Ordinary Hero

by Ellis Michaels

Amber had a seat on the couch while I grabbed two bottles of water out of the fridge for us. I handed her one and sat down next to her. We put on the TV and watched the news at noon.

  “A bank was robbed late this morning in downtown Cambridge,” the news anchor said. “But this was no ordinary robbery. Most bank robbers come in with a gun or at least a knife. The thief, shown in this disturbing video, was armed with nothing but his bare hands.”

  Amber and I watched the television closely. Neither of us had ever seen anything like it. A masked man walked in and picked up a bank customer, throwing him at a security guard, knocking them both out. The robber threw the heavy-set customer like he only weighed a few pounds. From there, the thief walked up to the first teller window and punched right through the bulletproof glass, demanding a bag full of cash. It was almost unbelievable.

  “That's insane!” Amber said, putting her hand on my leg. “Almost reminds me of you.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “Before today, I never would've thought that such a display of force was even possible – not outside of the movies, anyway. I mean, I'd seen Paul and his goons beat up a lot of guys but not like how you beat him up. You were magnificent. The way the robber just manhandled everyone and everything that got in his way reminds me of the way you defeated my ex-boyfriend. That's all I meant.”

  Amber's words got me thinking. I couldn't help but feel that maybe, just maybe, there was some kind of connection between the bank robber and what had been happening to me all day. What are the odds that some guy would walk into a bank and shows signs of superhuman strength on the same morning that I myself displayed something similar?

  There was something about the way the robber carried himself that seemed strangely familiar, too. I couldn't put my finger on it but I felt like I'd seen that walk somewhere before. The way he strolled into the bank with his chest out and shoulders back – it was all so familiar.

  The news moved onto the weather and I quickly forgot all about the bank robber. My attention returned to the gorgeous young woman I had sitting next to me in my old stretched-out Red Sox tee shirt.

  “So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?” Amber asked. “I don't want to keep you from whatever you have to do.”

  “The only thing I was going to do today was go to the store to pick up a few things,” I replied. “Other than that, I was just going to hang out here and play video games.”

  “Don't let me stop you from going to the store. If it's alright with you, I'll just stay here. I don't think it's safe for me out there right now.”

  “I agree. Feel free to make yourself at home. Just stay out of Kasie's room. Other than that, feel free to do whatever you want. I shouldn't be too long. Do you need anything?”

  “You're so sweet,” Amber said and kissed me on the cheek. “No, I don't think there's anything I need. Thank you, James. I can't thank you enough. Maybe I'll really thank you again later.”

  I went into my bedroom to throw on some shoes and get ready to go to the store. It was the first time I'd been alone since everything happened. I stood in front of my mirror and just stared at myself for a few seconds. A smile grew across my face which eventually erupted into a crazy laugh. I shook my head from side to side as I thought about everything that'd happened. The past few hours of my life had been more exciting than the previous twenty-two years leading up to them.

  It was almost as if I was the lead in some kind of action movie. I'd beaten up a few guys, shot a gang leader, and had porno-level sex with a gorgeous woman I'd just met. I didn't have the slightest clue what was going on but, as frightening as it was, I liked it.

  “Okay, I'm off to the store,” I said. “I won't be long. You sure you don't need anything?”

  “I'm good,” Amber said with a smile. “I'll be here waiting for you.”

  She blew me a kiss as I walked out the door. Again, I shook my head in disbelief as I walked down the sidewalk. It was mid-afternoon and the hot Boston sun was blazing down on the city.

  I got to the store a few minutes later. It didn't take me long to find everything that I needed. I always kept a list in my cell phone. That way, I'd be less likely to forget anything, even though I still often did.

  If I didn't know any better, I would've thought that the girl at the register was flirting with me – or at least trying to in her own way. She was a student at my school and usually didn't even make eye contact with me when I came into the store. That day, not only did she make eye contact the entire time, she talked my ear off, too.

  “And that's why I decided to become an econ major,” she said, smiling. “What are you majoring in? It's funny, we see each other all the time but I don't know anything about you other than the fact that you shop here and go to my school.”

  “I'm not surprised,” I replied. “It's a big university. We can't all be expected to know each other. Oh, and philosophy. I'm a philosophy major.”

  “Philosophy, huh? That's so cool. Do you want to teach philosophy? Or are you thinking about going to law school? I know that a lot of philosophy majors go to law school. They like students that know how to think critically and form rational arguments.”

  “I don't know what I'm doing after I graduate, to be honest,” I replied, taking my two bags.

  “Aren't you a senior? Shouldn't you already have all that figured out?”

  “Yeah, probably. Have a good day.”

  “Yeah, you too!” she replied.

  It almost seemed like she was disappointed when I left. If it had been any other day, I probably would've talked to her a bit longer. She was kinda cute and seemed nice. But I had a gorgeous woman waiting for me back at my apartment.

  I left the store and started walking home. Just when things were starting to feel normal again, something extraordinary happened. Not even a minute into the walk back, I witnessed a horrific car accident.

  A tanker truck came flying around the corner, smashing into a small black Hyundai Elantra. The truck hit the back of the car, spinning it all the way around, before plowing it into the side of a building. The little car was mangled and on fire. Flames shot up from under the hood. That's when I noticed what it said on the back of the truck: Warning: Extremely Flammable.

  The tanker truck barely had a scratch on it but the car was destroyed. I couldn't see who was in it or how badly they'd been hurt from where I was on the sidewalk. All I knew was that, if they didn't get out of there right away, they'd likely burn to death if they weren't already dead.

  The door to the tanker truck opened and the driver hopped out as if nothing had happened. He casually walked away from the truck and I heard him mumbling as he walked past me.

  “Oh, man... Not again. My boss is gonna kill me.”

  Part of me wanted to grab him and smack some sense into him, telling him to go check on whoever was in the other car. I didn't have time to deal with him, though. I had to try to get whoever was in the black Elantra out, even though I was terrified.

  I put my bags down on the sidewalk and ran over to the car which was pinned against a building behind the tanker truck. It was even worse than I'd thought. The flames coming from under the hood were getting bigger and were starting to spread to the truck. I knew that it was just a matter of time until the whole thing blew up.

  There was only one person in the car – a woman who looked to be a little older than me. She also looked like she was out cold. I could see that the airbags had deployed, probably saving her life, but also knocking her unconscious. The windshield looked like a spiderweb it was cracked so badly. I tried to open the driver's door but it wouldn't open. I then ran around the car and tried the passenger door but that wouldn't open, either.

  “Hey!” I yelled, knocking on the glass. “Wake up! Hey!!!”

  It was of no use. The woman was out cold. I could see her chest rising and falling – barely – so I knew she was still alive. The fire continued to grow and everything was getting rea
lly hot. I knew that I had to do whatever it took to get her away from there as quickly as possible.

  “This is gonna hurt,” I said out loud and made the tightest fist I could.

  Smash!

  I punched right through the passenger window with the same hand I'd hurt fighting earlier in the day. The glass shattered and a few drops of blood trickled down my hand. I didn't care at the time, though. All I cared about was getting her out of the car and a safe distance away.

  “Wha... Who...” she tried to ask, opening one eye slightly.

  “Don't try to speak,” I said. “I need to get you out of here right away.”

  I unhooked the woman's seat belt and pulled her across the passenger seat. The seat was covered with broken glass but that was the least of our worries. I picked her up and threw her over my shoulder. Her body was pretty banged up but it didn't look like she had any life-threatening injuries. With the woman over my shoulder, I ran as fast as I could down the sidewalk and around the corner.

  BOOM!!!

  The second we rounded the corner, the woman's car and the gas truck exploded into a massive ball of fire. The sound was so loud that it shattered several windows in nearby buildings. I gently laid her down on the sidewalk and ran the backs of my fingers over her face.

  “We made it,” I said. “You're gonna be alright. The paramedics should be here soon.”

  “You...” she said, barely conscious. “You... saved... me...”

  “Don't try to speak. You've been through a lot.”

  “My... hero...”

  For the second time that day, an attractive woman called me a hero. I no longer suspected that something strange was going on. Now I knew something was up. I had no idea what, but I had the overwhelming sense that things were somehow different.

  I heard sirens off in the distance and, a minute later, police, fire, and EMS were on the scene. The paramedics packed the woman into an ambulance and left for the hospital, sirens blazing. I gave the police a detailed description of the truck driver who'd wandered off and told them everything that'd happened.

  “It definitely sounds like you saved that woman's life,” the cop said. “She's lucky to be alive and definitely wouldn't be if it wasn't for you. What you did was incredibly brave. Now, I just need you to write your name and address here on the report, then sign and date it down here. Then, you're free to go about your afternoon.”

  I wrote down what the officer asked for and signed my name, then handed him back the report and his pen. We shook hands, then I grabbed my bags off the sidewalk and continued home.

  “What a day,” I said to myself, shaking my head. “What a crazy, crazy day.”

  5.

  “Oh my god,” Amber said. “I'm glad you're alright. I'm glad everyone's alright.”

  “I know,” I replied. “It was insane.”

  “You saved that woman's life, just like you saved mine. She's probably gonna wanna thank you like I did. Was she pretty?”

  “I mean, it's hard to say. She was pretty banged up. But yeah, she was cute. I don't think she'll be trying to thank me, though. She probably doesn't even remember me. She was barely conscious.”

  Amber walked up to me and wrapped her arms around my waist. She ran her hands up and down my back, then grabbed my butt.

  “I guess I'll have to thank you for her,” Amber said with a smile, then leaned in and kissed me.

  For the second time that day, Amber and I had sex. This time, we went at it on the couch in the living room. It was every bit as passionate as before. The woman certainly knew her way around a man's body. Amber did things to me that I'd never even seen in porn before and I've watched a lot of porn. Her hands, her tongue, her body... they're almost magical.

  After another hour-long session in the living room, Amber and I got cleaned up. We hopped in the shower together and washed each other's bodies. Even though I'd just busted a nut a few minutes earlier, running my hands over Amber's soapy breasts had me getting hard again. She ran her soft, wet hands over my body, grabbing down there and stroking me, gently.

  “Someone's hard again,” she said in a very-sexy voice. “Let me take care of that for you.”

  Amber got down on her knees and wrapped her lips around me. I threw my head back and let out a long, loud moan that echoed throughout the bathroom. A few minutes later, I unleashed an even-louder moan when I came for the third time that day.

  “Ahhhhhhhhh,” I yelled.

  “Mmm,” Amber said, standing up, licking her lips. “You taste delicious.”

  “You're so freakin' sexy,” I replied.

  Amber and I both looked over at the door when we heard something in the apartment. We'd left the bathroom door open and heard someone moving around.

  “Hello?” I yelled.

  No one answered.

  “I'm scared,” Amber whispered. “What if it's one of Paul's guys coming for me?”

  “Don't worry,” I replied, even though I was a little scared myself. “If it is, I'll protect you. Stay here.”

  I got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around the lower half of my body. Slowly, I tip-toed my way to the door. Then, I nearly peed myself when my roommate jumped in front of the doorway.

  “Boo!” Kasie yelled.

  “Jesus Christ, Christina,” I yelled back, my heart pounding. “You scared the shit out of me!”

  Kasie's real name was Christina. Christina Kassabian, to be precise, but everyone called her Kasie. For whatever reason, in my terrified state, I called her by her real name. I'm still not sure why, but I did.

  “Good – That's what I was going for!” she replied with a smile, which disappeared as soon as she saw Amber poke her head out from behind the shower curtain. “Oh, I didn't realize you were with somebody in there.”

  “Hi Kasie,” Amber said.

  “Amber,” Kasie replied. “I'll let you guys finish doing whatever it was you were doing.”

  “We're actually done having,” I started, then reworded what I was trying to say. “We're done doing what we were doing. I have to tell you about my afternoon. It's been just as crazy as my morning.”

  “Okay,” Kasie replied, looking me up and down. “Tell me in a few minutes when you've dried off and put some clothes on.”

  A few minutes later, after Amber and I both got dried off and dressed, I told Kasie about everything that'd happened to me. She was a lot more willing to believe me than she had been earlier in the day.

  “Like, the whole thing blew up?” Kasie asked.

  “Yup,” I replied. “Both the car and truck exploded. It was crazy.”

  “Wow. You really have had quite the day. I wonder what tomorrow will bring.”

  “I don't even want to think about tomorrow. All I want to do is relax, have dinner, watch some TV, and go to sleep. Speaking of dinner, I believe it's your turn to cook.”

  Kasie and I took turns cooking dinner. We both enjoyed cooking and were quite good at it. Her specialties were Italian and Mexican food. She often made big, extravagant meals that were on par with what you'd get at an expensive, high-class restaurant. I really liked to grill and was all about seafood. If it lived in salt water, I could cook the shit out of it. Her and I could both cook pretty much anything.

  While Kasie was in the kitchen cooking, Amber and I watched TV in the living room. I was exhausted from the day I'd had. Between all the fighting and all the sex, I was beat.

  “Are you eating, Amber?” Kasie asked in an almost-friendly tone. “You want me to make you a plate?”

  “If you don't mind, I'd love one,” she answered. “James tells me that you're a really-good cook.”

  “He's a good cook himself,” Kasie replied.

  “That's not the only thing he's good at,” Amber whispered, putting her hand on my leg.

  “What's that?” Kasie asked, hearing Amber whisper but not understanding what she'd said.

  “Nothing,” Amber replied, looked at me,
and smiled.

  “Uh huh,” Kasie said, then returned her focus to cooking.

  A little while later, we all sat down in the dining room and Kasie brought out our plates. She made fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and broccoli, one of my favorite Italian dishes. The three of us ate mostly in silence. We were all really hungry and wolfed down our food.

  “That was delish,” Amber said to Kasie with a smile. “Thank you. Can I help you clean up?”

  “You can help me clean up,” I said.

  With me and Kasie, one person cooked and the other cleaned up. Since she cooked that night, it was up to me to do the dishes and clean the kitchen.

  “I'd be happy to,” Amber replied. “We'll make it fun.”

  Kasie shot Amber a dirty look, but I don't think she picked up on it. Either that or she did but didn't care. I'd never seen Kasie like that before. She'd never expressed even the slightest hint of interest in me. But, all day, she'd been showing little signs of jealousy. I kind of liked it. Oh, who am I kidding? I loved it!

  Amber helped me clean the kitchen while Kasie took a shower. I have to say, it was the funnest, sexiest clean up I'd ever had. Amber playfully sprayed me with the hose from the sink. She shot just a tiny bit of water on my crotch. I don't know what came over me, as I'm usually not that aggressive, but I grabbed the hose and soaked both of her breasts, then spun her around and did the same thing to her butt. I could see her nipples and her butt crack through my Red Sox tee shirt. Amber wasn't wearing any underwear and she looked incredibly hot. So hot that, without thinking about it, I pushed her against the fridge and started making out with her like crazy.

  I played with her nipples through the tee shirt as I kissed Amber up against the fridge. We heard the shower stop and I knew that Kasie would be out of the bathroom soon. I stepped back, spun Amber around, gave her butt a hard slap and said, “Now get back to work!”

  She giggled and replied, “Yes, sir!”

  I didn't know how it was happening, but I liked it. All day, I felt stronger and more confident than I ever had before. I'd always wanted to be the guy who took charge and wasn't afraid to kick some ass. The guy that all the women wanted to have sex with and knew how to blow their minds in the bedroom. The guy that didn't take shit from anybody. That's the guy I'd always wanted to be and I was feeling more like him than ever.