding behind the counter and using her trembling hands to try and make a phone call, though authorities had already been informed by another and that was how Demitri and his team knew to show up.
The other two gang members started toward the door in a panic. Matthew released his force field and grabbed one of the men while Crystal hurried to gather up the guns and get them as far away from the riot as possible.
Just as one of the gang members made it to the exit, another burst in through the front door and Matthew released the guy he was holding to create a force field around the entrance to keep them out. Crystal hurried back by Scott and Demitri but froze in place when she saw the new intruder.
“What is going on here!?” the man yelled with a gun held high. Demitri, seeing Matthew’s force field guarding them, unveiled himself and slowly began to walk forward. The man stood wide-eyed only a moment but didn’t hesitate to start shooting. When his two bullets were both blocked and dropped with a ting against the tiled floor, the man turned around to run. When he turned, he saw the lights from police cars closing in.
“Frostbite, burn his gun!” Demitri ordered and Crystal, with a pounding heart and rush of adrenalin, immediately ran forward while focused on increasing the heat of his gun. The man who had just entered ran back outside, but dropped his blazing hot gun on the way. The other men placed their hands in the air, and as the door closed one more gunshot was heard, but this time it was fired by cops.
Demitri and Scott still had the lead criminal cuffed and pinned, but Demitri knew the cops would be running in at any moment and their smokescreen had already mostly dissipated. He could feel a slight headache but brushed it off as over-exertion and unveiled the whole team. “Valor, make sure the receptionist is okay,” Demitri commanded and Scott stood up and jumped behind the counter to see the clerk. “Force, Hope, Frostbite!” Demitri called over and they dropped what they were doing to respond.
“Here!” April replied, readily awaiting orders.
“You guys teleport back to Mainframe. I’ll handle the rest,” he commanded and they obeyed.
“Are you okay?” Scott asked the frightened clerk and she nodded.
“I-I think so! Am I really seeing you?” she asked in shock.
“Let me help you up,” Scott offered with his hand extended.
“How is she?” Demitri asked, still holding the criminal down.
“She’s not hurt!” Scott replied as he pulled her up off the ground. She brushed her hands across her face and through her short blonde hair, trying to keep from breaking down despite all that just happened to her.
“All right. Let’s go!” Demitri ordered as the cops banged in through the front door.
“Freeze!” they shouted, but Scott and Demitri immediately teleported away. The cops looked around frantically and rushed to apprehend the criminal that was trying to scurry away.
None of these things would trouble the small band of heroes, though. They were all at Mainframe cheering with congratulations to one another while giving high-fives on a job well done.
“Amazing job back there, guys. What did you think?” Demitri asked among the smiling faces.
“It was awesome!” Scott and Crystal cheered at the same time.
“I think I handled things pretty well, if I do say so myself,” Matthew bragged as he went ahead and pulled off his armor.
“Well, how about we celebrate tomorrow night? We could go in for an extra round of bowling. I’ll even treat you all to some ice cream! I think after a job like that we deserve a little break,” Demitri said. Crystal and Scott seemed especially happy about the idea.
April noticed Demitri rubbing at his temples a little and felt somewhat worried. “You okay?” she asked him with concern.
“Yeah, yeah! I’m fine. Just a little headache is all,” Demitri assured her.
The team continued to talk and celebrate a bit more before they parted ways. With Matthew, Scott and Crystal gone, April waited just a bit longer before going, wanting to make sure Demitri was all right. She removed her helmet and delayed removing the rest of her armor until she could be certain he was well.
“Okay, Scott’s gone now. I’ll set the teleport to take you home and I’ll see you tomorrow night!” he said and she hesitantly touched his arm.
“Wait,” she requested and he stopped. “Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked again, looking him straight in the eye.
“I’m-” he started to answer but a headache much like the previous night’s came over him suddenly and he dropped his head, grasping it in both hands. “Urgh--!” he groaned.
“Demitri!” she gasped as he fell to the floor. This time the headache didn’t last as long and didn’t get quite as bad, but he still reacted violently to it. “What’s wrong? Demitri!!” April cried but he couldn’t reply until it left him. He opened his eyes and glanced around in confusion.
“Here again…” he said as he started to stand, all signs of pain gone.
“Are you okay? What happened?” April asked and he became very alert, as if he didn’t know she was standing by him.
“…April?” he asked in bafflement, then turned away. “I get it…” he said and she stared at him, unsure what to do or say. “Hah, this is all just a dream. A continuing dream. That’s why none of it feels real. That’s why you’re here,” he said, turning back to look at her.
“What are you talking about?” she asked and he stepped closer.
“This is my dream, and that must mean you feel differently about me, and I’m actually somebody important,” he continued, saying things she didn’t understand and beginning to scare her into stepping back, while he continued to slowly move in closer. “It’s…weird being taller than you,” he admitted and she held her hands out to tell him to halt.
“Stop! Okay, you’re freaking me out! What are you talking about?” she demanded. He didn’t stop however, he took her by the wrists and pulled her close to him, but she tried to push away. “Stop it! Let go!” she yelled as he tried to wrap his arms around and hold her, then finally she gave him one hard push in the stomach and pulled her arms back, staring at him with disbelief. “I said stop it!” she scolded. He stood looking down at her with what she could now see were pale green eyes. She stood frozen, unsure how to react.
“You…don’t feel any differently here, do you?” he said sadly.“I’m…sorry...” he apologized as he looked down at the floor. “I made an assumption… But I guess not even my dreams could make that birthday wish come true.”
“I’m going home,” she said, rather upset. She pushed her way past him and set the portal for her house.
Demitri suddenly snapped out of it and saw April heading out. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. “April!” he called out and she looked at him only to shake her head.
“I’m going to stay home tomorrow. You can go bowling without me,” she told him, then left right then. Demitri clutched at his head as his memories of what had happened faded out till he only recalled her sudden departure and statement that she would not be joining them.
What…did I do? he pondered to himself in earnest with the strangest tingling of regret.
The evening that followed had everyone excited. Everyone except Demitri and April.
“All right. Are you all ready to go?” Demitri asked the group, trying to stay positive.
“Yeah but shouldn’t we wait for April?” Scott asked.
“April’s not going to make it tonight,” Demitri replied and Scott looked disappointed.
“Aw, no worries,” Matthew said as he swung his arm around Scott. “With Demitri and Crystal on a team we’d actually have a fair game! I mean winning is great and all, but beating April over and over does start to get dull after a while,” he said, trying to sound optimistic.
“That’s mean!” Crystal exclaimed.
“Come on, guys. We don’t have all night. The alley does close eventually!” Demitri said and led the way. They walked down the sidewalk in the cool evening’s ever-so-slight breeze. Once they were all inside and had their lanes rented out, everyone aside from Demitri had a great time. Demitri could feel a headache start, but something was different this time, and it faded before it could really get bad. His thoughts suddenly felt mixed, like the thoughts of two different people.
Crystal got a nice spare on her round, then Scott came close but missed by a pin. After their turns they went back to get some candy, and Matthew took the moment as an opportunity.
Demitri picked up his bowling ball and tried to focus on the game, rather than his worries, but a part of him felt like he wasn’t really there. It was as if he was now detached from the world around him, until Matthew suddenly spoke up.
“So when are you going to tell me what happened between you and April?” Matthew asked just before the ball left Demitri’s hand, causing all his focus to be cut off and the ball to go directly to the gutter. Matthew crossed his arms and smirked while Demitri stared at the pins, which were still standing in all the lanes. “Oooh, did I hit a nerve?” Matthew teased.
Demitri suddenly held his arm out towards the lane then swung it to the side as the pins from every single lane suddenly collapsed, creating a loud roar that not only caught the attention of Scott and Crystal, but the man working behind the counter, though he missed what happened.
“Whoa! What did you just do!?” Matthew exclaimed but Demitri didn’t answer. He simply turned to his left and started walking toward the door. “Hey!” Matthew yelled, but Demitri just kept walking. Scott and Crystal got up from the candy machines and ran toward Matthew.
“What happened?” Scott asked Matthew and he stopped to look back at Crystal and Scott.
“I dunno, he just snapped, but then he… Ah, come on! Let’s go stop him,” Matthew instructed and they headed out the door after him. They ran out to see Demitri walking down the middle of the street. No cars were present, but it certainly didn’t seem like the wisest way to travel. Matthew ran out to the street with Scott and Crystal behind him, looking out at Demitri, who was at most a hundred feet away.
“Demitri!” Matthew yelled and Demitri stopped, but didn’t turn around. “What are you doing? Get off the road! I hope you know you’ve dragged all of us out here in the middle of the street!” Matthew shouted, then noticed the orange streetlights start to bend and creak. He and the others looked left and right, watching the lights bend down toward the road until the glass suddenly burst and sparks flew out. Demitri slowly turned around, his eyes now glowing a pale green that slowly became more intense. Matthew turned his head just slightly while peering forward, focusing on Demitri’s eyes. “Guys…” he started to say, slowly putting his arms out to tell Crystal and Scott to get behind him. “I don’t think that’s Demitri,” he said and Demitri suddenly thrust a hand forward, as a powerful gust of wind and shattered glass came hurtling toward them. Matthew immediately blocked with a force field while Crystal screamed and Scott instinctively tried to block, then stared in shock. “Guys, go to Mainframe and get whatever you can to tie him down!” Matthew commanded and Crystal nodded nervously.
“What about you!?” Scott asked.
“I’ll hold him off. Now GO!” Matthew ordered, just before another attack was sent hurling toward him. Scott and Crystal teleported away, then rushed over to the wall to see what they could find.
“Okay, grab the cuffs and I’ll get the rope!” Scott said as he reached for the rope on the wall.
“Scott, what’s going on?” Crystal asked as she grabbed handcuffs.
“I don’t know, but the sooner we can get him back to Mainframe, the better!” Scott said as he rushed to set the teleport, then got inside its light. Crystal ran in with him and the two teleported back, but stood in the alley, which was behind Demitri. “Okay, let’s run out and cuff him!” Scott said and traded her the long and heavy rope for the handcuffs.
“Scott, I can’t carry this!” Crystal said but he was already running out on the road. “Scott!”
Matthew caught sight of Scott running in from behind and created a shield just big enough to cover himself as he charged at Demitri. Demitri held both arms out then pulled them together as if a body of water were around him, and just as a body of water would push forward in a wave, a mass of energy engulfed the area before him with enough force to push Matthew backwards and to the ground. Scott made his move right then, clasping the handcuffs on one of Demitri’s wrists, but being pushed a great distance backwards before he could pull it to the other. Crystal ran in unguarded when she saw Scott thrown back, trying to help him to his feet while Demitri turned his attention back to Matthew.
“We can’t stop him,” Scott gasped between heavy breaths.
“We can! We just need help!” Crystal assured him, then his eyes darted back and forth as an idea came to him. He whipped out his cell phone and made a call, hoping for the life of him that she would answer.
Meanwhile, April rolled over to the side of her bed and lazily grabbed her cell phone, feeling a complete drain after a long day of over thinking and regretting.
“Hello?” she answered in a groggy voice that made her sound as though she had just woken up.
“April! Go to Mainframe and come to the bowling alley RIGHT NOW!” Scott yelled and she sat up.
“What?” she questioned in perplexity.
“There’s no time! Just hurry! Matthew might not last much longer!” Scott screamed in urgency and she grabbed her C-Cuff.
“Okay, I’m coming! Give me just a minute!” she said, then heard his phone hang up. She rushed to throw her hero uniform on just so she would be in something aside from her nightgown, then teleported to Mainframe. When there she didn’t bother with her armor, but she did hope this wasn’t some horrible joke since she had the rest of her costume on.
Scott and Crystal had gone back to get the rope. Then, each holding one end, they charged at Demitri while yelling to try and get his attention. Demitri began to turn, then pushed them back with a wave of his hand. Matthew jumped up off the ground and wrapped both arms around him from behind, but Demitri broke free with little struggle and pushed Matthew to the ground again.
“I’m tired. I just want it to end,” Demitri said as he rubbed at his forehead.
April ran around from the alleyway as a cold chill blew through the air. There she saw Demitri standing, broken glass scattered about him. Her other comrades were laying there on the street beneath him, unable to fight and unable to move. Their faces were scuffed from the continuous struggle.
“It’s useless, really. I’m going to end this dream. This nightmare,” Demitri said as he held his hand up toward the sky.
“No!” came April’s voice loud and clear from behind him. He turned around slowly, lowering his hand and staring at her with astonishment. “What are you doing!?” she shrieked and he remained frozen. Matthew, Scott and Crystal could feel a release from the pressure he had over them, but none of them moved. They waited to see if April could get through to him, but Matthew watched cautiously, ready to intervene if necessary.
“April…” Demitri quietly said as she walked closer to him.
“Just what has gotten into you?” she asked, staring at his eyes, though they slowly lost their glow.
“I just want it to be over,” he said with a look of exhaustion.
“You want what to be over?” she inquired further.
“The nightmares, the headaches, the pain. I just want to go back to before all this happened. When I could just drop by the café and see you, have ice cream, not worry about the trip home,” he answered.
“You can still do all of that. And we can figure out what’s causing your headaches. Maybe it’s just another stage of your powers developing,” she said gently.
“Powers? My powers? I wake up every day in the hospital. I have no real power. I couldn’t even save my dad. The one time he was counting on me, and I got too scared to do anything,” he said almost tearfully.
“Your dad…?” she questioned while Matthew thought over what he was saying, unable to make sense of it.
“Tell me. What happened?” she probed further.
“I’ve told you before, April. It was wrong of me to blame the doctors, though. They did everything they could. It was my fault for not calling an ambulance sooner,” he said and her eyes widened.
“Lance?” she said and he looked at her pitifully.
“Do you think when I wake up tomorrow, I’ll be able to go home?” he asked and smiled sheepishly. “I don’t…have good dreams while in this hospital,” he commented while looking at Matthew, who pretended to be knocked out.
“Listen to me, Lance,” April said and he looked back at her. “This isn’t a dream. You need to focus on going back to that hospital.”
“Why?” he asked, seeming to grow tired.
“Because when you wake up in the morning I’m going to come visit you,” April assured him and he smiled.
“You’re the only good part of this nightmare. Just like real life,” he said shyly. “Thank you. I could never say it to you in person, but you made the difference for me after I lost my dad. You were the only person besides my mom who ever even cared. That’s… why I always liked you,” he said, and shut his eyes. Then Demitri suddenly groaned as he opened them, his brilliant brown eyes now revealed. “Ah, man…I spaced ou-” he stopped as he suddenly noticed April standing right in front of him. “April?” he said as Matthew got off the ground. “Guys?” he said as he looked around. “What happened here?” he asked, seeing the torn up streetlights and scattered glass.
“The end!” Scott said, sitting up and placing the rope he and Crystal had been holding down on the street.
“The end of a very interesting night, you mean,” Crystal remarked as she also sat up.
“You’re back to normal!” Matthew exclaimed and Demitri gave him a funny look. “Come on, I think we should get going,” Matthew urged the others.
“Wait, why am I handcuffed?” Demitri asked, holding his C-Cuff up and seeing the handcuffs dangle from his wrist.
“It’s a long story. We’ll explain at Mainframe!” Scott said and the team agreed to teleport back and explain a very interesting story, though even they weren’t sure they completely understood.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
IN THE END
“Lance, there are some people here who would like to see you,” the nurse said and he sat up.
“Okay?” he replied in a sleepy mumble and she stepped out in the hall to welcome them in.
“Thanks,” April said with a little bow, then walked into the room with a bouquet of flowers in her hands. Lance stared at her for a moment while the rest of the group came in, then he smacked himself in the head.
“Okay. That… That was real,” he said as he looked straight ahead. April only giggled while the others smiled.
“Yes it was,” April said, handing him the bouquet.
“They filled me in,” Demitri said as he stepped in closer and the others stood around Lance’s bed. “Here, I got you these,” he said with a glance at the box he held in his hand, then handed it to Lance as he reached for it. “April said you liked chocolate,” Demitri said and Lance smiled shyly.
“Yeah. Thank you,” he replied.
“You’re not getting any gifts from me after what you did to my face!” Matthew exclaimed, pointing to a bruise on his left cheekbone.
“I’m sorry!” Lance apologized while hiding behind his box of chocolates.
“It’s okay, Matthew’s like that,” April said. “Besides, you didn’t know any of that was real, right?”
“I really didn’t…” Lance admitted. “It all felt like a dream. Except…a little clearer and more tiring,” he said.
“And now I know what was messing up Mainframe’s monitors,” Demitri said and Scott looked at him as if he had said something horrible. “Relax. He already knows about our powers. It’s a pretty unique gift he has. It holds a different signature from ours and everything, which is why we never knew what he could do,” Demitri remarked. Lance just sat quietly, feeling rather shy but at the same time a bit pleased to have people to talk to. “By the way,” Demitri said and Lance looked up at him. “I’ve seen you a few times before, but I don’t believe we’ve ever had the chance to get properly acquainted. My name’s Demitri,” he said with his hand extended.
“Nice to meet you, Demitri,” Lance replied as he shook his hand.
“I’m Scott!” Scott added and shook hands with him next.
“And I’m Crystal,” she said in turn.
“Matthew. Now where’s my compensation?” Matthew said and April elbowed him. “I’m kidding! Sheesh.”
“Anyway,” Demitri began and looked Lance in the eye. “Like it or not, you know our secret now. I only ask that you keep it that. A secret,” Demitri said and Lance glanced away.
“You mean how you could move things with your mind, and how he could make those barriers?” Lance asked, referring to Demitri and Matthew, but the team only stared at him blankly.
“Wait, what?” Demitri asked.
“Well you did knock all those pins over,” Matthew commented.
“Okay, wait a minute,” Demitri said then focused on Lance’s box of chocolates. “…Yeah, that wasn’t me. I can’t move things with my mind,” Demitri stated. “Looks like you’re full of surprises, Lance.”
“You mean I…did…that?” Lance asked and Demitri nodded.
“Keep it a secret, Lance. Those powers are your gift,” Demitri told him.
“I will. And I won’t do that again. I would never normally do something like that!” Lance assured Demitri, who smiled knowingly.“And I won’t tell anyone. I mean, I won’t tell anyone about your secrets! Whatever…those are,” Lance replied.
“All right. And keep your gift a secret, too. We’ve got to head out, but you take care, okay?” Demitri said and Lance nodded.
The group began to leave, Demitri and Matthew first, then Scott and Crystal, followed lastly by April.
“Goodbye,” April said as she started to head out the door.
“April, wait!” Lance entreated and she stopped at the door. “I um…I wanted to say I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t…ahh…” he struggled to say and tapped his fingers on the box of chocolates while avoiding eye contact. “…hurt you,” he finally said and she gave him a warm smile when his eyes turned back at her.
“You didn’t.”
“This is all so humiliating…” Lance admitted in embarrassment over his actions.
“Don’t dwell on it. I’ll see you around,” she said, then followed the others, who were watching and waiting just a little ways down the hall.
“So why didn’t we invite Lance to Mainframe if he already knows everything?” Scott asked.
“Because he’s still not well. Like I said, his powers are different from ours and they seem to be causing his physical weakness,” Demitri explained.
“You mean his powers are making him sick?” April asked.
“It’s sort of like a growing pain. Once his powers have matured, the pain should subside, but for now it’s better that he gets his rest,” Demitri answered as they continued their march out from the hospital. “Now then, we never did get that ice cream I promised. Who’s up for a trip to April’s café?” Demitri suggested.
“Yeah!” Scott cheered.
“Well it’s not my café, but sure. I’m in,” April said happily.
* * * * *
​
After a pleasant stop for a treat, the team parted ways. Matthew headed back to his apartment and Crystal returned to her yard to enjoy the sunshine. Scott got back to his home, writing down all the excitement they’d had over the last few days. As for April and Demitri, the two of them remained in Mainframe for just a little longer.
“It kind of feels like all my worries just came to a close,” April said as she stretched her arms into the air.
“I can’t say I really know the feeling,” Demitri replied and she looked at him. “I figured something out last night. Part of the reason I think Lance ended up using his powers on me,” Demitri told her and she suddenly became very interested in what he had to say.
“Go on,” she urged slightly and he smiled. Her heart began to beat a little faster. I thought three was a lot, but now even four years doesn’t seem like such a big age gap after all. And maybe…maybe Melissa was right. Maybe Demitri… she thought to herself and began to feel excited and hopeful.
“I can read minds,” Demitri said and she stared at him blankly.
“What?” she asked and he smiled awkwardly.
“I can read minds. But I can also speak to people telepathically,” he answered. “I mean, I haven’t really learned how to use it yet, so I think I’ve accidently spoken to people mentally and listened to their thoughts without even really knowing it. Lance also has powers over the mind, so I think it was that connection that maybe caused him to use his powers over me,” Demitri explained and April looked a bit uncomfortable. “These more mental powers don’t seem to register on Mainframe. Right now, at least,”
“So you weren’t reading my mind just now, were you?”
“Huh?” he puzzled and she suddenly waved.
“Okay! Bye! I’m going to go home and rethink a few things,” she said.
“Wait, hold on! What were you thinking?” Demitri asked but April quickly departed to her house. As soon as she arrived, she kicked back in a comfy chair with a book in her hands and tried to think happy thoughts and hoped he hadn’t caught on to how she felt about him just yet.
After April had departed for home, Demitri went off to the estate he called home, though he would always consider Mainframe as the place he really belonged.
Scott, after writing in his journal, decided to sit back on the couch with his mom, who was watching the news. He sat back and sighed just as he got comfortable, but when he opened his eyes, they were suddenly fixated on the news. His heart started pounding and he couldn’t believe what he saw.
“I’ve got to go!” he said as he jumped off the couch and ran to his room. He quickly dialed up Crystal and grabbed his C-Cuff, then hurried to relay the message to April, Matthew and Demitri.
The group followed his seemingly urgent request to meet at Mainframe, and as they did, Scott asked Demitri if there were any way he could replay the news. After gathering further information on what station and what time, Demitri replayed the local news from Scott’s area.
“An amazing turn of events as five people appeared out of nowhere and prevented further disaster. But was there something extraordinary about these eccentrically dressed heroes? Here’s Andria Perkins with the answer,” the first newscaster said.
“Elizabeth, eye witnesses say these five young heroes saved their lives that night,” said the reporter before the screen switched to an interview.
“Heeey!” Matthew said as he recognized the clerk from the hotel.
“I had already been given the rundown that if this kind of thing happens, you just give them what they want, but I could tell this guy was going to shoot me when I was done,” the clerk explained to the reporter. “Then, out of nowhere there’s suddenly smoke flying up, and I thought it was something they did, you know? But then out of the blue the guy holding the gun at me screams and drops his gun, and this guy, clad in armor, he just smacks the guy to the floor,” she explained and they started showing what a camera within the hotel had recorded.
“I think I’ve seen enough,” April said, wide-eyed and feeling a bit uneasy.
“I knew we should have checked for cameras,” Matthew said over the program while the other three still watched intensely.
“…One thing that is certain, at least to those who were in the building when it happened, these five saved the day,” said the reporter as they wrapped up the newscast.
“Does this mean I can’t write Comic Book Hero anymore?” Scott asked and Demitri stood up, still looking at Mainframe’s screen.
“Well, it does mean we have some decisions to make,” Demitri replied.
“What do you mean?” Crystal asked and he crossed his arms.
“We tried to avoid this, but soon enough, other stories about us will come out and now they won’t be so quickly discredited,” Demitri said and the whole group looked at him. “What I’m saying is, we’re found out. We can continue working in the night, or we could take this to the next level, and help whenever and wherever we can,” he proposed and the others exchanged glances with one another. “Guys, it looks like we could be more to the world than just Comic Book Heroes after all.”
AUTHOR NOTES:
​
I hope you enjoy reading through this old book of mine! I have learned a lot about writing since then, but I wanted to post the original book here, unaltered. The desire to edit and make changes is definitely there, but I will refrain so I might keep a piece of my own history. It was a big stepping stone for me, so while it might not be perfect, it is what it is and I am grateful to have it!
​
Originally a side project while I worked on Luminous, I committed to a process of writing two pages of Comic Book Hero every single day. Eventually, the side project became the main project, and with taking only two days off (one due to the flu, the other during a five day family vacation,) Comic Book Hero was finished and ready for editing! My other book, Luminous, was added to my growing pile of unfinished stories, awaiting the day it would find new life through another series, Beyond Remnants.