Paragon

by Riley Tune

  It was a well- known story in The Ebony District, that Eric’s mother, like many women, supported her habit by selling herself. It was these methods that turned Eric to the villainous side of living. He did almost any job he could for money to support her and himself. I didn’t know if these stories were even real but I knew I had to say something, and going off of his reaction, it wasn’t far from the truth.

  “Okay,” he said as he tossed the knuckles from his hand. I was confused for a moment. He stood up and walked to the truck. I used this moment to get up and as soon as I had one foot planted on the ground, another foot was placed on my back and forced me back down. “Yo, E,” I heard another of his boys sound out.

  Next, I hear the sound of a door on the truck opening and closing. He stood over me with a silver gun in his hand. A gun! This idiot had a gun. Clearly, his mother and her lady of the night ways was his hot button. I could hear the sound of people running behind me.

  It appeared that his friends didn’t expect this turn of events, and had no intentions of being witnesses. As the sound of their running feet grew faint, the wind around us began to pick up. Odd.

  I took a deep breath and began to wonder if he was going to kill me. “Don’t get scared now, asshole,” Eric said. “I’m not going to kill you, but I promise, this will leave a mark,” he said as he aimed the gun at my leg. Even though Mr. Reid could heal me, I’m sure it would still hurt like hell afterwards.

  I wanted to scrambled to my feet and run. I tried my force field again. Tight spaces be damned, that’s better than getting shot. It flickered into existence for a second and then faded away. His powers were almost gone over me, a few more seconds, and I should have my abilities back. I’d be hurt, but I’d still be bullet free.

  The flicker of my force field wasn’t missed by Eric and his finger wrapped around the trigger of his gun. I cursed Danielle in my head. This was all her fault. I was seconds away from being shot, and she was up there in her comfy apartment doing nothing.

  Suddenly the wind picked up even more. Violently so. Eric had to frown his face just to see. Then I heard several sounds. As the wind wrapped around us, A blur of something hit Eric square in the chest, and sent him into the air for about five feet. As he came crashing down, another gust of wind caught him again and this time sent him flying into the wall.

  “Lobo,” I heard Eric gasp as he scrambled on the ground. I didn’t waste any time as I used the truck to pull myself up completely. Eric was slouched on the ground near the wall he had just hit, as a man stood looming over him.

  The Icon in question, my savior, was a tall, black man. He was bald, but sported a well tamed black beard. He wasn’t a large man by any means but he clearly had defined muscles. They were practically stretching his black tee shirt to its limits. He had on green cargo pants, and a large pair of military boots.

  Eric was right. It was Lobo. Atlas as my witness it was Lobo in the flesh. Lobo was an Icon that was half myth, half legend, and according to stories, was all badass. His powers revolved around air manipulation. Which is technically, one power, but had a variety of uses.

  Some said he was in his late twenties to early thirties, and was once a heavy hitter for a super team outside of Atlas City, but he had decided to do his own thing and travel some, with the end of his travels bringing him here to Atlas City.

  “What was it you told him?” Lobo said as he walked towards Eric. He had a smooth calm voice as he spoke. Lobo smiled. “I remember,” he said as he snapped his fingers. “Don’t get scared now, asshole,” He flicked his hand in an upward motion and the wind around us came alive again, and lifted Eric off the ground then began to swirl around him. Eric’s hands reached for his neck as the air was pulled from his lungs.

  This is why Eric, despite his rare power, was considered a low- tier Icon. He could erase a person's power, but after that he had to wait a little while before he could do it again. It was as if his powers had a recharge time. Funny how powers are so different. Some Icons can use their abilities non- stop, while others had limitations, and drawbacks.

  The miniature cyclone swirling around Eric stopped moving, and rushed back down to Lobo, who then rocketed in the air, grabbed Eric by his jacket, and then slung him down to the ground. I was starting to see that not only was Lobo strong, but he was smart. He had to have known about Eric’s dense skin, and that’s why he sucked the air out of his lungs. It made him weak and susceptible to the following damage.

  Lobo landed on the ground. His boots made loud, ominous clicks as he walked and stood over Eric. I was just now able to move with complete strength again, and my bleeding nose had slowed down some. Lobo flicked his hand once more, and swirling winds surrounded the body of Eric.

  He gasped again as the air was pulled from him. Lobo continued to move his hands slightly as if he was turning a dial, and then, just like that, Eric passed out. Even in pain, I did take joy in seeing his body go limp.

  It would have been even better if I was the source of his passing out, but beggars can’t be choosers. Especially when said beggar was just getting his as kicked and was moments away from being shot. Lobo stopped moving his hands and the winds faded away. He reminded me of a conductor, and the winds were his orchestra.

  “Perfect,” he said as he scanned the ground around us.

  “Thanks,” I said to him, but he ignored me and continued to look around. He stopped scanning the area as he walked and picked up the fallen gun Eric had moments ago. I glared at the gun as he held it.

  Lob looked down at the gun in his hand for a second and then shook his head. Next, he spun his right finger in a circle as small funnel of air appeared in front of him. He tossed the gun into it, and the funnel shot into the air, sending the gun to who knows were.

  “You okay, kid?” he asked me. I nodded my head. To nervous and embarrassed to answer. “I watched for a little while. Probably should have stepped in sooner. Sorry about that. But you should have your powers back now. If you want, wait for him to come to, and kick his ass. That’s what I would do,” Lobo said as he looked at Eric breathing slowly on the ground.

  I looked up towards the area where Danielle’s apartment was. I felt a strong gust of wind blow around me. “I think I’m just going to head home, with the sliver of pride I have left.” I forced out a laugh, but as I looked back down, Lobo was gone.

  Where had he gone so fast? I looked around the street, but I was alone, standing there in the darkness. I looked down at my hands and shirt, both were covered in my own blood. My body was sore, my head was pounding, and I could barely walk.

  Eric made a noise on the ground. I didn’t want to hang around to fight him again. His powers may have recharged by them. What I did do was deliver a stomp to his face. His nose didn’t break like I wanted but it still felt good.

  “Wait until Jen hears about me meeting Lobo. She’s going to freak,” I said to myself, as I grabbed my sore stomach and slowly rose in the air to fly home.

  CHAPTER 9

  THE TALK

  F

  lying above the Ebony District was a personal favorite pastime of mine. Granted, I’d rather do it in clothes not covered in blood, and a body that was so sore that it hurt to breathe, but still I loved it. I didn’t do it often because I wanted to keep a low profile, but after the evening I had just had, I figured some fun was in order. It was naturally harder to see because of the eternal darkness, but once up here the view was amazing.

  I hovered in the sky for a few moments. Even the buildings were way below me now, yet I was still low enough to be inside the dark dome that was placing the district in never ending twilight. Had I flown up and higher I would have escaped the dome and would have been back in the normal surrounds of my world.

  As I sat here in the gloom floating, I loved looking down on the district below. While Diamond District’s eternal daylight was great, and the shooting stars in its bubble created by Diamond’s powers were beautiful to watch, it didn’t cre
ate what I was seeing now in Ebony.

  The cars moving below all looked like little balls of light, slowly going along their way to unknown destinations. It was peaceful to watch, and I needed peace now. It helped me clear my mind of the flashing images of seeing Danielle with Eric. It helped me almost reflect.

  As I hovered there in the air, bruised and bloody, I realized that maybe this wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened. Sure, my heart was broken, and sure I almost got shot but I still had a life to live. I still had a family that loved me, I was considered powerful by normal standards, had a shit ton of money in the bank, and a bright future in front of me regardless which path I chose.

  Then that sinking feeling came back to me again. One of the big reasons I was having such a hard time on my decision for the future. I could be great as a hero or a villain. The world would either respect my name or fear it, but what about my family? What about Mr. Reid? He had raised me. Raised me to do the right thing, but he also raised me to follow my heart. How would he react if I became a villain? A man so perfect. What would he think of me?

  Not only that, how would he react if one day he or his team were to come after me? Even if I didn’t stay in Atlas City, they could be sent for me, because of their renown as being one of the top supergroups in the world. Would Jen stand in their way, or would she come with them? Even worse, if Mr. Impervious came. Could I stand up against arguably the most resilient Icon alive?

  I let out a sigh, and for the next ten minutes I just watched the cars and building lights below me. No matter how trashed Ebony was on the ground, from up here it was always beautiful. It was peace trapped in a district of chaos.

  “Well, fun time’s over, and I feel like shit,” I said to myself. I spun around in the air once more and continued to head home. Crossing over from the Ebony District to the Diamond District, was the same experience as sitting in a dark room, only to have a person randomly turn the lights on.

  If done too fast, it would leave you stunned for a few moments as you adjusted to the new world of day around you, so once I saw the edges of Ebony in view, I began to slow my flight speed and kind of drifted into the daylight. The shock was still there but not as fast, and not as bad.

  My phone went off. I looked at it and realized it was Danielle, again. I held it in my hand and just looked at it, heart pounding in my chest. She had called around six times now. I wanted so many things. I wanted to scream at her, to ask her why, to just hear her voice. I knew I shouldn’t have, but against my better judgement I answered the phone as I landed on the ground in the Diamond District.

  “Yes,” I said sternly as I answered the phone and began walking home. I was too upset and too pissed to even appear casual so I didn’t even bother. Jen should have been home now or on her way there. At least I hope she was. I needed to vent to somebody. “Hunter!” her voice came back to me. She sounded surprised. “I didn’t expect you to answer, and had already prepared my message to leave you.” I cleared my throat. Her voice was strained and she sounded crackly as if she may had been crying.

  “Would you prefer I hung up instead?” I hissed as the words were thrown out of my mouth. “No, I just,” she stopped talking and there was silence for a few moments, that seemed like minutes. “I love you, Hunter. I just want to talk,” I rolled my eyes and could feel my hand tighten on the phone. “ Oh, shut up,” I replied. “I do. You know I do.”

  “You didn’t love me while you were screwing Eric, though did you?” “Screwing Eric? What are you talking about?” she asked. “We never slept together. I wouldn’t do that you. If you would just listen. It’s not what it seems.” “Well, that’s not what he said,” I replied. “You’re going to trust him over me?” she genuinely sounded hurt over this.

  I wanted to scream at her how she was a villain and that she couldn’t be trusted, but that sounded like something a hero would say, and I didn’t want to sound that way. “You know what? It doesn’t even matter anymore. I’m done with this and I’m done with you,” and then I hung up. Before I could even get the phone back in my jeans it rang again, and this time I may have answered too fast.

  She didn’t even allow me to say anything, and went right back into her response to me hanging up. “Look I know what it looked like, because he was here and I had my arms around him, but I promise I was just flirting with him to get him and his guys to help me with the job. I needed more muscle and a wild card. That would have been E-Rase.”

  I didn’t say anything, and in my silence my breathing sounded heavier than I had ever heard it. “Hello?” she asked. “I’m here, but I don’t believe you. You say you love me, but you didn’t say or do anything to try and defuse the situation. Even while I was outside getting my ass kicked you did nothing. I was almost shot,” she gasped at those words.

  “Yeah, that asshole almost shot me, but don’t worry, I’m working on a plan for him. He will get what is due to him in time. I just don’t want to talk right now. My internship starts tomorrow, and I need a clear head so please, just let me be.” There was silence on the phone and with it, I could hear her keeping her sobs at bay.

  “Okay,” she said in a weak voice. Either she was an actress of extreme talent or she was really hurting inside. Either way, I was being fueled by anger and didn’t care how she felt. The more she sounded hurt, the more bitter towards her I wanted to be. I had no doubt that I would return the pain to E-Rase, but this was the most I could do to Danielle to let her feel something like I had.

  “Well, good luck tomorrow,” she said as her voice finally came to. “Uh huh.” I replied back coldly. “Text me when you’re free. Give em hell and I love you,” she said. “Thanks,” I replied and then swiftly hung up.

  “I love you, too,” I said to myself as I put my phone away.

  I walked up to the house only to find Mr. Reid sitting on the porch. “Damn,” I said under my breath as he stood up when he saw me coming. I was trying to get in unseen. The original plan was to fly directly to my window, or Jen’s window and enter the house that way. I could change clothes and at least clean up some before the rest of the family saw me.

  “Hey.” I said as I waved my hand casually. “Oh, shut up boy,” he said as he walked down the steps. I felt my brow raise. “Come on,” he said as he motioned me towards the garage. I didn’t move.

  Mr. Reid stopped, looked at me, and then motioned again for me to follow. “What’s going on,” I asked as we entered the garage and the door shut behind us. “Seriously?” he said as he rolled up the sleeves to the dress shirt he had on. “Did they kick your ass so much that you can’t remember it? Sit down,” he said to me as he pulled a chair out from one of the desk in the garage.

  “Jen hasn’t made it home yet, and I sent Karen and Junior to get dinner so we have a little time, but not much.” His hand began to glow green as he moved closer to me. I felt relief as I saw this. I knew what was coming next, and I was ready for it. He placed one hand over my face and I felt a cool and tingly sensation as what was broken became whole again. As cuts closed and blood stopped flowing. It was a relief. Oddly, it reminded me of the feeling when you have a stuffy nose, that suddenly opens up.

  Next, he clasped his hands together and allowed a larger green cone of energy to radiate around my midsection, and my breathing went from painful to normal again. Mr. Reid shook his head and his hands returned to normal. “Second day in a row I have had to heal my boys. It’s a sad day in the Reid house when Jen is the responsible one.”

  He tossed some clothes to me. “Change and give me the bloody clothes. I’ll get them washed before Karen sees them.” I didn’t ask questions and quickly removed my bloodstained shirts and dirty pants. I replaced them with another pair of jeans and a red shirt that had a comic style picture of Mr. Reid on it as Life Line.

  He folded the clothes and placed them in a bag. “Now, go wash your face. You still look like somebody broke your nose,” he went to move for the house but stopped. “And for Atl
as’ sake don’t use a white cloth. Get one of the darker ones. Easier for the blood not to be seen,” he said.

  Clearly, hiding blood from his family, wasn’t a foreign concept to Mr. Reid. I wondered how often he went through this process before he came home. As he walked away I stood from the chair and called to him.

  “Wait,” I said. “How did you know I needed all this?” “I was out on patrol and got word from a void snitch, I mean informant, in Ebony District. He said he saw my boy getting his ass handed to him by some punks, but then some Icon saved you. I figured you were there to see your girlfriend.” As he said these words my eyes got wide.

  He rolled his eyes a little as he exhaled. “Yes, I know about the villain girlfriend, but you have to make your own way in life. I can’t tell you what to do, even if I don’t agree with it.” he raised a finger. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t encourage it, but I won’t damn you for it either. You’re still my boy.”

  He adjusted his pants some and smirked. “While I never actually dated one, I’d be lying if I said I never found a villain attractive or messed around with one in my younger days.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Maybe we weren’t so different after all.

  Still smirking, he shrugged as he began to walk to the house, followed by me. “Either way, my guy told me, so I flew home, lied to my wife and kid, something I try not to do often, and sent them away so I could help you out of a pinch and let you save face.” “Thanks.” I said to him. “Just get some rest as soon as possible after dinner,” he said as he opened the door.

  I didn’t say anything. I was waiting to see where he was going with this. “Looks like you and Jen are to report to The Imperial Lords’ base tomorrow,” he said with a smile. I balled a fist and thrust it in the air. Jen and I had made the cut.

  “Was it just us selected?” Mr. Reid shook his head as he loaded the washer with my clothes and detergent. He then looked at all of the selections on the machine. He randomly hit some buttons until water came out.