“What?” Zack prodded. “What’s going on?”
“Can’t talk.” What was I thinking? I still had my motorcycle helmet on. She probably thought I was one of them.
I heard one of the Scorpions swear as he approached the bed. “Shut up!” he shouted.
Mary stopped screaming, but was still frantic. “He—he’s over there,” she whimpered.
“Who?” The Scorpion sounded annoyed, his footsteps rounding the bed, getting closer to me.
“I don’t know,” she said. “He…”
His footsteps were right around the corner. I knew they were going to find me. There was no getting out of this without a fight. So, I held my breath and stood up, my hands raised. Mary gasped. The Scorpion, a skinny guy with a mustache, swore in alarm, raised his gun—a shotgun—and pulled the trigger.
Chapter 21
Ray
Mark was waiting for me in an empty field on the outskirts of the city. I ran through the field, kicking up a cloud of sand, a blur through the night, and skid to a stop in front of him.
“You’re late,” he said. I could pick up his accent, but still couldn’t place it. The moonlight reflected off his dark hair and leather jacket. His expression was serious, but I could see an excited energy behind his eyes.
I waited for the dust to settle. “I got attacked by a news guy, okay. I had to crush his phone.”
Mark tilted his head to the side for a moment, and then broke into laughter.
“You can laugh…” I retorted. “I basically revealed my powers to everyone there. The news guy, my brother, my mom, my girlfriend…. They’re going to think the same thing as everyone else: that I’m a freak.”
“Yes… yes they are. And what are you going to do about it?”
I lowered my gaze to the dry ground. “I don’t know.” What I did know was that I was sick of all the press. Sick of all the publicity. Sick of making up stupid stories. “I don’t know how much longer I can take it.”
“Then don’t.”
I looked back at him. “Don’t what?”
“Don’t take it.” Mark put his hands in his jacket pockets and began pacing. “Why should you? You are a Starling after all.”
“What are you saying? That I should come out with the truth to the press?”
“Yes. Why not?”
I sputtered. “Hmm, well let me think. Oh yeah. They’ll come after me with pitch forks and torches. They’ll try to suck my blood dry and use it as a cure for cancer. They’ll publish my private life for all to see. My life would never be normal again.”
“Ray, your life is not normal.” He said it slowly and paused for a moment to let that sink in. “They can’t hurt you, Ray, unless you let them. They can’t turn you into a lab rat. They can’t kill you! You’re a Starling! You’re not human. You should be a god to them!”
I was silent. For a moment all we could hear were the crickets chirping in the bushes nearby.
“All I’m suggesting is this…” He stopped pacing. “Stop trying to live a double life. Embrace who you are. You are the Dragon God.”
I stared at the ground, trying to soak it all in. Then, I stared him in the eyes. “Why should I believe you? You could just be full of it.”
He snorted. “You saw me use my powers last night, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, you have powers. But, that doesn’t mean that everything you’ve said about Draco, the Dragon God, Starlings, and immortal gods is true.” I tried to mimic his strange accent while I spoke. It was some mixture between British and Italian. “Just because you have powers like me doesn’t mean we’re instant friends. First time I saw you, you were coming at me with a knife.”
For a moment, Mark looked furious, impatient. But, then he cooled down, taking a deep breath. “You’re right. I do need to earn your trust still. Let me do so by teaching you how to fully access your powers. You will eventually see that you truly are Draco.”
I folded my arms. This guy was a headache. I still didn’t fully believe all of his Starling fantasies, but he had powers like me. That meant a lot more to me than I would admit. I did want to learn more about my powers. It was worth a try. “Alright, teach me.”
“Very well,” he said with a nod. He started pacing again. “First, a lesson. Your Star Stone is your source of power. As you know, it can only power your special abilities if it is within range, about a kilometer or so. If you try to use your powers out of range of your stone, then your body will take over as the power source—which can only last for a few seconds before completely shutting down. This usually isn’t deadly, but it could put you into a coma if pushed too far.”
I frowned. “Good to know.”
“Keeping your stone on your person is obviously the wisest thing to do. However, you must protect it. True, Star Stones are difficult to destroy, but if damaged, your powers could be hindered or lost entirely.”
“I’ve just kept my stone in my pocket.”
“That’s good, but dangerous.” Mark kept pacing. A cool breeze tasseled his black hair. “Imagine what would happen if your stone fell out of your pocket while flying. You’d pass out and fall to your death. You need to find a way to secure your stone to you.”
“Duct tape?” I said.
He raised a lazy eyebrow at me.
“Okay, okay… I could put it in a leather pouch and connect it to my belt.”
“Better, but too obvious. Another Starling could snatch it off of your belt, make you powerless. The easiest way to defeat another Starling is to remove his or her Star Stone.”
“Why would Starlings be fighting anyway?”
Mark chuckled under his breath and gazed up at the stars for a quiet moment. “Second lesson,” he said. “Every Starling has three degrees of power. The first is the weakest, the second is stronger, and the third is the strongest. The First Degree is the same for each Starling: increased strength and speed, enhanced vision—especially in the dark—and the ability to fly.”
“What?” I stammered. “I can’t fly!”
“Yes you can,” he said nonchalantly. “You just haven’t tried hard enough.”
I scoffed at him. “Whatever. Can you fly?”
“Why yes. As a matter of fact, I can. Or, I could.”
“Well, show me.”
Mark rolled his eyes. “I lost my Star Stone, remember? I’d only get 10 feet in the air before passing out.”
“How did you lose your stone?”
“Do you always ask this many questions?”
“Did someone take it from you?”
He narrowed his eyes. “That doesn’t matter. Let’s focus on you mastering the First Degree. After your training, you will help me find my stone.”
I had forgotten about that part of the deal. I hoped it wouldn’t be too hard to find. I wondered how long he’d been looking for it. “Wait,” I said. “You didn’t say anything about fire in the First Degree.”
He raised one eyebrow. “Have you already produced fire?”
I nodded. “Only on accident. I set a tree on fire once. And I sorta burnt my x-best friend’s neck with my hand.”
Mark’s mood seemed to lighten. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you, Ray? You have tapped into the Second Degree. That’s rarely accomplished on one’s own, especially by a Starling as young as you.”
It was weird for him to talk as if there were other super humans like us. There weren’t. Maybe he was from a different planet. “So, how do I control it?”
“Patience. I’ll teach you how to truly enter the Second Degree only after you’ve mastered the first.”
“Okay, so what’s there left to master in the first?”
He maintained his smirk. “How to fly.”
Chapter 22
Michael
The shot rang out, a deep bang, echoing off the concrete walls. The world slowed down. My powers surged. I could see the bullet! A slug that spread into a dozen tiny metal pellets moving toward me in the air. They were moving fast, too fast for me
to dodge at this close of range. I tried to move, but got hit by nearly every pellet right in the chest.
I hit the ground hard, looking up at the concrete ceiling through the helmet’s visor, hyperventilating. My mind was racing, deep in panic. I just got shot! I thought. He shot me! What was I thinking, coming here? I could feel pain in the chest area, right where the slug hit me. Right near my heart. I’m dying….
I could hear Mary screaming again. More footsteps rushed over to me.
“Michael!” It was Sarah’s voice through my headphones. “Michael, that sounded like a gunshot! Are you okay?”
“Who is he?” one of the Scorpions said. “Is he one of ours?”
“I don’t know, man!” said the gangster who shot me. “I couldn’t tell with his helmet on. He just jumped out from behind the bed and…”
I lifted my head off the ground. If this is what it feels like to die… it’s not all that bad. I inspected my chest with my hand. It stung, but the pain was bearable. I could feel dozens of pellets roll off my skin. They had imprinted in my skin without penetrating. I gave a huge sigh of relief. I’m alive!
I picked myself off the ground and stood on my feet, reigniting my powers. The tingling sensation was especially strong in my chest, right where I got shot. The Scorpions gazed at me, all of their jaws dropped, Mary’s too. The guy with the shotgun finally came to his senses and aimed the shotgun at me again. “Who are you?” he asked, his shaky finger on the trigger.
“I’m…” I caught myself. I’d almost told them my name. I quickly thought of the first superhero name that came to mind. “I am Orion.”
All the gangsters leaned forward. “What did he say?”
“I’m Orion!” I repeated, louder this time.
They looked at each other in confusion, as if they couldn’t hear me. Mary was leaning forward too, eyebrows furrowed, concentrating to hear me. Communicating through a motorcycle helmet was a pain. The guy with the shotgun leaned in farther. “Huh?”
“I said! I AM ORI... oh forget it.” I surged my powers, feeling invincible. I ran toward the four Scorpions faster than their eyes could compute. I had to be careful; I didn’t want to kill anyone. Maybe I can intimidate them into leaving, I thought. I grabbed the mustachioed guy’s shotgun and effortlessly yanked it out of his hands, and then returned to my spot.
It took them all a few seconds to realize what’d happened. Suddenly the Scorpion’s gun was in my hands. Their eyes widened in alarm.
“Run!” I said, trying to sound threatening.
Either they couldn’t hear me, or they weren’t intimidated enough because the other three Scorpions aimed pistols at me. Note to self, I thought. Next time you try to steal guns from gangsters, make sure you steal all of them.
The tree gangsters fired their guns repeatedly. This time I was ready. I spotted the bullets flying swiftly toward me. Each bullet flew just about as fast as… as a soccer ball shot. My goalie muscle memory kicked into gear. As each bullet approached, I swatted it hard, deflecting it toward the concrete walls. I was a blur of motion, blocking every bullet that came near me. My hands stung, but no worse than they would from blocking a soccer ball. The sound of gunshots and deflected bullets was deafening.
They finally stopped firing their rounds, their guns empty. They stared at me in disbelief, unsure of what to do. I sped toward them, suddenly appearing only a foot in front of them. They flinched in fear. “Run!” I said again.
This time I think they heard me because they turned tail and ran out of the Scorpion hideout, screaming and swearing as they left. I couldn’t help, but smile in amusement—and in gratitude for surviving the encounter.
“Who are you?” Mary asked, her voice trembling. I turned toward her. She looked mystified by what I’d done, but kept her distance. She still sat on the bed even though she was no longer handcuffed to it. I could see insecurity and anxiety in her eyes. She looked horrible. Well, don’t get me wrong, she was a pretty girl, but it looked like she hadn’t had a shower or a decent meal for a while. I shivered at the thought of what the Scorpions did to her over the past few days.
“I’m Orion,” I said loud enough for her to hear. I took a small step toward her.
She reeled away from me, getting off the bed. “Stay away from me!”
“I won’t harm you,” I said, my arms raised. She looked unconvinced. I pulled up my visor, revealing my non-glowing eyes only. “I’m here to rescue you. Take you back to your family.”
She didn’t say anything, just looked at my eyes, still unsure.
“You’re Mary Sanchez, right?”
She remained silent, but I could tell she recognized her own name. I pulled out her picture from my pocket and showed it to her. “You’ve been missing for a few days,” I stated. “You’re family has been looking for you. They made these missing-person papers.” I inched closer to her as I spoke. She didn’t back away from me this time, looking between my eyes and her picture. I handed her the paper. She gazed at it for a while.
“How did you do that?” she asked, looking up at me. “Stop the bullets?”
“Well, I uh… I’m a superhuman.” It sounded weird, saying something like that without any sarcasm, but it was the easiest explanation. She looked like she believed me. “Come with me,” I said. “I’ll take you back to your family.”
She looked me in the eyes a little longer and then agreed with a nod. I instructed her to hold on tight while I carried her in my arms. I lowered my visor. With a surge of power, I bolted out of the Trotting Park and sped toward the city. She yelped in surprise by how fast we were moving, but held firm.
I could get used to this, I thought. This is textbook heroism, right here. I saved the damsel in distress and I’m returning her in my arms to safety. Classic!
“I got the girl!” I said.
“Awesome, Michael!” Sarah said, sounding relieved.
“Mission accomplished,” Zack added. “Now bring her here to my house, so we can return her to her family.”
“No, I’m just going to take her to the Tucson Police Department,” I said. “They’ll contact her family and take care of her from there.”
“But, I thought it would be better for us to bring her in together. As a team, you know.”
“And reveal to her the bat cave?” Sarah said. “Michael can only do what he does if his identity remains a secret.”
“Yeah, but…” Zack went silent, unable to finish his thoughts. I could sense anger in his tone. “What about the $5000 reward?”
“I don’t care about the reward,” I said. “Especially if it would mean risking my identity.”
“Seriously? C’mon, Michael! Stop being such a wimp! You’ve got a helmet to hide your identity!”
“I’m almost to the police department. I’m just going to drop her off there.”
I could hear Zack grumbling over the line.
I ran around pedestrians and cars, nothing more than a streak of color and a gust of wind. Mary bravely looked around as I ran, trying to take in her surroundings. It had to be disorienting for her.
A moment later, we stopped at the corner of the police department building. I lowered Mary to the ground and she took a few seconds to walk off the dizziness. She looked at the police department, at her missing-person paper in her hand, and then back at me.
I pulled up my visor. “You’re safe now. Go find your family.”
She nodded, but remained in place, tilting her head. My eyes must still be glowing. “Thank you,” she said sincerely. She didn’t smile when she said it. Her face was emotionless. I could only imagine what being kidnapped for a few days by gangsters and being rescued by a super human can do to the psyche of a teenage girl.
“Happy to help.” I lowered my visor and burst into a sprint, leaving her in a gust of wind.
Chapter 23
Ray
The night’s warm breeze threatened to topple me off the cell phone tower. I crouched atop it, looking down at the distant ground below. Th
ere was barely enough room for me to fit both feet on the tower’s tip.
I took a deep breath, not to calm my nerves, but to take in the moment. I don’t think I’d ever had more fun in my life. I stood up, raising my arms to balance. And then I jumped.
The wind blew in my ears as I swiftly approached the deadly ground. I let out a whoop as if I were riding a rollercoaster. A split second before I pancaked myself to the desert floor, I stoked my powers, a flame of power erupting in my gut, and I halted midair, only inches off of the ground.
I levitated there for a moment, laughing with pure glee. I placed two hands on the ground, and pressed against it, shooting myself high into the air, doing multiple backflips as I went. Nothing beats flying, I thought. Period. There is nothing more thrilling, more exhilarating, or more liberating than flying. I am never driving again!
I sped through the air, redirecting my powers as Mark had instructed, performing flips, twirls, and swoops. I spotted the field where Mark was waiting for me, and I plummeted in that direction. I flew directly toward Mark and halted only feet away from him. He was hit by a burst of wind. Dirt kicked up all around us. I’d hoped to get Mark to flinch, but he didn’t even blink, as if he were accustomed to people flying this close to him.
He kept his hands in his leather jacket pockets and wore a subtle smile. “Impressive, Ray,” he said. “You’ve learned to fly after only one day of training. I can honestly say that I’ve seen only one other Starling learn to fly as fast as you have.”
I continued hovering a foot off the ground while we spoke. “I’ve always been a natural at pretty much anything athletic,” I stated.
“Yes, I can tell.” He looked at my feet, watching me stand as if on an invisible floor. He sighed, but didn’t say anything. My guess was that he was envious, wishing he could fly again.
I lowered myself to the ground. “You still haven’t told me how you lost your stone.”
He broke out of his stupor and looked me in the eyes for a moment before responding. “Thousands of years ago,” he began. “A Starling stole it from me while I was sleeping. I saw her getting away with it and I tried to stop her, but I passed out before I could. I’ve been searching for it…”
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