The Spartan Saga

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif][/FONT][FONT=Copperplate Gothic Light, sans-serif]Chapter Eleven[/FONT][/FONT]​
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Right after my encounter with Jackson, I called Olivia to make sure she was home, and then ran there at top speed. I rang the bell, and after doing all the boyfriend/girlfriend pleasantries that I was still getting used to, I explained to her what had happened. Oh, and this was going on as we cuddled. God that was awkward at first. But I digress.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“So...you say his eyes became green? That's weird. Like, really weird. As in, the weirdest thing I've ever heard that's true.” she said in a voice full of confusion and wonder, reminding me of the way I was when I first started to deal with the weirder aspects of my double life.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Yeah, I agree.” I paused. “Am I really a self-absorbed prick?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Pssh,” she said, looking at me like I was ******ed. “You think I'd date you if you were? You're a good person, Kyle, and probably the least self-absorbed person I know. You use your powers to help people. If it were me, I'd probably use them to get back at my annoying teachers.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I smiled. “I never told you about what I did when I first got my powers, did I?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]She shook her head. “But tell me later,” she said, leaning in to kiss me. I kissed her back, and those five seconds were wonderful.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Then I got a message from Sarge, causing my body to become rigid.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Olivia noticed immediately. “You're getting one of those summons from your cop friend, aren't you?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I nodded, and was half-tempted to stay. As if reading my mind, she said, “Well, go on then.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]* * *[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I landed on the XCPD rooftop. “Dammit Sarge, this time I WAS about to get some action!” I said, before remembering how it was when I last saw him. “How you doing, anyway?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Fine,” Sarge mumbled, though he didn't look it. Dark circles lay under his eyes, he had a five o'clock shadow, and his voice was raspy.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“What do you need?” I asked, arms folded.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“A defector from Mr. Dark's main group has come forward. In exchange for a lesser sentence, he's given us some information.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Eager to avenge the death of Gabriel Munn, I asked, “What is it?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“In exchange for a lesser sentence, the defector has told us the name of a young girl that Dark is going to go after to become his next prostitute,” he said, looking at me significantly. Here I was glad I wore a mask, because I was blushing. The reason he was likely going for more prostitutes was because I was freeing them from the lesser pimps under Dark's rule, so that made this girls safety my responsibility.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Give me a name.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Her name's Briana Walker.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]My arm shook uncontrollably. “When's this going down?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“An hour,” Sarge said, checking his watch. “The force is tied up, otherwise we'd send a squad to help her. You're the only chance she has to live a free life, which is the only life worth living. Briana needs you.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“That sounds familiar,” I mumbled. “Don't worry Sarge...I'll save her.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]* * *[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]On the side of a building, I tried calling Leon and Jackson, both who had their phones off and are not home. [FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Jackson didn't pick up, just like I figured. That left me to handle this matter personally.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Part of me, the Kyle side of me, wanted to let Briana be taken, but Spartan, my moral center, refused to let me do something like that. In hindsight, I realize I was being ridiculous, but I blame adolescence. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I swung to Briana's and adhered myself to the bottom of the deck that was directly outside her room, waiting. Listening. Hoping that she wasn't making out with Samuel. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]My hearing confirmed that she was in her room, thankfully alone. But as I did, I heard two men arguing over how to take Briana. Dark's men were early. “Note to self,” I said aloud. “Interrogate stooge thoroughly next time he offers information.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]As the “Darkmen” kicked open her door, I swung in through Briana's window and landed in between her and them. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]One of the men took out a pistol and shot at me. They never learned.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]In one fluid motion, I caught the bullet, and, for all to see, crushed it with my thumb and index finger. One of the Darkmen squealed in fright.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Okay, here's the deal,” I began. “You two can leave, unscathed, only to deliver a message to Mr. Dark. Spartan is coming. BEWARE!”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The two nodded vigorously before running out of the house. Using my Hyper Awareness (as I had dubbed my vision power), I made sure they left the house and drove away before turning to Briana.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You all right?” I asked, a little too stiffly for someone who shouldn't be pissed at Briana Walker.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Eyes wide, Briana nodded. “Aside from being sick of playing damsel in distress for you to save, I'm good.” [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Good,” I said, heading for her deck.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Who were they?” she called after me.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Bad guys,” I said, not facing her. “That's all you need to know.” I opened the door leading to the deck. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Wait!”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I sighed. I was trying to get out of there as fast as possible. But Spartan wasn't mad at her, so I stayed.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Yes?”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]She put her hand on my shoulder, which tingled. “Listen, my friend Jackson's been acting weird lately. Out of nowhere, he instant messaged me and started badmouthing an...acquaintance of mine. Jackson doesn't have a bad bone in his body...”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“So you're hoping I'll see what's up with him?”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Well...yeah.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Behind the mask, I was pensive. I thought it was weird, but that's because my experience as Spartan has made me and my friends paranoid. But if even Briana noticed it, that meant something even bigger was up.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I'll look into it,” I finally told her. I ran to the edge of her deck and dove off, launching a web onto a branch and swinging away.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]* * *[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]That night, I was with Leon and Olivia, and I had just finished telling them about what had happened, and Briana's suspiscions.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Leon, stroking his light goatee, said, “Yeah, she told me that yesterday. I didn't think it was all that important.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Well it was,” Olivia told Leon, and jokingly began punching him on the arm. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Kyle...get her off of me!” Leon yelped.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Why? This is fun.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]After five minutes of this, Olivia stopped as a thought hit her. “Tell me...when exactly did Jackson start acting weird?”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Around the time he started dating Carol,” Leon said. “Maybe a week after. Surely you've been told this by your boyfriend?”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Yeah, I just needed to confirm it. What color are Carol's eyes, by any chance?”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]My mind flashed back the the one day I saw her, and with a jolt I remembered. “Green. Bright green.” [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Leon snorted. “You're not suggesting...?”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“That Olivia has Jackson under some mental control? You bet your ass I am.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“And that's the signified by the green eyes!” I said, grinning. “Babe, you're a genius.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Um...how is that possible?” Leon asked, incredulous.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Asks the one whose best friend has superpowers that shouldn't exist anywhere other than the comic books,” I laughed.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Point,” Leon said, leaning back onto my bed.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Whatever the deal is,” I declared, “Carol Wilke can expect to meet Spartan tomorrow.” [/FONT][/FONT]​
 
[FONT=Copperplate Gothic Light, sans-serif]Chapter Twelve[/FONT]​
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]As Carol Wilke left Mac's when her shift ended, she said quite clearly, “Come on out Spartan, I know you're here!”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I descended from a webline and said, “And you knew I was here...how?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Let's call it a woman's intuition,” she said coyly. “Why don't you take the mask off, Kyle, so we can have this talk face-to-face.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Under the mask, my eyebrows shot up. “How do you know who I am?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Magic,” she said, waving her hands with false enthusiasm.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Carol was getting on my nerves. I now understood why Leon called her the Wicked ***** of the East. “What'd you do to Jackson?” I asked, keeping my voice even. If I didn't, she might have done something to get him killed. Obviously, I couldn't let this happen. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Oh, that's easy,” Carol chuckled. “I made him fall in love with me. We females are quite good at doing that, you know. And you know. God, I don't envy you right now.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“What do you mean?” I asked suspiciously. I had no idea what she was talking about, and then I realized she was trying to distract me, to get me off the topic of Jackson. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]My hands balled themselves into fists, and I was about to grab Carol by the throat when a fist hit me in the ear. This was followed by a cry of pain that I recognized as Jackson's, though I knew it was him already. I turned sharply to find him holding his hand in pain, his green eyes fierce with animosity. And all of that animosity was directed at me.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]As if on cue, Carol turned on tears that, to an untrained eye, would appear genuine. Jackson, however, bought them and ran to his girlfriend's/evil manipulator's side. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“What'd he say to you? Did he do anything to you?” he asked urgently.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Carol choked on her (fake) tears, and I couldn't help thinking that she should have tried out for a soap opera.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“He...*gulp*...said he'd kill me unless...*gasp*...I would...do things...to him...”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]She kissed his hand, which was soon a fist. “I suggest you get outta here before I do something we both regret.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I had the urge to punch him, hoping that my strength would bring him to his senses. But I knew that wasn't the way to go. I leaped up onto the roof and said, just loud enough that he could hear me, “You know what she's saying is a lie. Deep down, you know.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]* * * [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]In my bedroom a half-hour later, I was pacing around, as I had so many times this summer, while Olivia sat on my bed, watching me sympathetically as I explained the story.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“The rage I saw in his eyes...I don't think I've ever seen him look at anyone with such hatred, except maybe Geoff Wyners.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I fell onto my bed and lay on Olivia's lap. “God I hate this.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You hate her,” Olivia amended.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Right,” I said, and we kissed. When we were done, I smacked my lips. “Mmm...orange-y. Did you put this on just because my hair's orange? Because if you did...well, I'd probably just kiss you again until it was all on me.” I paused and looked up at the ceiling. “That came out wrong, didn't it?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]As she laughed and nodded, my phone rang. “Yeah, Jason?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“It's Jackson and Carol. They're on the roof of Mac's, and it looks like they're fighting.” He sounded out of breath. He was likely running from Shinlye.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“How do you know?” I asked.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Well, I was evading Shinlye and saw them when I hid in a garbage can across the street. I smell like **** right now, so you better find out what they're doing. God himself out.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I snapped my phone shut.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“What was that about?” Olivia asked, but I ignored her. I ran outside to her backyard, where I reached out with my mind, trying to willingly activate my Hyper-Awareness. I emptied my mind of all thought, as I had when I was watching the 4th of July fireworks, and...[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]In an instant, my mind expanded to fill all of Riverside, and all of Xavier City. That whole area was like a giant spider-web to me, where I saw everything that was going on at once. My mind was connected to everyone, and I could find them just by thinking it. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I focused on Jackson, who I knew better than Carol, and found him on top of Mac's, his eyes returned to normal, though they were widened in surprise.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Are you kidding me?” he was saying to Carol. “I'd never betray Kyle's trust like that. Telling the world he's Spartan would ruin him!”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“But do it for me!” Carol pleaded, though her eyes were narrowed in confusion.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Not going to happen. I don't know how I could have let you turn me against Kyle in the first place. I don't even remember what's happened in these past few days, actually.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You broke my mental hold,” Carol muttered, but only I heard that. “How did this happen?” she said to Jackson. “How could you leave me?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You threatened one of my friends. No one threatens my friends,” Jackson declared, and at that moment I knew my friend was back.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]What I saw next was a move that hadn't yet happened. Rather, it was Carol's next move, told to me by my Battle Sense; Carol closes her eyes, and her around her hands a faint green aura forms. Her eyes open thirty seconds later, and she grins with malice. She makes a “push” motion with them, and Jackson goes flying off of the roof, and onto the street, where he lands on a car. Dead[/FONT].[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I end my awareness, and Olivia was beside me. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You're sweating, babe. What happened?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Jackson's on the roof of Mac's, back to normal, but I would guess that in about a minute he's going to be killed because of it. I've got to stop that.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Olivia looked at me sadly. “Kyle...you're fast, but you can't get from here to Mac's in under a minute.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I clenched my teeth. “There is one way.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Focusing on saving Jackson, I crouched on the ground, pressed the button on my watch, and for the second time that summer, Spartan flew.[/FONT]
[FONT=Copperplate Gothic Light, sans-serif][/FONT]​
 
[FONT=Copperplate Gothic Light, sans-serif]chapter Thirteen[/FONT]​
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I quickly got the hang of flying. Just like riding a bike. A superhero bike, but a bike nonetheless.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I raced to Mac's at top speed, and as I was about a block away I saw Jackson being pushed off. I latched two webs, one from each hand, to two houses in front of me, and used them as a slingshot to give me extra momentum.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Come on,” I muttered to myself. As I approached Jackson's out of control body, I held my arms out.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]And caught Jackson just in time.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Sighing in relief, I landed on the side of Mac's and set Jackson down. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Thanks,” he said lowly, giving me a thumbs up as he vomited.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You all right?” I asked after he was done. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Yeah, I'm fine. I never want to take a ride like that again, but I'm fine, yeah.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I meant mentally,” I clarified, tapping my head for emphasis.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Oh that,” Jackson said, a little guiltily. “Well, this whole summer's a big cloud, really. I remember vague details, but nothing really stands out. Except Carol.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I nodded. “Speaking of her, I'm gonna go beat the **** out of her. That all right with you?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Oh yeah. We're broken up, as far as I'm concerned.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I grinned. “See you in a little while.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I lifted myself into the air and onto the roof, where Carol Wilke looked at me with a mixture of fear, loathing, and contempt.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“So, what's your story?” I asked. “And I swear to God, if you start singing the Brady Bunch theme, I will...well, use your imagination.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Well, there's no reason to not tell you now, seeing as it concerns you, and it's only fair that you know before you die,” she rambled in a semi-coherent voice.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I hovered in a sitting position. “I'm all ears.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I was once alone on the streets. Getting three meals a day, no matter how good the quality, was a great achievement. Then, a few months ago, I was saved from that life by a man named Dean Murdoch.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I fell. I associated that name with so much pain that it made me lose my focus. “Murdoch?”, I exclaimed.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Yes,” she spat. “He gave me a home, good clothes, food, and, best of all, love. He loved me as a father loves his daughter, and I loved him for that. Then one day, he came to me and asked for a small favor: he needed my help to apprehend you, as you'd refused to join him. As I'd do anything for him, I agreed, and, after many, many experiments, the dormant part of my brain was awakened, and I was gifted with telepathy and telekinesis. I was to use the mind control aspect of my telepathy to “convince you” to join Dean.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“So this is an Adventus scheme,” I snarled, standing up. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Carol laughed, a horrible, nails on a chalkboard type of laugh. When she spoke actual words to me, her words were filled with despair.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“But you killed the man who saved me. You killed [FONT=Times New Roman, serif]m[/FONT]y father!”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“What?” I said in surprise. “What are you going on about? I didn't kill Dean Murdoch, Adventus did! Niles Ferris likely did the actual deed!”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Don't lie to me!” Carol hissed, tears streaming down her face. “Niles Ferris told me how you killed Dean in cold blood, just because he made a joke about your father.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“That's not how it happened...,” I began, but was cut off by a telekinetic wave that knocked me off the roof.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I attached a web to the roof and swung back onto it, kicking Carol onto the ground in the process. She lifted herself up telekinetically, her green eyes now glowing. She aimed her hands towards the direction of a car and, with a groan, lifted it and threw it at me. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I caught it effortlessly and threw it back down to the street, where it was cushioned by a giant web. I didn't want to hurt her severely, as she was just misguided, but what was I to do when she attacked me. I couldn't play defense forever.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]My Battle Sense rang, and I jumped in the air just in time to avoid being hit by a bike. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I looked at Carol, and noticed she need to use her hands to move objects. That gave me an idea. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Here we go,” I whispered to myself as I flew at her, arms stretched, only to be stopped mid-air by her telekinesis.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Did you really think you could get close to me without surprising me?” she asked. “Did you think you would pound me into oblivion, Kyle Wyatt?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Actually,” I said. “I was planning to do this!”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]With that, I blasted her with heat vision, releasing myself from her mental hold. As she lay on the ground, wincing in pain but alive, I tied her whole body up, making sure she could move no part of her body save her head and feet.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Walking over to her, I lifted her up and raised her to my eye level. As I did so, I felt her mind try to invade my own as we made eye contact. Getting bored of this, I webbed her eyes so she could see nothing, either. Instantly, I felt her presence leave my mind.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Now then,” I growled, “What did Ferris tell you, exactly?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Her voice barely more than a raspy whisper, Carol said, “Mr. Ferris told me that the best way to get revenge on you was to break you down, and the best way to do that was to remove your friends out of the way. He said that without them, you're nothing.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Ferris was right. Without my friends, I don't know where I'd be today. “Why Jackson, of all my friends?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“It seemed to me that he had the weakest will. I was wrong. Somehow he broke free of my mind control, something that should have been impossible...”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Why did Ferris want my moral support broken down? What has he got planned?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I don't know, but he said something about-”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Before she could say what Ferris had mentioned, Carol Wilke vanished with a pop, leaving me holding nothing but air.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I looked around, confused. Then I realized that Ferris had to have her bugged, and somehow Adventus had teleported her out of my hands before I could have interrogated her any further.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I growled silently, then floated down to the street level, where Jackson still stood. “Nice fight. And good to see you finally learned to fly.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Thanks to you,” I said. “Need a lift?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Why don't we hang here for a little while?” Jackson suggested. “That way, you can explain to me what the **** happened these past few weeks.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I shrugged. “Why not?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I dove behind a dumpster and emerged as Kyle Wyatt, and walked into Mac's with Jackson. As I began telling Jackson about Olivia, I smiled inwardly. All was well.[/FONT]​
But such things, unfortunately, are not meant to last.
 
[FONT=Copperplate Gothic Light, sans-serif]Chapter Fourteen[/FONT]​
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Two weeks before school was to begin, I flew in through Sarge's window. He'd called me, saying it was urgent. I looked around the XCPD headquarters, and saw it in more chaos than I had ever seen. Sarge himself was talking exasperatedly on the phone.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I understand that, Sir, but...,” he was saying when I arrived. Looking up when he heard the thump I made, a smile growing on his face when he saw me. “Sir, I think we have the situation under control now. Yes, I'll alert you as soon as it's resolved. Mendoza out.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“What's going on?” I asked as soon as the phone was hung up. “Something to do with Mr. Dark?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“No, Dark hasn't made a move since he went after Briana Walker. Surely you heard about the little boy who's gone missing?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Er...” Truthfully, I hadn't. I was beating Jackson at Halo when I got the call. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I'll take that as a no. Well, a little boy's been kidnapped by a known pedophile/child pornographer. One of my best Detectives apprehended the guy, but he killed himself before we could get the location of the kid out of him.” [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]As Sarge explained, my stomach dropped. It sickened me when innocent kids got threatened or hurt for doing nothing wrong.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Sarge sighed. “You're his only hope, Spartan.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I'll do my best. And you know how good my best is.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]* * *[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I hovered above my listening post, my Hyper-Awareness stretched across the area it covered, my ears open for any and all signs a child might be in danger. I heard much yelling, screaming, and crying, but investigating these by following the “web” my Hyper-Awareness made mentally showed that these children were in no harm, merely being kids and having tantrums. Nothing was helping.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]And then, when I had felt I lost all hope, I heard something that was [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]useful: scraping on wood. I followed the mental web, where I saw nothing but an empty grove, filled with dirt but not much else. Nonetheless, the scraping was prominent there, and it was the only lead I had.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]At top speed, I flew to the vacant lot and landed there within thirty seconds. Immediately I saw a freshly dug patch of dirt, but could hear no more scraping.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“No...,” I whispered before entering speed mode and digging with my bare hands, finally discovering a wooden coffin of sorts within. I ripped the top off of the coffin to find the little boy I had saved earlier in the summer. I listened. His heartbeat was faint, but there. Still, he was unconscious, and I honestly wasn't sure if he would make it.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I ripped off the lower part of my mask and began giving the kid CPR. “Come on kid...you'll be all right...come on...COME ON!”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]And, just like that, the kid regained consciousness. I don't know whether it was the CPR, or if somehow he responded to my pleas, but he woke up. Just like that. He looked around, confused, and when he saw me smiled. “Spartan...”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Hey, kid,” I said, smiling.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]* * * [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]After dropping the kid off at the hospital and informing Sarge of my success, I flew to Olivia's. I had to tell her something, an epiphany I had while flying the kid to the hospital.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I flew in her window, which was open, oddly enough. However, I didn't pay it second mind as I started to ramble on to Olivia without even greeting her.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Liv! You'll never guess what just happened! I just saved this kid, who oddly enough I saved the day I met you again, and when he smiled at me after I saved him, it just made me feel so good about myself, and I remembered why I do this, all this Halloween work: to help people.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]When I got no answer, I took, my mask off to make sure I wasn't alone in the room. I had assumed she was there, because her window was open, but she didn't answer. One of the things I'd come to count on all summer was her always saying what was on her mind, never sugarcoating it. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Olivia was on her bed, apparently asleep, blanket covering her. This made no sense, as it was only 4:13 pm. Oh, and it was Summertime.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Liv?” I whispered gently, nudging her. “Honey?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]When that didn't work, I tried warming her feet with my heat vision at a low level. For some reason, that tickled her, so I thought it would wake her up. No such luck.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Come on, Liv,” I said. “Wake up.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Nothing.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I ripped off the covers, which did their job of covering well enough; the covered her bloody torso.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“What? No!” I cried. “This can't be happening...not again...” I listened for a heartbeat, and heard none. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Throwing the mask on in a fluid motion, I flew out of her window and, with the same determination I had when I had to save Briana from getting run over, accelerated way over my top speed. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Wounds that had healed re-opened, blood spurting out of them; my muscles tightened and slackened so quickly it hurt; I was running out of breath.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Then, in a flash, I was outside Olivia's house, on the tree in her backyard. I was in physical agony. It felt as if my whole body was on fire. Still, I had enough strength to check my watch. It was 4:05, so I didn't have to worry about the kid. At that time, I was flying slowly, thinking over the epiphany.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“What do you...who are you? No, I won't come with you...oh god...get that away from me!”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]My head shot up, and in fear I looked through Olivia's window. She was in the struggle for a knife that was in the hands of a tall figure in a black cloak, a hood obscuring his face. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Liv!”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I shouldn't have yelled that, because in that painfully slow moment, she looked at me, distracted, and that was all the cloaked man needed to gain control. He retched the knife grip from her hand, and went to stab her[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“No!” I roared. I leaped from the branch with the intent to fly, but I couldn't. The intense amount of pain I was in prevented it. I barely managed to grab onto her windowsill, and as I did, I saw the man, who had to be Mr. Dark, I realized, stab her in the stomach repeatedly.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I tried to scream, but no words came out. However, watching Dark stab my girlfriend galvanized me to leap into the room, only for him to run out at the sight of me.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I made to run after him, but I was stopped by a feeble moan of “Kyle...” [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I turned to Olivia, who was on her bed, pale, bloody, and shaking. I ran to her side at once. “Olivia...I'm sorry...I should've..”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Tears began to stream down her face. “I...I don't want to...to die...”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]My breath came short and quick. “I don't want you to either. But you won't, you hear me? You're gonna get through this. I promise.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]She choked and laughed at the same time. “Thanks.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]And then, like that, her heartbeat faded. Thump thump...thump...thump......thump...[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“No...Liv...I...you can't be dead. You can't be. You shouldn't be. I should have saved you. That's what I do. Save people.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]And then, just like that, Olivia Connelly died.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I was struck with grief, but that emotion was quickly overtaken by a strong anger.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I went to Olivia's phone and called Sarge. “This is Spartan. Mr. Dark has killed a sixteen year old girl named Olivia Connelly. I'm going after him. This has to end.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I flew out the window and stretched my mind out, finding Mr. Dark in an abandoned alley, breathing hard. Apparently he was running to evade me. Smart man.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Dropping from the sky, I fell on top of Mr. Dark and began punching him repeatedly. I threw him into the alley walls, broke his arms, shattered his kneecaps, and came close to rending him paralyzed. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]As the broken man lay before me, I said to him, a creepy joy in my voice, “You know, this has been going for nearly a half hour, but I don't feel any better. I want you to feel the pain that I feel right now, so you understand.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]My eyes glowed, and I prepared to turn Mr. Dark into nothing more than a pile of ash, summoning all the anger in me. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You don't want to do that,” Sarge's voice came from behind me.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Oh, I think I do,” I spat.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“If you do, how are you any different from him?” Sarge replied. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You don't get it Sarge! He killed my...he killed a girl! He would have done more had I not gotten there when I did!”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“No...I wouldn't...I swear...,” Mr. Dark gasped.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“DID I SAY YOU COULD TALK!?” I roared at Mr. Dark, backhanding him as I did so. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Spartan...you're a good guy, son. You don't know what killing someone would do to you. But, in the end, it's your choice to make,” he said with a tone of finality.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I hope you're not squeamish,” I said to Sarge as I held my fist over Dark's face and prepared to strike. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I think you're a [FONT=Times New Roman, serif]good person, Kyle...and probably the least self-absorbed person I know. You use your powers to help people, not hurt them...”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Olivia's words echoed in my mind. I don't hurt people. She was right. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Wordlessly, I threw Mr. Dark to the ground and webbed him up. “Book him,” I said emotionlessly to Sarge before flying away.[/FONT][/FONT]​
 
[FONT=Copperplate Gothic Light, sans-serif]Chapter Fifteen[/FONT]​
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I sat in my room, alone. It was the last weekend before school started, but that was a mere triviality to me, as opposed to the annoyance it would have caused me a year ago. Nothing mattered anymore. Towards the beginning of the summer, I may have dated anyone who showed an interest in me, that's how alone I felt. But Olivia came at just the right time, and gave me something I was in die need of: companionship. I was lucky to have met her when I did. I loved her. I know it may seem immature, but it's the simple truth. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I hadn't spoken a word to anyone since the funeral, despite their constant attempts to. It all started when Dad saw I didn't cry at the funeral. He said holding the pain in would kill me, and that he knew what I was going through. Which was bull****, but I let him think it. Then my friend's, even Jason, started acting nicer to me, which was all an act, for the most part. Finally, it got to the point where I sealed my door shut with webbing to keep them out. Couldn't they understand I couldn't cry, and that I didn't want to talk to them? Of course they couldn't. They never lost a love one when they could have done something about it.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I heard the doorbell ring. I ignored it. It rang again. Again, I ignored it. This went on for some time, until a rock got thrown against my window, cracking it. Sighing in anger, knowing that whoever it was down there wouldn't go away until I spoke to them, I melted the webs off my door and went downstairs.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Preparing to speak for the first time in weeks (to yell at whoever was there), I opened the door. Standing there was Briana, looking somber. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Hi, Kyle,” she said with a brave attempt at a smile. “Can I come in?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I considered slamming the door in her face, but then thought better of it. With a grunt and a nod, I invited her inside. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]As she sat down, I asked raspingly, “Wanna drink?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“No thanks, I'm fine...”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I poured myself some soda and sat on the couch beside her. “Well, what do you want?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I just got back from my cruise with Sam (*twitch*), and Leon filled me in on what happened. I'm really sorry, Kyle. I mean it. And if you want to talk, I'm here for you.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]She was being sincere, but I didn't care. I said nothing, merely sipped my Coke and stared emptily into space. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Briana nodded. “All right. See you around.” She got up, and then something inside me just snapped. I crushed the glass in my hand and broke down sobbing, babbling incoherently. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Briana immediately sat back down and took me into her arms. As I cried for the first time in weeks, she whispered into my ear as she stroked my hair, “It will be all right, Kyle.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Everything will be all right.” [/FONT]​
 
[FONT=Copperplate Gothic Light, sans-serif]Chapter One[/FONT]​
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]My name is Leon Allain, and I am best friends with Kyle Wyatt, who you might know as Spartan. Well, I was. Now, I'm not so sure. It's not like we had a falling out or anything, but last August his girlfriend Olivia was killed by a psycho, and despite his best efforts he couldn't save her. Ever since, he's been a recluse. Honestly, I can't blame him. If I ever lost my girl Alyssa, I don't know what I'd do.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I was at Mac's, the local burger place, with my friends Jason Rider, Jackson Crichton, and Briana Walker. It was after school on a Thursday in mid-November, and we were all bored out of our skulls. Well, they were. I was too anxious to be bored. I was seeing Alyssa the next night, and that made time slow to a crawl for me. But because of this, I was able to notice some things I wouldn't have before. For example, Jackson was a lot more serious now then he was, no doubt due to the near-death experience he'd suffered thanks to a psychotic seductress who tried to ruin Kyle mentally. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Where's Kyle?” Jackson asked.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Home, probably,” I said sadly. “Where else has he been going this whole year?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Jackson gave me a look. When Briana was looking out the window, I made little wing motions with my hands. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“He left ninth period because of a stomach ache,” Briana said out of nowhere. “But I think he was faking.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Why would you think that?” Jason asked, trying hard to keep the suspicion out of his voice. Of course, Jason, Jackson and I knew that he was faking; Kyle's powers give him a superhuman immune system, and the only way he can feel pain is either because of a particularly strong hit, or his powers bugging him. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“He left with a determined look on his face,” Briana said. “Like he was on a mission or something. Me, I think he's suffering from broken heart syndrome.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I exchanged a glance with Jackson, who looked at me anxiously. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I'm worried about him,” Briana continued. “Ever since Olivia died....he's seemed like a different person; detached emotionally, uncomfortable in his skin, all that jazz. His eyes are the biggest giveaway, though. They're dead now.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Don't you think you'd feel the same if Samuel was killed?” Jackson asked. He was referring to her boyfriend, who, Kyle once noted, was just like him personality wise.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]She didn't answer, but I saw an odd look in her eyes. Something like anger mixed with sadness. I couldn't be sure, though. Reading emotions was Kyle's job, not mine. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“So, Jackie Boy, you read Wanted yet?” Jason said, and the two began discussing the comic in-depth. As they did this, I leaned closer to Briana, so that only she could hear me.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Are you and Samuel all right?” I asked, concerned for one of my oldest friends. Briana began to nod, then stopped halfway through and shook her head. I was about to ask her the problem so I could help her, but a news broadcast caught my eye. On it showed the main MilleniCorp. building on fire.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Hey Mac, turn the volume up!” I yelled.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Mac, an averagely built man in his fifty's, complied, and the four of us listened intently as the stereotypically handsome reporter said, “This is Harold Reynolds reporting outside MilleniCorp., whose President, CEO, and owner Dean Murdoch has been missing since May. Now, six months later, the main offices of the company have been attacked by some sort of mechanical serpent, which was first spotted on the city outskirts at 2:00, and began its attack at 2:13.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Frowning, Jason took out his phone and checked the time. His brow furrowing, he showed me the time: 2:50. I looked at him as if to say, “You don't think...”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You think that's where Kyle went?” Jackson mouthed. I shrugged, then turned my head back to the T.V. “OH MY GOD!”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The robotic serpent was leering directly at the camera. From the look of it, its sleek silver torso was around two city blocks. It had a head, of sorts, which had a huge cannon in place of a mouth. Two glowing white eyes stared at the screen.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Oh no,” Briana said, covering her mouth as the Serpent prepared to open fire on Harold Reynolds. Then, suddenly, he was yanked back, narrowly escaping the torrent of bullets coming at him from some built in turret.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Jason smirked, Jason grinned, and Briana whispered, with a hint of glee, “Spartan...”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]At that moment, the Serpent shot past the window, Spartan flying behind it, red beams of heat vision blasting the machination.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I ran outside to watch the battle. It was a rare opportunity to see Kyle at work, so I embraced every second of it. The other three followed suit.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Spartan flew around the Serpent, burning it with heat vision, to little or no effect. Apparently realizing it was pointless, he instead began ramming it as fast as he could. All the while, bullets from the turrets on the Serpent's neck bounced off him harmlessly.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Spartan clung himself to the neck using his adhesive abilities, but every time he tried attaching web lines to the neck in an attempt to steer it, the webs were destroyed by bullets. In response, Spartan blasted them to oblivion. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Spartan rode the Serpent like one of those mechanical bulls in the mid-West that I'd always hated. The Serpent moved crazily, but Spartan maintained his grip. He started stomping on it, trying to break through the shell. In response, the Serpent generated some sort of electric pulse that knocked Spartan into the air. As my friend tumbled, a blue-white laser was being launched at his out of control body. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]But he was good, as I'd known for years. Spartan caught himself just in time and, seeing the blue-white laser coming at him, launched fill powered heat vision to counter the beam while flying into it.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The beam was being pushed back into the cannon, and soon enough red heat enveloped the “mouth”, and Spartan flew in at top speed. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Explosions ruptured along the body, and the once hovering body collapsed to the ground just as Spartan emerged, holding the body of a small old man.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Without even glancing at us, Spartan flew away, holding the old man. Jason sighed happily. “Well...that was fun.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“That it was,” Jackson agreed. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Too bad Kyle couldn't have seen it,” Briana said grimly. “It might have cheered him up, even just a little bit.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Maybe,” I lied. Inwardly, I reflected on the fight, and heard none of the wisecracks Spartan was known for. Maybe that part of him had died with Olivia.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][/FONT]​
 
[FONT=Copperplate Gothic Light, sans-serif]Chapter Two[/FONT]​
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]My name is Spartan, and I am pissed off.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]After my fight with the Serpent I flew to a rooftop and threw Dr. Edgar Sullivan, the pilot of the machine to the ground.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Who from Adventus gave you the technology to build that...thing?” I asked, glowering over the frail man.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“What are you talking about?” he spat. “I built it on my own.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Bull****. Adventus is the only group on Earth with technology advanced enough to create a mechanical snake that had anti-gravity technology, courtesy of your friend Murdoch.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Sullivan stared at me blankly. Then something hit me. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You destroyed MilleniCorp to cover their tracks, because they terminated Murdoch. This was a way to keep some of the smarter detectives off your trail. They're planning something, aren't you?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Sullivan's eyes shifted from side-to-side, and my Battle Sense warned me just as he was about to leap off the roof. I ran directly in front of him and grabbed him by the collar. Looking him over, I saw an aggressive looking 'A' pin on his collar. My eyes narrowed.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You're an Adventi.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Very good, Spartan,” he snarled. “You're right on the money about everything. Well, almost everything.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“What do you mean?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Sullivan laughed. “Your reign is nearly over, hero.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Then he disappeared with a loud pop, leaving me staring at air. I looked towards the heavens and roared in rage. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I flew to my listening post and hovered above it, activating my Hyper Awareness and searching throughout the city for Niles Ferris or Edgar Sullivan. Nothing came into my mind, so I flew around the city, listening for any disturbances. Nothing yet again. Reluctantly, I went back to my home. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I entered through the window that led into my room and changed my work clothes in a white sleeveless shirt and jeans. Walking towards my bedroom door, I brushed my fingertips against a picture of Olivia, and my heart quickened slightly. Moving on, I went down the stairs and for the weight room in the basement. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]My father, however, had other plans. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Kyle,” he called for me from his armchair. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I turned, irritated. “What?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]He waved a paper in the air. “You've failed Math, and are barely scraping a C in your other classes. You're better than this, and you know it.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I snorted derisively. “Like that matters anymore. Nothing matters, except for stopping Adventus.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I walked down the stairs. Dad followed me. “They didn't kill Olivia, Kyle. Mr. Dark did. And he's been sentenced to death. You know that.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I glared at him, eyes glowing. “You're right, they didn't But they're still responsible. It all started with them. You see, if Murdoch/Adventus never tried to recruit me, then Briana never would have died. If she never died, then she wouldn't have wound up hating me. If she didn't hate me, then we could have been together, and I could have focused on ridding the streets.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Also, without Adventus, then Carol Wilke never would have been sent to **** with Jackson, and I could have given my all to stopping Dark. If I had, then Olivia would still be alive.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I see you've thought about this,” Dad said sadly.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“It's all I think about...,” I muttered, lifting a hundred pound weight.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“It's pointless, you know. To work out, I mean,” Dad said, sounding defeated.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“It gives me something to do.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Dad nodded and walked upstairs. I went to lift the weight up, and then sighed sadly, reflecting on what's happened recently. It made me want to punch the wall, but I restrained myself. Barely.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I went up to my room. Dad wasn't in the living room, and his bedroom door was shut, meaning he too wanted to be alone now. I went to sit on my bed, and out of the corner of my mind I saw my cell phone blinking. I checked it, and saw I had a voicemail. Checking it only to get rid of it, I found it was Briana, and was actually curious as to what she'd said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Kyle? It's Briana. Hey, um, call me when you get the chance, would you? I think we should talk.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]As soon as the message was done, I erased it and shut off my phone. I went to my bed and sat on it, then proceeded to hover three inches off of it, entering a deep meditation. My Hyper-Awareness stretched across the whole city, and I just was there. Waiting.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I hadn't slept in over two months. When I sleep, I always dreamed. In my dreams, I always save Olivia. In my dreams, I'm happy, and that makes living in the real world unbearable.[/FONT]​
 
[FONT=Copperplate Gothic Light, sans-serif]Chapter Three[/FONT]​
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The next day in Chemistry Lab, I went through the directions like a robot, doing only the necessary amount of work without saying a word, despite my being partnered with Jason. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]My Battle Sense buzzed, warning me that Keith Ottman, an obnoxious student with cropped dirty blond hair and a permanent scowl, was about to bump into me. I did nothing to avoid this, and so the acid that I held in my hand spilled onto my arm. [/FONT]Jason looked from me to my arm in horror, but the acid didn't affect me at all. Wordlessly, I wiped it off with my other hand and continued the work.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]In third period Computer Applications, Leon was trying to get me to speak. He was failing. Finally it got to the point where I had to speak to get my point across. “Leon. Shut the **** up.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Oho, big words from the one who never speaks,” Keith yelled from across the room. I ignored him, much to the *******'s displeasure. “And now you stop talking again, you big *****.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Again I ignored him, and he was getting visibly red in the face. “Waa-waa,” he said in a mock baby voice. “I lost my girlfriend over the summer and now I don't talk to anyone. I'm so cool.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]That got to me. My head shot up, and I glared at Keith, who made a “come on” motion with his hands. Shaking, I was about to oblige him when Leon put a hand on my shoulder. Pissed, I shook it off, but sat back down and stole a glance at Mr. Morris, the teacher. He was passed out at the desk, hungover.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]At lunch, I sat at a separate table than Jackson, Jason, and Leon, as I had since mid-October. Using my peripherals, I saw Briana get off the lunch line and walk towards me, only to be stopped by a call of, “Honey! I'm over here!” from her boyfriend Samuel, who had transferred to Xavier City High. Noticeably reluctant, she went to him.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I took a bite out of my sandwich. I honestly didn't care. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]* * * [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]As soon as the last bell rang, I speed-walked to my locker, grabbed the books I'd need to make it seem like I gave a damn, and went outside. I made a plan in my head: go home, drop backpack off, go patrolling. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Walking past Mac's, my Hyper-Awareness activated itself, and in my mind I saw Sara Shinlye cornering Jason, Leon, Jackson, and Briana behind the burger place. “You thtill haven't given me that kith,” she was saying to Jason, leaning in and licking her lips in an attempt to look seductive. Jason gagged.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I saw two options: Help my friends, or let them figure it out on their own, as there were bigger fish to fry. These options were voiced in my mind by Dad and Olivia, respectively. Dad was for helping, Olivia was against it.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Son, they're your friends, and you know they'd do anything for you. Why are we even having this conversation. You're a hero, not a vigilante. You don't pick and choose who you help, especially if they're Leon, Jason, Jackson, and Briana.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]By contrast, “Olivia” said, “Kyle, sweetie, you have to learn to let your friends stand on their own. You need to find Niles Ferris and stop him. Remember what he did to me...”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I rubbed my temple, removing the voices from my head, and considered the words of both of them before running to the back of Mac's. When I got there, I saw Jason somehow now handcuffed to Sara, who was once again leaning in for a kiss. Jason tried avoiding her lips, but I knew the end result would be inevitable.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Using heat vision, I severed the links between the cuffs, releasing Jason, who noticed immediately. In retaliation for this near mouth-rape, he shoved her to the ground. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Oh no you didn't!” she yelled at him. I walked towards her and, for the first time in months, quipped, “Oh yes he did.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Thtay out of thith!” she yelled at me, getting up. Before she could say another word, I punched her in the face wordlessly.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“*****!” she cried painfully, clutching her nose and running away. My friends cheered in happiness, and with my work done, I walked away. As soon as I reached the corner, however, I got a text message from, you guessed it, Briana, telling me to meet her in Mac's.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I did, knowing there would be problems if I didn't. When I got inside, I looked around for Briana, who was sitting in a booth. I sat in the bench opposite her. “Hello.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Hi Kyle,” she said, smiling.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“What's up?” I asked, hoping it was something small but knowing it wasn't.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You never R.S.V.P.'d to my Sweet Sixteen. Remember? It's this Sunday, November 19th?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I never got an invitation.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I handed it to you personally.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Oh. Right. Wait...the 19th? That means my birthday's the following Tuesday. Go figure.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Briana laughed, but then stopped, feeling it was inappropriate. “Um, I know you've been upset since Olivia died, but I miss hanging out with you, and I think Olivia would want you to have fun and live your life.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You two never met,” I said bitterly. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Yeah, you're right,” Briana said, and she started to sound angry. “But from what Leon and Jason have told me about her, I can tell that's what she'd want. So...will you be there on Sunday or not?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I stared at her, and saw the intensity in her eyes. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I'll be there,” I said, squeezing her hand gently.[/FONT]​
 
[FONT=Copperplate Gothic Light, sans-serif]Chapter Five[/FONT]​
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I walked home with my hands in my pockets, wondering if I was doing the right thing by trying to move on with my life. I mean, I loved Olivia, but if I kept brooding over her I'd be like Batman. And not that cool, adventurer Denny O'Neill Batman, but the cold hearted prick as he was in Dark Knight Returns. And I didn't want to become that. It was a dilemma that I admit I wasn't too happy to face.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“It doesn't have to be this way, Kyle.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I turned behind me to see a glowing bald man in white robes, which seemed to eerily reflect the light around him. He had an indifferent expression on his face, and his eyebrows were quite bushy, but instead of looking humorous, they looked threatening.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Not to be rude, but who the hell are you?” I asked, rudeness dripping off of every syllable.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Destiny.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I raised an eyebrow. “Destiny, eh? And what would someone with such a “bombastic” name want with me, a lowly schoolboy?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You know you're anything but lowly, Spartan.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]My eyes glowed. “Keep it down, will you? I don't want anybody knowing who I am, do I? No. I don't.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“That would not matter if you would be quiet so I could explain why I am here.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]My eyes stopped glowing, and I looked at him expectantly. “Shoot.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Not missing a beat, this “Destiny” character explained, “You have proven yourself worthy of a tremendous honor. An early birthday present, if you will. As a reward for your constant heroism, I can give you your dream life, the life you should have.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I was suspicious, but my Battle Sense wasn't buzzing, so he didn't seem to be an immediate threat. “And you would do this...how?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Destiny raised his arms. “I'm Destiny, Mr. Wyatt. By altering a key moment in your life, the death of your mother, Nina Wyatt, your life would invariably change for the better.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I stood there, shocked. My mother could be alive once more? This idea made me almost jump at opportunity to accept this figures offer. But then I thought of something that stopped me cold.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“What about Adventus?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Events would be altered so that the organization no longer existed in the new reality.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]That eased me, but as soon as that dark worry left another took its place. “With my Mom alive, my Dad would never have to make the serum tha gave me my powers. I wouldn't be Spartan anymore, would I?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“That is correct,” Destiny said emotionlessly.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]That settled it for me. “Thanks for the offer, Destiny, but even if you changed the world so that Adventus never existed, people would still need help. At least here I can provide it.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]A shadow flickered across Destiny's face briefly, but before I could determine its meaning it was gone. “If you change your mind, merely call my name.” And with that, he disappeared with a *pop* that seemed familiar to me.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I stared at the spot where Destiny stood, and decided to go for a web swing to clear my head.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]* * * [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]As I swung above the skyline as Spartan, I received a summons from my police contact. Releasing the webline, I flew to the Xavier City Police Department Rooftop and landed in front of Sergeant Raphael Mendoza, aka Sarge.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I didn't expect you to show up,” Sarge said, looking me over. It was understandable why he would think that: we hadn't had much contact over the past three months.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Well I'm here,” I said. “What do you need?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Remember that file on Adventus you asked me to put together? Well, we finally finished it.” He tossed me a manila folder filled with files. I stared at it, eyes wide under the mask. Somehow, Sarge sensed my surprise, and said, “Don't get too happy, it's all on one lead: a mansion on the outskirts.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I tossed the file back to Sarge. “I already looked into it. It's been abandoned for years, so nothing can be learned from going there. It'd be pointless and a waste of time.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Sarge smirked and tossed the folder back to me. “Did you actually investigate, or is that just a theory?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I mumbled, “Well...you know....after careful analysis...it's a theory...”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Sarge laughed. “You know, Sherlock Holmes once said, “[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]It is an old maxim of mine that when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” You should take that to heart, Spartan.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I, however, wasn't listening, but rather watching the red sunset, thinking both of Briana and Olivia at the same exact time. [/FONT]​
 
Not bad, i like:word:
 
[FONT=Copperplate Gothic Light, sans-serif]Chapter Five[/FONT]​
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I walked into the Sapphire Club, where Briana was having her sweet sixteen. I felt uncomfortable in the tuxedo that I had morphed my nano-suit into, as it was too tight, the exact reason why I refused to wear tights. I scanned the area, searching for any of my friends, and saw Briana talking to some of her girlfriends. Not those kinds of girlfriends, you pervs, but friends of hers that are of the female persuasion. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Eventually she caught my eye and grinned. “Excuse me,” she said to her friends and nearly ran up to me. Briana looked, to be blunt, stunning in a glittery brown dress that brought out her eyes. She hugged me and kissed my cheek, a gesture that I awkwardly returned. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Thanks for coming,” she said. “You look...good.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Thanks,” I said, mentally noting that she paused on how to describe me. Did she really think I looked good, or was she kissing my ass so I wouldn't regret coming? Either way, I didn't mind. “You look great too.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]We stared at each other for a while, and then I remembered my birthday gift for her. “Hold on,” I said, fumbling in my coat pockets. Finally finding it, I said, “Ah,” and pulled out a box containing earrings that I handed to her. “These are for you. Happy birthday.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Briana hugged me tightly yet again, and just when I thought she'd strangle the air out of me (hyperbole on my part, I can't technically be killed by that unless the other has beyond normal strength), she saw new people coming down to join the party. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Ah great, the meet and greet continues,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Leon, Jackson, and Jason are down in the corner, as they hate everyone else here, for the most part. I'll find you guys there a little later.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I nodded and, using my Hyper-Awareness, found the three exactly where Briana had said they'd be. Quiet as a mouse, I sat beside Leon and stared into space. It was three minutes later that I was finally noticed.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You came!” Leon yelled, a little too loudly. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Don't sound so surprised,” I said drolly. “I told Briana I'd come, and I'm a man of my word, aren't I?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I heard footsteps come up from behind me, and a minute later Jason's arms wrapped themselves around my shoulder. “I missed you, big boy,” he said in a deep, seductive voice. I shook his arm off, and stared at him, eyebrow raised. He stared back.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]As Jason and I continued our staring contest, Jackson placed his hand on my shoulder, and that spoke loads to me. I turned my head and nodded at him, which he returned. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I searched the room with my Hyper-Awareness to find Samuel, but couldn't find him. “Where's Samuel?” I asked Leon.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Sighing with disgust, Leon said, “Hanging out with friends. He might come by later, if he has the time.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I shared the disgust Leon felt, and was about to say I would never have done that to Olivia before an immense surge of emotion welled up inside of me. I must have shown it, because Leon asked, “You all right, dude?” [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I nodded, taking a long sip of water, which was weird, because I hate water. After that drink, I asked Leon, “So, how's Alyssa?”, referring to his girlfriend.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]* * * [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]After dinner, the dancing began. Everyone but Jason, Jackson, Leon, and myself formed a Congo line, which I watched with wide eyes. It was, I will say, an embarrassing sight to behold, and I was glad I wasn't a part of it. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]When the couple songs started up, I sat back and prepared to nap when I felt Briana's hand and garb my own. Opening my eyes, I sputtered, “Whe-where you taking me?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You're dancing,” she said, as if daring me to say no. Out of all my powers, superhuman dancing was not one of them, and so me and Briana danced inelegantly thanks to my lack of skill in that area. Even Briana couldn't save me from that, and she wasn't half bad at it. The whole time, I heard Jason making fun of my horrible dance moves, and made a mental note to kill him later on that night.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Just as I was finally getting the hang of it, Sarge's voice entered my head and told me of an apartment complex on fire. It sounded urgent. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I broke the dance. “I'm sorry...,” I said, regret seeping into my voice. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“What is it?” Briana asked, her tone concerned, her hand grabbing my wrist.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I...I have to go,” I said, walking towards the door and leaving a hurt Briana behind.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]* * * [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]As soon as the fresh night air hit my face, I bolted for a nearby alleyway, cursing my luck as I ripped open my shirt to reveal my silver Superman 'S' on a black field. As Spartan, I flew into the air and raced for the burning building, and when I arrived I saw a figure on the roof, dancing among the flames. Growling, I dropped onto the roof, causing a massive tremor that made the man lose balance and fall. He was a bald black man, who wore a brown and orange armor command suit much like the Green Goblin's in the first Spider-Man film. On his right breast was a familiar symbol: the Adventus 'A'.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I growled and attacked “Fireboy,” as I had dubbed him. As I lunged towards, I was sprayed in the face with fire, which, while having caused no physical harm towards me, temporarily blinded me, long enough for Fireboy to come up behind me and elbow my spine. I gasped in pain. The suit obviously gave him enhanced strength and speed, along with the flamethrowers. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I stood up, the pain in my back fading almost immediately, and blasted Fireboy with heat vision, which he countered with his own flames. Our two opposing heat blasts fought each other evenly, neither of us getting the upper hand. Eventually, I had enough, so I stopped my blast, jumped into the air, and kicked him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. I lifted the Adventi up to face me,[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“What were you doing here?” I asked, just as my Battle Sense went off and I was sprayed in the face by a pink cloud of gas.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif][/FONT]Eyes glowing, I growled and threw him off the rooftop, and floated down just as he landed on Sarge's police car. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Sarge got out of his car and jogged up to me. “What the hell was that? You could have killed that guy, not to mention you ruined my squad car!”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Cars could be replaced, and his heart is beating. Barely,” I said, almost saddened by the fact. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Sarge noticed. “Don't sound so disappointed. You don't kill anyone, as far as I know.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“No one would cry over his death anyway,” I said coolly, attaching a web to a building. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“This isn't you,” Sarge went on. God, he wouldn't stop talking. “Come on man, talk to me!”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Getting pissed at the fact that I wasn't being allowed to leave, I let go of the web and turned to Sarge, eyes glowing. “Fine, you want me to say something, I'll say something: we're done. Finite. Over.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“What?” Sarge asked, bewildered.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I rolled my eyes under my mask. “This. Partnership. Is. Over. Understand now, you stupid sonuva*****?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]With that, I flew away, leaving Raphael Mendoza to think about what this meant for him. I think I even heard him cry, but maybe that was just wishful thinking on my part. [/FONT]​
 
[FONT=Copperplate Gothic Light, sans-serif]Chapter Six[/FONT]​
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I stormed into my father's study when I got home. He was sitting at his desk, typing on this computer, but when the door slammed open he immediately stood up. “What is it?” he asked urgently. “What's wrong?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You are,” I growled.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Dad's eyes widened in confusion, and he stepped toward me. “Kyle, what's this about?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]After his second step I blasted heat vision an inch away from his foot. “Stay where you are, old man,” I ordered. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Dad looked at me, terrified. He opened his mouth to speak, but I started to talk to interrupt him. I didn't need to here any of his ****.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I'm so sick of you telling me what to do. You told me to be Spartan, I did that, and now you're telling me what to do about Adventus? Don't you dare.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Kyle,” Dad said calmly despite the terror evident on his face, “I never told you to be Spartan. I told you to follow your heart. It was you who chose to be Spartan. I just encouraged you., that's all.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I spat at his feet. “You disgust me,” I said, going to my bedroom and closing the door behind me. As soon as I sat on my bed to think, I began to shiver. I went to close my window, but found it was already shut and locked. Still, I continued to shiver, so I changed into night clothes and buried myself deep in my blankets, falling asleep. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]My dreams were erratic. I dreamed a vision of Xavier City in chaos, with blood raining from the heavens and flames engulfing the skull-filled streets. At the center of this was me, surrounded by the graves of Leon, Jason, Jackson, Briana, Dad, and Sarge.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]My eyes shot open, and I sat up, gasping. Breathing in deeply, I began to reflect on the nightmare, but as I began to do so I remembered what I had said to Sarge and my Father the previous night. “Oh, God,” I said to myself, falling onto my sweat drenched pillow and laying there until my alarm clock rang. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]After I got dressed, I passed by Dad's study and looked in to apologize. Unsurprisingly, he wasn't there. Shaking my head, I ran off to school, and made it then minutes before first bell, which concerned me. I always left at the same time, and I invariably arrive fifteen minutes before first bell. Brushing off my confusion for later review, I went to my locker and then to the Usual Spot. Leon, Jason, and Jackson were already there. Briana wasn't.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I jogged up to them and said, “Don't tell me Briana's pissed at me again.” [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Don't worry, she isn't,” Jackson said, relieving me of my worries. “You see, after you left she ate a lot of cake, which makes sense as it was delicious. Anyway, she's also PMS'ing, so those cramps coupled with the stomachache from the cake...”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The four of us cringed. “So how come she's not mad at me, anyway?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Easy,” Leon said. “I told her that you remembered your sick grandmother was visiting and you had to take care of her.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Oh you're good, if she bought that,” I said, clapping him on the shoulder.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Please, even a three year old could have come up with a better excuse than that,” Jason scoffed. “But I have heard worse,” he admitted.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“So,” Jackson began, “about the fire...?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I explained everything, up to and including the outbursts at Sarge and Dad. When I was done with my tale, my friends looked shocked; Jackson for my attempted murder of Fireboy, and Leon and Jason for my flipping out on Dad and Sarge. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Why the hell would you do that?” they all asked at once. They looked at each other oddly, and then looked back at me, waiting for an explanation.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I...I don't know,” I honestly said. “It's like...whatever anger I feel, however small, is immediately enhanced. The rage I felt last night was so intense that it hurt...and I think it damn well controlled me. I beg you...don't piss me off until I figure out what's wrong with me. Because if you do, I'm scared I'll hurt you, or maybe even kill you.”[/FONT]​
 
[FONT=Copperplate Gothic Light, sans-serif]Chapter Seven[/FONT]​
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]After school, I went home and waited for a call from Sarge all afternoon and into the evening, which never came. He took my words about our partnership being over to heart, apparently. Inwardly, I beat myself up for flipping out on him, when he was only trying to help. And then I began to wonder why I did, why I was so angry. I knew I hadn't been the model of sanity or self-control the past few months, but to flip out like that and nearly kill a man that hadn't personally hurt or killed anyone close to me wasn't who I am. As I began to wonder about everything that could have caused it, I suddenly felt exhausted, and collapsed on my mattress, asleep before my head hit it's bouncy surface.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I dreamed the same dream as the night before, and I awoke the same way as I had the morning before, shaking and covered in sweat. I looked at the clock and found I had thirty minutes to shower, get clean, get dressed, and run to school. As I ran for the shower, I stepped on an envelope in my doorway. I opened it. It was a birthday card from Dad, with fifty bucks in it. It was there I realized I was now sixteen. I read Dad's card again, and became sad when I got to, “Love, Dad.” Then I realized that the card and the fifty were likely an attempt to by me back. Eyes glowing, I shoved the card in the back of my drawer and put the fifty in my wallet.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I realized I didn't have time to shower, I merely brushed my hair, put deodorant on, and got dressed before running to school. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]When I arrived, I once more went to my locker and then to the Usual Spot, where my friends (Briana had returned) were being pestered by Sara Shinlye. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Pissed, I took my biggest binder and, like a Frisbee, threw it at Sara's head. Hard. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Sara turned to face me, eyes watering from the pain and, screaming like a jackal, came clawing at me. When she got within distance I sidestepped and tripped her. She landed with a huge *thud*. Not content with this, I grabbed her by her hair, lifted her, and started slamming her head into the nearest locker. “You see?! This is what you get when you mess with me and my friends!” I threw her back down to the ground and turned to see my friends reactions. Instead of the smiles I was expecting, they were looking at me, scared. I looked back down at Sara and saw how much I had hurt. Revolted by my actions, I helped her up. As soon as she was back on both legs, she ran away, sobbing and screaming, “Kyle Wyatt'th a bathtard!”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I was saved by the bell, so I didn't have to face my friends. So I thought. As I thought about what I did, the brutality of it all, Jason came up behind me. “Hey *****e,” he said. It was his standard greeting to me, so I didn't get angered over it, which was good for him. I grunted a “hello”.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You know, just because it's your birthday, you don't have the right to do what you want and get away with it. Believe me, I've tried,” Jason explained. “What was that about anyway? You get another anger flash?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Yeah,” I said as we walked into the Chemistry Lab, whose occupants fell silent as soon as my foot hit the floor. I ignored them as I went to my seat. As I waited for the teacher, Mrs. Borgon, to begin the lesson, I listened in on the whole school to hear what they were talking about. Surprisingly, what I had done to Sara wasn't a hot topic, except amongst Leon and Briana.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I'm worried about him,” Briana was saying. “Ever since Olivia was killed, he's been really on edge. He needs help, like a shrink.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“He definitely does need help,” Leon agreed. “But a shrink isn't it.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I stopped listening at that. I was upset that Briana thought I needed help. What did she know, anyway?[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Dude,” Jason whispered. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. “Your eye's glowing,” he said.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]So it was. Crap, I was getting angry. With all my effort, I repressed my anger deep down within me, and felt slightly better, though I could feel it bubbling beneath the surface. Why was I acting so irrationally?[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]My Battle Sense tingled, and I turned to see Keith Ottman staring at me with a grimace on his face. I grimaced back at him, eliciting a middle finger from him. My head faintly began to pound. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]* * * [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Later, in Computer Applications, Leon listened as I explained how I didn't know why I was losing control. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Briana thinks...,” Leon began, but I silenced him.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I heard it already, I listened in on you when you two had that conversation.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Leon's jaw dropped. “Oh...my God. Why would you do that?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Needed something to do,” I yawned. “Get over it.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Keith walked in and stared directly at me. I stared back, giving him my icy steel blue stare. I smiled to myself when I saw Keith's neck redden. Instead of going to his seat, he walked up to me. Before he was right in front of my face, I checked to make sure Mr. Morris was still sleeping. He was. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Keith stood right in front of my and poked his right index finger into my chest. “You know something, Wyatt? I'm disgusted that a freak like you can walk around the halls freely. I don't give a flying **** that it's your birthday, you're still a piece of ****, ever since middle school. Waa-waa, my mommy died and now I need to act like a ****** so people can talk to me.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Keep pushing my buttons, Ottman. I dare you,” I said through bare teeth, my fists clenching as my head pounded.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Oh ho!” Keith laughed. “Let's see if your bite is as good as your bark.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]My Battle Sense went off, and in slow motion I saw Keith punch me. I caught his fist and punched him into the wall. The class started chanting “FIGHT!” But this wasn't gonna be a fight. This would be a beatdown.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Don't do something you'll regret, Kyle!” Leon called over the chanting. I ignored him. He didn't understand. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Keith got up, clutching his stomach. “Okay, you're stronger than you look. But you got in a cheap shot. Time to fight.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Before he could run up and punch my head, as my Battle Sense warned me he would, I ran up to him, grabbed his head, and kneed his face with my knee, breaking his nose. Then I threw him to the ground and started kicking him all over; the groin, the sides, everywhere. I got so caught up in my mania that I was prepared to stomp on Keith's face when I heard two simple words:[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Stop...please...”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Keith was moaning on the ground, pleading for me to stop, and that was what woke me up to my deeds. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Not again...,” I said to myself before running outside and hiding in the bathroom, where I stayed until lunchtime, shaking not with rage, but with fear. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]* * * [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]At lunch, I sat alone, everyone in the cafeteria speaking in hushed whispers about me. No one would approach me, and so I sat alone. I caught my reflection in the window next to me, and saw I looked pale and sweaty. I looked away. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“What's wrong with me?” I wondered aloud.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You're losing control,” Leon said from behind me.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I turned to see him, Briana, Jackson, and Jason standing behind me, all looking sympathetic, yet serious. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“We're worried about you,” Briana said.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“So I am,” I said, chuckling in spite of everything.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Well, that's why we're here,” Briana said, rubbing my arm gently. “To help you.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I smiled at her, and for a brief second I thought everything would be okay. Then I saw the security guards heading my way. I stood up and, hearing them say they were coming for me, opted a battle ready stance, my head pounding fiercely. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Kyle...don't...,” Jackson pleaded. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Shut up Jackson,” I snarled, moving towards the guards.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Kyle,” he continued, “things will only get worse. Back down.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I turned to face the four, all who agreed with him. I narrowed my eyes. “You're all working against me, aren't you?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“What?” Leon said, shocked.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“That's not it at all!” Briana yelled.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You're being stupid...er,” Jason said seriously.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Kyle, just stop and think, when have we ever tried to hurt you?” Jackson asked.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Say what you want...but I see the truth,” I hissed, running up to Jason and lifting him up by the collar. “You know? I always liked you least.” I drew my fist back and got ready to punch him, but Jackson jumped on my back in an attempt to stop me. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I yelled out and threw Jason onto the lunch table. Then, after finally grabbing Jackson, threw him on top of Jason. Then I moved onto Leon. I grabbed him by the throat and as I was about to smash his face into the ground, felt Briana's hand on shoulder, trying to get me to stop. Enraged, I backhanded her, sending her to the ground.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The scream she made “woke me up”. My eyes bulged as I saw my friends on the ground, groaning in pain. I looked around the cafeteria. Everyone there was looking directly at me. I felt like I was going to be sick, so I dashed out of the school at top human speed and, when I was far enough away, changed into my costume and flew to my listening post, where I vomited. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I breathed in short, rapid breaths, and then remembered Destiny's offer. Breathing slower now, I shouted to the heavens, “DESTINY!”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]In an instant, he appeared beside me. “Hello, Kyle. You called, I came.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Your offer still open?” I asked desperately. Destiny nodded. “Then do it. I can't live with the guilt of hurting my friends and Dad the way I did.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Destiny smiled, but his tone was serious when he said, “Once you do this, there's no going back, you know.” [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I nodded, and before I was finished, an eerie hum penetrated my skull, and I quickly began to lose consciousness. “Happy birthday, Spartan,” was all Destiny said.[/FONT]​
 
Chapter Eight: Day One
My name is Kyle Wyatt, and I have been deafened.
“Happy Birthday, Kyle!” my nine-year old sister Alex screamed, jumping on top of me and putting me in a tight hug. I returned it.
“Thanks kid,” I said, planting a kiss on the top of her head, then smiling at her.
Alex proceeded to shove a homemade birthday card into my hands. It was a stick figure drawing of me and Alex, the drawing of me crowned with a halo of orange-y goodness.
“Aw, I love it,” I said, rubbing her head. She smiled smugly, which, considering she was nine, was somewhat disturbing. I let it go, though. I lifted Alex off the bed, which strained my spaghetti arms, and placed her on the floor. “I gotta shower, tell Mom and Dad I'll be down in a half hour, 'kay?”
Alex nodded and ran out of the room. I rubbed my eyes and got off the bed, yawning as the realization that I was finally sixteen hit me. Grinning ear to ear, I walked towards the bathroom, pausing only to look at myself in the mirror. I was too skinny. Not anorexic, mind, but damn close. I really needed to start working out. But not today.
I showered, and got dressed, putting on my accursed school uniform and glasses. After I finished brushing my hair and said to myself in the mirror, “Today's the start of the rest of your life. Don't blow it.”
I went downstairs, where a stack of waffles drenched in maple syrup awaited me. Salivating, I sat before them and immediately began to devour them.
“You could have said “thank you” before chowing down,” my mother, Nina's, voice came from behind me. I turned and saw her smiling behind me, her blonde hair still wet from the shower.
“Thanks Mom,” I said with waffles still in my mouth. Syrup dripped onto my chin.
She laughed and said, “Happy Birthday, Kyle.”
Swallowing the food, I said, “I do hope the waffles aren't my only present?”
At that, Mom's eyes flickered behind me. I turned only to be tapped on the nose by a wrapped box held by my Dad, Thomas.
“Happy Birthday, son,” he said, smiling as he handed me the box. I stared giddily at it, but was then told by Dad, “You get it when you're done eating.”
With some new motivation, I wolfed down all my waffles within a minute with just my bare hands.
“That's gross,” Alex said, standing in the doorway with a disgusted look on her face. I glared at her, but grinned when Dad told me I could open the present. I unwrapped it like an animal, and laughed like a hyena when I discovered it to be an Xbox 360.
“Thanks guys!” I said to my family, who smiled back at me.
I started to open the box, but Dad stopped me. “You need to get to school, and I need to get to work. You can play with your toy later.” I frowned in mock sadness as I followed Dad outside to his car.
* * *
At school, I went to the Usual Spot (the wall outside the cafeteria), where my friends Leon Allain, Jason Rider, and Jackson Crichton stood, along with my girlfriend, Olivia Connelly. I walked up to her and kissed her passionately. When all was said and done, Olivia grinned impishly and asked, “What was that for?”
“Hormones, babe. I blame the hormones,” I said.
“Is it over yet?” Jason asked.
I looked at him. He was covering his face with his hands.
“Yeah, I'm done,” I said, rolling my eyes at Olivia.
“Oh thank God,” he said, putting his hands down. “If that had gone on any longer I would have thought I was watching a porno.” We were all silent for a minute, and then Jason gagged. “Oh god! Kyle in porn!”
I punched him feebly. In retaliation, Jason punched me hard on the arm.
“Lay off, Jason, it's his birthday,” Leon said.
Jason tilted his head to the side and considered Leon's words. “Well, in that case...BIRTHDAY PUNCHES!”
I looked to Leon for help, but he only shrugged at me as if to say, “Oh well,” and joined in with Jason and Jackson in beating the crap outta my arm.
* * *
After school, I was walking home with Olivia, who asked, “How's the arm?”
“Sore,” I said honestly. Olivia rested her head on my shoulder to comfort me as I said, “I wouldn't expect any less from them though. But they could have at least given me money for it.”
“That's on the party Saturday, hon,” Olivia said reasonably.
“And they can't pay me twice?” I whined.
Olivia pecked my cheek and jokingly said, “Oh grow up.”
I let out a sarcastic laugh. “Jason will become a kind, sensitive, caring soul before that happens.”
And before I knew it, we arrived at Olivia's house.
“You sure you don't wanna come for taco's and cake tonight?” I half-asked, half-pleaded.
“I've got an essay, as I've told you five hundred times. But I'll be there Saturday,” she added soothingly.
I smirked. “I'll take it.”
We kissed long and deep, for what seemed like eternity.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
* * *
Mom brought out a vanilla cake with sixteen candles on it, beginning to sing Happy Birthday, joined by Dad and Alex. As the singing subsided, I blew out the candles, wishing to be as happy as I was right then forever.
The candles reignited. I blinked my eyes and blew them out again. Again, they relit themselves.
Alex giggled, and that gave it away. “Alex...did you tell Mom to buy some trick candles?”
“No,” she said, a little too innocently.
“Really?” I said, standing up and walking behind Alex, who gulped. Then I tickled her until she laugh/screamed: “Stop!” I complied.
After another five minutes of huffing and puffing, the candles finally went out, and I sat there wheezing. It stopped, however, when a slice of cake appeared in front of me. “Ooo, cake.”
* * *
At 10:30, I got ready for bed and laid down on my bed. Alex and my parents walked in to wish me good night. Alex kissed me on the forehead, and Mom wetly kissed my cheek, which I wiped off with the back of my hand. Dad just stood in the doorway and nodded.
“You had a good birthday, right?” Mom and Dad asked at the same time.
“The best,” I answered
They all said bid me sweet dreams and left. Just as I was beginning to drift off into sleep, I got a text message from Olivia, reading, “I love you, Birthday Boy, XOXO.”
 
[FONT=Copperplate Gothic Light, sans-serif]Chapter Nine: Day Two[/FONT]​
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I dreamed. I saw my younger self meeting a young Leon and Jason in a sandbox; I saw myself meeting Jackson in a comic shop; I saw the three of them on a rooftop with a man in a black denim jacket with an aggressive silver spider on the back, black jeans, a shirt with a raised silver-on-black Superman 'S', and a mask; finally, I saw the three of them, not much younger than we were now, standing around me in a hospital bed, the four of us laughing.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]* * * [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]My alarm woke me, and I was confused. The way I dreamed meeting my three friends was not how I actually met them, and I was never in the hospital for anything, not recently, anyway. Then I remembered the costumed man and wondered who it was. All I knew was that it was a nice costume.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I got out of bed and walked to the bathroom, and to do so I had to pass Alex's room. I peeked in and saw not Alex's room, but what appeared to be a study of sorts. I rubbed my eyes and saw her room in all of its pink glory. I must have been tired and hallucinating to see what I did.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]After getting ready, I went downstairs and went to leave for the bus stop, as Dad had gotten an emergency call early this morning. I passed by Mom, who was bringing laundry up, looking agitated. Nonetheless, she quickly smiled at me. I smiled back, just as I got a mental flash of a grave bearing the name, “Nina Wyatt.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Rubbing my temple, I cleared my head of the vision and went outside, not giving it a second thought.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]* * * [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]On the bus, I sat listening to my MP3 player when my phone vibrated. It was Olivia.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Yeah, Liv?” I said brightly.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I'm not coming in today,” she said weakly. “Stomach virus...”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“But...now I won't see you until Saturday...” I said sadly.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I'm sorry baby. I love you,” she said, with as much sincerity as she could muster.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I love you too.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]* * *[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]At school, I bounded to the Usual Spot, where Leon, Jason, and Jackson were already deep in discussion.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I interrupted them, being uncharacteristically rude. “Okay, I need to know how I met each and every one of you. Just do it.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Leon said, eyebrows raised, “We went to pre-k together.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Jason said, looking irritated, “Leon introduced us, I wish he didn't.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]And finally, Jackson said, “We were introduced by our mutual friend Sean. Duh.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I looked at them, my eyes narrowed in worry.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“What is it?” Leon asked.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I explained my dream to them in vivid detail, which is weird because I never remember my dreams. I told them how I dreamed myself meeting them, and how it didn't match up with how I actually met them.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“So, um, why were you dreaming about three dudes when you have a hot girlfriend?” Jason asked, smirking. Leon shoved him.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I don't know,” I answered truthfully, “but it's weird.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“And gay,” Jason added.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]* * *[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]As last period was about to end, I stared at the clock in eager anticipation. 5...4...3...2...1...RING![/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I tore out of the classroom, thinking about the itinerary for the rest of the day: I would go home, eat, call Olivia, and play my 360. In that order. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't notice that I was about to crash into a short girl until it was too late.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“****.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]BAM! We collided, and both fell to the ground. Shaking my head, I said, “****,” to myself, and to the girl, I said, “Oh damn, I'm sorry, let me help you up.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]She outstretched her hand, which I took and lifted her up, with took more effort than lifting up Alex, despite their similar sizes. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Sorry again,” I said smiling.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The girl smiled back, and my heart raced. She wore her blonde hair in a ponytail, but it was her eyes that entranced me. They were a deep brown, like the best chocolate.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The girl snapped her fingers, waking me up. “My bad,” I said.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“It's all right, I get it a lot,” the girl said sincerely, smiling again.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I smiled back. “I'm Kyle. Kyle Wyatt.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Oh, I'm Briana. Briana Walker.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]* * * [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]At home that night, instead of playing my 360, I was chatting on the phone with Leon, telling him about Briana. We'd walked home together, and had become decent friends in that short time. But I felt something more. “I mean...we clicked, Leon. More than Olivia and I.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Listen to yourself!” Leon yelled in my ear, deafening me. “You have a girlfriend who loves you, and you're willing to throw it all away for some girl you just met, just because you “click”. What the **** is wrong with you?”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I stared out my wonder, letting his words impact me. “I don't know,” I said, surprised by my own answer. [/FONT][/FONT]​
 
Chapter Ten: Day Three​
 That night, I had another dream this time about me and Briana: I saw me squeezing her sides, causing her to jump high into the air; I saw the two of us sitting against my bed, talking; I saw myself standing over Briana's sleeping body, looking concerned; I saw Briana on the ground, lifeless, and felt a surge of emotional pain; lastly, I saw Briana cradling my weeping body, telling me everything will be all right.
* * *
My eyes snapped open, and I sat up. Again, my dreams stayed with me in vivid detail, so I was able to remember everything about them. Again, what I'd dreamed never happened, despite the dreams being so...real.
I ran my fingers through my hair and looked at the clock, which read 7:30 a.m.
I jumped out of bed, wondering how I slept through my alarm, and ran for the bathroom. On my way, I passed by the mirror on my door, and did a double-take when I saw my reflection. Instead of me being thin as Jack Skellington, I was jacked!
As I stared at my reflection in wonder, Alex walked in, rubbing her eyes and asked, “What's going on?”
I turned to her excitedly. “Alex, come here and look at my reflection!”
Alex lazily walked next to me and stared at my reflection, and I stared at her face, looking for a reaction. After ten seconds, she said, “So what? You look the same as always.”
I looked from her to my reflection, eyes wide. My reflection was the same as it always was.
“Are you all right?” Alex asked, looking at me.
“Why didn't anyone wake me up this morning?” I asked, ignoring her question.
“It's Thanksgiving. You know, the day we get to sleep late on?”
“Oh. Right,” I said, feeling stupid. With that, I promptly walked to my bed, fell on top of it, and went back to bed, entering a sleep where I could delay my problems for later thought.
* * *
I woke up three hours later, and got ready to go to my cousin John's for Thanksgiving dinner. Despite hating the holiday, I did enjoy the company of John. Physically, he reminded me of Jackson, but he was a lot like me personality-wise.
After I showered, I put on a suit and, in front of the mirror, jokingly ripped open the shirt to reveal the plain white shirt underneath.
Shaking my head in amusement, I re-buttoned my shirt and went downstairs, where Mom and Dad were reading the newspaper and Alex was watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Mom looked up at me and smiled. “Well, don't you look spiffy,” she said with a chuckle. I was about to tell her not to say anything like that again, but I had another flash of the tombstone bearing her name and merely smiled weakly back at her.
When it came time to leave, I said, “Can I actually stay home for this? My stomach's bugging me.” This wasn't true. For the better part of an hour, I'd been thinking about Briana, and I needed time to think alone.
Mom looked at Dad, who shrugged. “It's your sister,” he said.
“Well,” Mom said, “you do look a little green...all right, you can stay. But no video games.”
I nodded. Nina smiled and kissed me on cheek wetly, which I again wiped off. “Feel better, son,” Dad said. I gave him a thumbs up.
* * *
A half-hour after my family left, I left the house and started to wander about town aimlessly, just thinking about my life in general, as it was.
I walked around for hours until I realized, almost as an afterthought, that I was at the border between Riverside and Xavier City, and I was starving.


I walked to Mac's Burger Joint, a place I hadn't been to since the end of my sophomore year. I walked up to Mac, a big friendly guy, and ordered. “Hey, can I get a double cheeseburger with extra cheese, a double order of fries, and a large orange soda? Thanks.”
Mac grunted in approval as he punched my extensive order in. As I began to drool from the thought of the delicious, cancer causing foods that would soon be entering my stomach, a chipper voice from behind me said, “You could totally use all that food, you're just skin and bone, no muscle.”
I turned to see Briana Walker smiling at me impishly. In spite of the flashes of the dream I had had the previous night, I light-heartedly said, “Hey. We've known each other a day, you haven't earned the right to mock me yet.”
Briana laughed. It was such a nice laugh. “So, what're you doing out on Thanksgiving?” she asked me.
I shrugged. “Needed to be alone, have some time to myself to think. You know what I mean?”
Briana nodded. “Yeah, I can relate. I'm out because me and my family think this day is a waste of time, only good for getting off of work and school.”
“You know, I agree,” I said quickly. She laughed.
“What are you thinking about?” she inquired.
“Ah, you know...stuff,” I said non-nonchalantly while fighting off visions of the two of us.
Briana accepted this, and I was compelled ask her, “Hey, have we ever met before? Like, as kids? Because, you'll think I'm weird for this, but you seem really familiar to me.”
Briana's eyes examined me. “I don't think so, but you do seem kind of familiar to me...can't place it though...”
We ate together, and in between bites told each other about ourselves. After we were done, we walked around the city and continued our talk, and after an hour it was like we were old friends. I felt a strange connection with her, one I still couldn't place.
As we were about to head back to Riverside, Briana noticed the sky had an orange tint. Recognizing it as the sign of a fire, I convinced her to come with me to check it out, and we both ran there.
I was right, there was a fire going on. More specifically, it was an apartment complex aflame. Wondering what had happened, I looked for a firefighter or a cop, anyone who would know what was going on. Eventually my eyes focused in on a bald cop. Briana and I walked over to him, and I asked, “What happened?”
The cop looked me over with friendly eyes over a straight nose and, apparently deciding he could tell me, explained, “Some kid set the whole place on fire, as you can see. According to the girl, who shall remain anonymous, he did so to get revenge on her, and only her, mind, because she refused to date him.”
The story sounded familiar to me, but after searching through my memory I couldn't figure out why. The cop also seemed somewhat recognizable to me. As I studied his features, Briana said, “Whoever did that was a nutjob.” The cop agreed.
He finally noticed my concentrated stare on him and asked me, “What's your deal, man?”
“I seem to feel like I know you, but I can't remember why,” I answered truthfully. The cop seemed like someone I could trust. He gave off that type of vibe.
“You ever been arrested, kid?” he joked.
Before I could respond with an indignant, “No”, another officer called for a “Sergeant Mendoza.” The bald cop told his co-worker that he'd be right there, and said to me and Briana, “Sorry, got to go. Stay outta trouble.”
As Mendoza jogged over to the other cop, I whispered to myself, out of the blue, “See you later...Sarge.”
Briana and I began our long trek home, but on our way we saw a guy being pushed into a squad car, yelling, “***** deserved to get burned!”
Briana gasped, “Geoff Wyners!”
I was about to ask if the two dated, but I sensed that that wasn't a good thing to say, so instead I simply asked, “How do you know him?”
“Oh, he used to harass me and kept asking me out every other hour. I ended it by flipping him. No biggie.”
“Oh,” I said, and that was the end of that.
We walked back home, talking about nothing in particular. I dropped Briana off at her house, and she hugged me at the door. I hugged her back, but I felt sad, don't ask why.
When I arrived back home, I was relieved to find I beat my family back. I laid down on my bed, thinking of the days events, and contemplating on the evil that man can do. Before I knew it, I was asleep.
 
[FONT=Copperplate Gothic Light, sans-serif]Chapter Eleven: Day Four[/FONT]​
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Another dream.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I saw my school on fire; I saw Geoff Wyners holding a little girl by gunpoint; I saw skeletal robots shooting at something; I saw a handsome man smiling behind a desk; I saw a black blur attacking a giant robot; I saw a camera with a recording of a brown haired man with angular features and eyebrows; I saw a black haired girl with glowing green hands; I saw a man in a black cloak run around a corner; then I saw a giant metal serpent tearing down a street; lastly, I saw a single image: a demonic looking 'A.'[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]* * * [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I woke up, my head now hurting like hell. Wincing as I sat up, I went downstairs for some aspirin. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]After swallowing two pills with a huge chug of water, I mentally replayed the dream, which now seemed more like a nightmare, because it gave off such a dark, ominous feeling.
The handsome man behind the desk resembled Dean Murdoch, though I wasn't entirely sure if it was him. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Yawning, I looked at the clock on the microwave, which read 11:17 a.m. I searched around the house for my family, and found Mom and Alex asleep in my parents bed. That begged the question: where the hell was Dad?[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I went to his study in the basement, thinking maybe he was working. He was, but not in his study, according to the note I found. It said they'd gotten in at three, and Dad was only gone because he'd gotten an emergency call. He asked me to let them sleep.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I threw the letter out after I memorized it and showered. After I was done, I checked in on Mom and Alex, both who were still sleeping soundly. I smiled and walked over to Alex to plant a gentle kiss on her forehead. She mumbled gibberish at this, but still slept.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I left the room and called Leon, Jason, and Jackson. I felt it was time to tell them about my dreams and my feelings about Briana. I told them all to meet me at the library: Leon agreed instantly, as did Jackson; Jason only agreed to come because he was bored.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]* * * [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]A half hour later, I finished explaining everything to my friends; my dreams, Briana, everything that had occurred the past three days. “They're like, I don't know, memories,” I concluded.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Maybe you're creating these dream-memory things to get over some events in your life,” Leon suggested. “Say...not talking to Olivia since Wednesday yet spending a whole day with Briana yesterday.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I glared at Leon. Jason coughed and then asked snidely, “How is Olivia, anyway?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I blushed. Leon hadn't been lying when he said I hadn't spoken to Olivia since Wednesday. Jason took my silence as an answer and sat back in his chair, amused.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Go to her house,” Jackson demanded. “Be with her. Now.” He said the words with such force that it surprised me. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I nodded and asked Leon, “Anything like this ever happen between you and Alyssa?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Leon looked at me, confused. “Who's Alyssa?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You know, your girlfriend.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Leon stood up and gave me the middle finger. “Oh, you're funny Kyle. Really.” And then he left, leaving me sitting in my chair, confused.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Jason patted me on the shoulder. “Nice one, Kyle. You're smart to hit Leon where it hurts the most: his lack of girlfriend.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]My eyes widened and my mouth slightly opened. “I seriously thought he had a girlfriend named Alyssa, no lie.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I'm sure,” Jason said, winking.[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]* * *[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]At Olivia's a half-hour later, as I laid on her lap, I told her all about my dreams, save for the one about Briana.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Hmm,” Olivia said, tapping her chin. “Maybe you're remembering a past life?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I laughed that off. I wasn't all that religious, and didn't believe in reincarnation.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Taking the hint that I didn't think the way she did, Olivia inquired, “So, how was Thanksgiving?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I contemplated telling her about Briana, but instead just relayed all of the days events, minus Briana. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]After I finished explaining the fire, I said, “You know, now that I think about it, I really wish I could have done something to help. I mean, yeah, they got everyone out in time, but what if they hadn't?” My headache was starting to return.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Olivia kissed me, and then said, “That's what I love about you, you always want to help people. That's really admirable of you.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I smiled up at her. “You know I always wanted to be a hero.”[/FONT]​
 
[FONT=Copperplate Gothic Light, sans-serif]Chapter Twelve: Day Five[/FONT]​
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]My dreams that night were my weirdest yet. I saw a man in a classic Superman t-shirt and a ski mask leap from building to building and swing on webs, much like Spider-Man; I saw a man in the costume from my first dream swing into a bank; I saw that same man fight the giant robot; I saw that man crawl on ceilings, stalking what appeared to be thieves like they were prey; I saw that man fight the girl with glowing green hands; I saw that man fly after the giant mechanical serpent, red beams blasting from his eyes; lastly, I saw that man speaking with Sergeant Mendoza, who asked what to call the man. After a moment's consideration, the man said, in a voice that I felt I should have known, “Spartan.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]* * *[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I woke up, my heart racing. This last dream was the most vivid yet, and it gave a name to the costumed man who spoke to Leon, Jason, and Jackson in his first dream: Spartan. I had no idea where the hell Spartan came from. Maybe he was a forgotten comic book character that resided in my subconscious? I resolved to ask Jackson that night at my birthday party. As I showered, I wondered why I felt I should know the voice of Spartan, but when I saw my family eating breakfast together, I pushed it out of my mind for later thought. I couldn't let my family think there was anything wrong.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I sat down opposite Dad, who, after sipping his coffee, asked, “So, you excited for your party tonight?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I am,” I answered with as much enthusiasm as I could muster. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]It as apparently very good, because Mom said, “Well, go work off that enthusiasm out of the house, because we need to get ready for your party, and we want you to be surprised.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“But Mom,” I moaned. “Can't I just lock myself in my room and play my 360 all day?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“No,” Mom said with a tone of finality.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I said, “****,” under my breath, but to Mom's face I said, “Fine.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I got my jacket on and went to leave. Where, I didn't know. But they were kicking me out of the house, and that was that. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I opened the door to leave, but heard a pitter-patter of footsteps behind me. I turned to see Alex running up to me. When she was a half-foot away from me she jumped on top of me, and I was barely able to hold on to her. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“See you later Big Brother. I love you,” she whispered into my ear.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I kissed her head. “I love you too, little sister.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]* * *[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I rode my bike around town, thinking about Spartan and how I had to wait six hours until I see Jackson and he could tell me about Spartan, if he knew anything at all. Then it hit me: I could just go to his house right now and ask. I was bored anyway. I called his house from my cell to make sure it was all right that I go, but I found that my friend was at the library. So there I went.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Inside the library, I found Jackson reading a large textbook and taking frantic notes on it. “Yo,” I said.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Jackson glanced up at me, then went back to work. Realizing he wasn't in the mood for small talk, I went right to the point. “Listen, do you know anything about someone called Spartan?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Without looking up, he said, “The ancient warriors that were the basis for Frank Miller's graphic novel 300?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“No, a superhero. I had another one of the dreams last night, this one about him. He wore a black mask with a visor that hid his eyes. His black jeans jacket had a silver spider on the back, and on his black shirt he had a silver Superman 'S'. He had black jeans on his legs, too. He had powers, like a mix of Spider-Man's and Superman's, which I suppose explains the Superman 'S' and the spider on his back. You know anything about him?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I had Jackson's interest now. “I've never heard of him, but he sounds pretty cool. Someone should write a book about him. There's a lot of story potential one could get from someone like this Spartan character.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I laughed and, having gotten the answer I needed, asked my old friend, “What are you doing here on a Saturday, anyway?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Jackson went back to taking notes, but was still able to explain to me what he was doing. “I've got a report due Monday on that old mansion on the outskirts of town. Why Mr. Meton would assign a report based on that old piece of ****, I have no idea...”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]But I was only half-listening. My head once more stung in pain, but the sudden curiosity about the mansion that I now felt overrode that, so much that I was compelled to ask, “Hey, wanna take a ride over to the mansion? Could be fun.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Nah,” Jackson said. “As I said, I have to finish this essay, because no way in hell am I doing homework on a Sunday. No. Way.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]And so I rode there alone.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]It took me a half-hour to get there, so when I got off my bike my legs slightly ached. But my pain was forgotten as soon as I laid eyes on the physical mansion. It was massive, Gothic, and apparently abandoned.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Despite never having even come close to being at this mansion, I felt comfortable there...like I was going home. With a deep breath, I entered. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Inside, I looked around. The entrance hall was huge, as big as my first floor, definitely. On the left and right of me there were six doors each. Upon trying to open them all to investigate, I found them all locked. Then I saw a door at the opposite side of the entrance, so I jogged there, and thankfully it was open. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]That door led me into another room exactly like the one I just exited. Again, all the doors to the left and right of me were locked. Again, a door at the end of the room led me into another room.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]This went on for a while, at least an hour. Finally, I walked through a door that led me into a large room, different from the others. There were no more doors leading to other rooms, and this new room was empty save for a single large mirror in the center of the room. Realizing that coming here was pointless, I tried to open the door through which I came, only to find it locked. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I grunted as I tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. I ran into it, smash it with chairs, did everything I could think of to do it. But it still wouldn't budge. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Panting and sweating, I walked over to the mirror to grab it and bash the door with it. But as I was about to lift it, which would have taken a great effort, I caught a glimpse of my reflection and gasped: it was my face, all right, but on the body of Spartan.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Suddenly, my head exploded in pain and I fell to my knees, screaming in pain as my brain was flooded with images.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I saw myself at age ten, find my mother dead on the couch of my house; I saw myself falling on a syringe and getting electrocuted; I saw myself pining for Briana, my old friend; I saw myself, Leon, Jackson, Jason, and Briana hanging out at a lunch table; I saw myself staring at a classic Superman t-shirt; I saw myself running down an alleyway, ripping my shirt open to reveal a silver Superman 'S'; I saw myself meeting Olivia at Mac's; I saw the black cloaked man, Mr. Dark, stabbing Olivia and killing her; I saw everything, and I remembered my life. My real life.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]As the memories stopped flooding into my mind, so did the pain, and I stopped screaming. I stood back up and faced my reflection, which stared at me indifferently. I closed my eyes and thought about everything that had “happened” in this place.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“So, you know none of this is real now?” a female voice came from behind me. I turned to see “Olivia” staring at me, smiling. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Yeah,” I said hoarsely. “Yeah, I realize that, despite not knowing what this is.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“It was the world you thought you wanted to live in,” Olivia explained. “A world where your Mom never died, where you never got any powers. A world where I was never killed.” [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I remembered Destiny's offer. “I wanted to be with you again. And I didn't want to live with the fact that I hurt Leon, Jason, and-” I stopped short.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“And Briana?” Olivia suggested helpfully.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I nodded. “Sorry,” I muttered.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Oh, don't worry about it. You never really loved me. Not the way you loved Briana, anyway. I was more like a sister. A sister you got to make out with, at any rate.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I started to object, but Olivia held up her hand. “Don't try to deny it, Kyle. The me you see before you is part of your inner psyche, so really you're just talking to yourself, albeit one who doesn't try to avoid the truth. What I say is fact, and you know it.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I did know it, now that she brought it up. I'd once said Olivia had come at a time where I would have dated anyone, but had lied when I said I was in love with her. I loved her, sure, but she was right. It was platonic. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I guess that explains why Briana suddenly appeared,” I said. “I wanted her, and voila', there she was.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“That, and the fact that she was also created to lead you here, to this exact place. She, along with your dreaming of memories, was your minds way of telling you you need to get your ass back and help people,” Olivia said.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I stared at her, determined. “What do I need to do?” I asked.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Okay, despite everything I've just said, you do have the option of staying here. You can forget everything that has just happened over the past few days and live the perfect lie, or you can go back and fight the good fight. But we both know what you'll pick anyway,” she added coyly.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I thought back on the past few days: on my loving mom, on my adorable kid sister, on my perfect girlfriend, and realized I didn't want to leave. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]But I had to.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I smiled at Olivia, who was joined by everyone from this reality, all nodding their approval. I turned to the mirror and raised my hand, a move my reflection didn't mirror. Without hesitation, I placed my hand on Spartan's 'S', and all went white.[/FONT]​
 
[FONT=Copperplate Gothic Bold, sans-serif]Leon's Tale[/FONT]​
 
[FONT=Copperplate Gothic Light, sans-serif]Chapter Thirteen[/FONT]​
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I watched, shocked, as Kyle back Briana to the ground. My eyes followed her body as it fell, almost in slow motion. I looked at Kyle, whose eyes were bulging. “No...” he whispered before running out of the cafeteria in the direction of the school's exit, so fast it was almost at the point of superspeed.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I got up off of the floor where Kyle had shoved me and went to help Briana up, all while expecting her to start a hate filled tirade against Kyle as she had done in the past. Instead, she said something that surprised me.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Something's wrong.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]There was no anger in her voice, no malice. Just concern.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Ya think?” Jason asked, rubbing his head as he walked over to us. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Jackson looked at me darkly and, so low that only I could hear, said, “There's no way Kyle would use his strength on us. Not like that.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I nodded as the two security guards finally made their way to us. One of them, a fat man named Casey, asked which way Kyle went. I realized that Kyle needed help, but I knew the school couldn't provide it. Wordlessly, I pointed them in the direction of the math hallway, where they went without question.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Briana slapped my shoulder. “Why'd you lie to them? They could have helped us get Kyle and find out what's wrong.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I shook my head. “They can't help him. No one can help him, except us.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Briana looked confused, so I took the chance to run out of the cafeteria to see if I could find Kyle. Unsurprisingly, he wasn't in the lobby or outside. He was gone.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I clenched my jaw and went back towards the cafeteria, when I noticed fresh blood the ground, drawn by a nearby shard of glass that also had some blood. The blood was redder than a normal person's blood, and it seemed to almost glow, so I came to the conclusion that the blood belonged to Kyle. Making sure no one was looking, I took the glass shard and dropped it into a nearby sandwich bag. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I walked back into the cafeteria, where I saw Jason and Jackson pushing away questioners. Briana must have heard my footsteps, as she turned around and asked me hopefully, “You find him?”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I said, “No. But I did find this.” I took out the glass. “Kyle cut himself on this when he ran away.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“And what does that mean?” Jason asked. “It's just Kyle's blood.” His eyes widened when he realized what he just said. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Jackson had a similar expression on his face and said, “If Kyle was bleeding, that says something about his state of mind. He definitely wasn't himself. We've got to find him.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Briana looked at the three of us inquisitively. “Um..what does Kyle's state of mind have to do with why he was bleeding?” Right there, I was tempted to tell her everything about Kyle and his powers. But I couldn't do that, not without endorsement from the others who knew his secret. So I looked at Jackson and Jason, and my look asked the question for me. When they saw it, Jackson enthusiastically shook his head no, and Jason just shrugged. So the decision was made: I wouldn't tell her.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I'll explain later,” I said to Briana, and to Jason and Jackson I said, “We need to get to Dr. Wyatt. He'll know what to do about this.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Hey! I'm coming too!” Briana exclaimed.
The three of us looked at her shocked. I looked at Jackson, who, trying to stop her from coming to protect Kyle's secret, said, “Why do you wanna come? I mean, after all, Kyle [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]did [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]hit you.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“That's why. I know Kyle, and I know that he would never hit me. I need to know why. And...I want to help.”[/FONT][/FONT]​
 
[FONT=Copperplate Gothic Light, sans-serif]Chapter Fourteen[/FONT]​
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]After school, the four of us took the bus to the Wyatt household, where Briana unsuccessfully tried to get in touch of him through his cell phone. When we got to his house, Jason rung the doorbell. A minute later, the door opened, a vanilla smell greeted them, and Dr. Thomas Wyatt walked out, wearing a flower apron over his scrubs. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Despite the seriousness of the situation, I had to fight a chuckle, as did everyone else. Jason's face was red from the effort. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Hey guys. You here for cake?” he asked brightly. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Jackson was the first to regain his composure, and said, “No, Dr. Wyatt. Can we come in? There's something we need to talk about.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Dr. Wyatt's face went grave as he noticed the seriousness in Jackson's tone, so he said, “Yeah...sure. Come on in.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]On the way in, Briana stopped and said, “Hi, I'm Briana Walker. I don't think we've met?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“No we haven't,” Dr. Wyatt said, grinning. He shook her hand. “Thomas Wyatt.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]When Briana turned around, Dr. Wyatt pulled me aside and asked, “Is that the Briana who Kyle used to like?” I nodded. “Hmm. I approve.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The four of us sat on the large, comfortable couch in the living room. Dr. Wyatt sat on the armchair opposite us and said, “What's on your minds, guys?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Okay,” Jackson began. “We know that Kyle flipped out on you. Besides that, has he done any other...“weird” things?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I saw Dr. Wyatt's eyes flick towards Briana, then to me. I slightly moved my head from side to side, indicating that she didn't know. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Well, besides flipping out on me, I can't say he has been acting differently. Though he had seemed somewhat happier recently.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I reached into my backpack and pulled out the bloody shard. “I found this, after Kyle left the school this afternoon.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“What do you mean?” Dr. Wyatt asked, looking alarmed.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You mean, Kyle hasn't come home?” Briana asked, sounding alarmed.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“No!”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]With the help of the others, I explained what had happened starting this morning. With each “beatdown”, Dr. Wyatt's face became more and more grim.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“After I got up, I went to find Kyle, where I found his blood on this glass,” I concluded. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“How can you be sure it's his?” Dr. Wyatt asked, examining it.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I'm not one hundred percent sure it is, but earlier it was kind of...” I stopped my sentence, remembering that Briana was right beside me.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Let's go to my lab,” Dr. Wyatt said. “That way, we can be certain.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Off we went to his lab. I'd only been there once before, when Kyle had just obtained his abilities. It was a lot messier back then.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Dr. Wyatt put the glass on a slide and out the slide under a microscope. For six minutes we watched in silence as Dr. Wyatt observed his sons blood. Finally, he said, “Yeah, it's Kyle's blood all right. This is worrisome.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“How can you be so sure?” Briana asked, looking frustrated. “I mean, I was watching you the whole time, and you didn't even compare it to another sample of his blood.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Before Dr. Wyatt could answer her, I quickly said, “I'm guessing you're worried for the same reason I am.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Why are you two worried?” Briana asked, red creeping up her neck. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Everyone in the room stared at her in silence. Finally, it would appear she'd had enough of being kept in the dark, since she yelled, “God damn it! I'm sick of not knowing what the hell is going on! Why can't you just tell me what's wrong with Kyle? Why is it such a big secret? Does he have AIDS or some other type of disease, and that's why he's been kinda out there for the past two years?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Jason, Jackson, and I looked at Dr. Wyatt, conferring to his judgment about his son. He looked at Briana, studying her hard, and then nodded. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I vote Leon tells her,” Jason immediately said.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I second the motion,” Jackson agreed.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Briana folded her arms and stared at me expectantly. With a gulp, I said, “Kyle Wyatt, your friend...is...um...Spartan.”[/FONT]​
 
[FONT=Copperplate Gothic Light, sans-serif]Chapter Fifteen[/FONT]​
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Briana stared at me, open-mouthed. I nodded. “It's true.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]She turned to everyone else in the room, including Dr. Wyatt, all who nodded their heads. She laughed nervously. “Kyle's Spartan? That's ridiculous.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Why is it that every time the hero's identity is revealed, the girl can't believe it?” Jason asked, smacking his head with his palm. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Because the thought of Kyle as a superhero is hilarious, that's why!” Briana exclaimed. “I mean, yeah, he can be sweet. At times. But a lot of the time he can be pretty selfish.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Isn't that the perfect cover?” I asked her. “Think about it: doesn't Spartan at all remind you of Kyle. At all?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Briana stared at me, her eyes brightening in surprise. “No way...”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I turned back to Dr. Wyatt. “Now, as I was saying, I assume you're worried for Kyle because he bled. And the only way he can bleed is if his mind is being affected in some way, am I right?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Dr. Wyatt nodded. “That, or he could meet someone with great enough strength, like Murdoch's machine. But seeing as it's unlikely that someone with superhuman strength goes to your high school, I'm gonna bet that his mind was affected by some foreign agent.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Or he was acting like Jason,” Jackson said. He looked at Briana. “That's the other way for him to lose his invincibility: become arrogant.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Who said I was arrogant?” Jason asked arrogantly.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I ignored him, as did Jackson. “What do we do?” I asked Dr. Wyatt.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Dr. Wyatt tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Go to Sarge.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Spartan's police contact?” Briana guessed, breaking her silence and seemingly accepting the truth of the situation.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Jackson grinned. “You catch on quick.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]* * * [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Dr. Wyatt drove us to the police department, and we walked into the busy building. We looked around for a sign of Sarge, but couldn't seem to find him. However, Jason and Jackson did at the same time see the attractive, though frazzled looking, receptionist, and both bolted to talk to her. I would have followed, but my cell rang. It was my girlfriend, Alyssa. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Hey,” I answered. “Come over? Now's not really the best time. Yes, I know I haven't seen you in a week, but I'm busy right now, all right? I'll call you tonight and we'll work something out. Love you too.” I hung up and sighed. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Briana patted my shoulder. “Everything all right?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I guess.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Hey, at least your significant other actually calls you. With me, I'm always calling Sam,” Briana ranted.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Why do you stay with him, then?” I wondered. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I don't know,” she said plaintively. “Maybe I can sense the good in him. Or maybe I just don't like to be alone.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Before I could comment, Jason and Jackson came back to us, Jackson's normally perfect hair slightly messed up. “He's in the office directly in back,” Jason said.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]So there we went. I knocked on the door, and an annoyed “Come in!” beckoned us. Looking at the others, I shrugged and opened the door, where the man who Kyle knew as Sarge was pacing around his office, run his hands over his bald head. When he saw the five of us standing there, he stopped and squinted at us. “Do I know you?” he asked.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“No,” Dr. Wyatt said. “But we know you by reputation. I'm Thomas Wyatt.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Raphael Mendoza,” Sarge said, shaking his hand. “Now, I don't mean to be rude, but I don't know if you noticed, we're a little busy today. Word has somehow gotten out that Spartan has ended his relationship with us, and now crime has shot up twelve percent.” [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“That's why we're here,” I said.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Sarge looked at me oddly. “I don't think I follow.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Dr. Wyatt cleared his throat. “My son, Kyle Wyatt, is missing.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Huh, I've been getting calls from a Sara Shinlye all day asking me to execute a Kyle Wyatt for assaulting her,” Sarge said.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Briana rolled her eyes at me, and I shook my head. “Yeah, that's the same Kyle, and yes, he did assault her. We think he was under the influence of a drug that made him do this.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“And you think this drug could be out on the streets, is that why you've come here?” Sarge asked.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“No,” Dr. Wyatt said, exasperated. “We need your help to my son.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Okay,” Sarge said, leaning against his desk. “I know that you're missing your son, but I am incredibly busy preserving the safety of the city and Riverside right now. I assure you, once this is handled I'll send a unit to help find Kyle, but he is, unfortunately, not as high a priority with crime this high.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Finding Kyle would help you,” I said.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“How would that work?” Sarge asked.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Well,” Jason began, “he might fly in, beat up the bad guys, possibly use a little heat vision, and then web him up. That's how it would work.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Hold up,” Sarge said, standing straight. “Are you implying that this Kyle Wyatt is Spartan?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“That's exactly what we're implying,” I said. [/FONT]​
 
[FONT=Copperplate Gothic Light, sans-serif]Chapter Sixteen[/FONT]​
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]It took us a while, but we finally got Sarge to accept that Kyle was Spartan. When he was, he asked eagerly, “How can I help?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Did Kyle ever mention anything, anything at all, about something that could have put him in danger?” Dr. Wyatt asked. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Sarge began to say “No”, but caught himself. “He did have me make a file on something called Adventus. The only lead I got for him, though, was an old mansion..”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Hey!” Jackson said. “Me and Kyle read something about a mansion over the summer.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“It's worth a shot,” Briana said. “Where is it?” [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Sarge looked uneasy. “I can't, in good conscience, let you go chasing after Kyle. It's too dangerous. If you could wait-”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Wait?” Dr. Wyatt snarled. In a move that surprised us all, he grabbed Sarge by the collar and pinned him against a wall. “This is my son you're talking about, and you're friend! Doesn't that mean anything to you!?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I leaned over to Briana's ear. “So that's where Kyle gets his anger from.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Breathing heavily, Sarge said, “It's on the outskirts. That's all I know.” [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Dr. Wyatt released him, and breathed in deeply. “I'm sorry for my outburst, it's just that Kyle's all I have left...”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I understand,” Sarge said, placing his hand on Dr. Wyatt's shoulder. “Listen, I can't go with you guys, because I have to work to keep the city safe.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Right,” Dr. Wyatt said. “Good luck with that.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Good luck finding Kyle,” Sarge said. Then he looked at the four of us. “You know, Kyle's lucky to have friends like you guys. I think it's what keeps him sane.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]* * * [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]We arrived at the mansion, and even Jason was impressed at the size of it. It was[FONT=Times New Roman, serif] of Gothic design, and looked to be abandoned. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Before we could move in, Dr. Wyatt faced us. “Okay, I can't force you guys to go in there. If you want to back out, I understand.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You'd have to force me [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]not [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]to go in,” I declared.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Yeah!” Jackson exclaimed.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“What he said,” Jason agreed.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“What more needs to be said, Dr. Wyatt?” Briana said. “We're going in with you.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Dr. Wyatt grinned hugely at us. “Sarge was right: Kyle is lucky to have you four as his friends.”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Dr. Wyatt led us inside, where (unwisely, I felt), we split up, Dr. Wyatt thinking we could find Kyle easier that way. I found myself in a room filled with ancient weapons and armors, a subject which I had long found interesting. But this wasn't the time to admire those: I needed to find Kyle. I felt around for secret passageways, and as I was searching I heard Jason yell, “WHAT THE ****!?” just as my world went dark.[/FONT][/FONT]​
 
[FONT=Copperplate Gothic Light, sans-serif]Chapter Seventeen[/FONT]​
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I awoke, groggy. My nose itched. I went to scratch it, but found my arms to be bound to a large steel pillar. Alarmed, I looked around. I was in a lab of some sort, one of those labs that you only see on T.V., the really clean ones. This one was a kind of white-blue, filled with machines. At the center of the lab was a pod connected to a very large computer, and in the pod was...[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Kyle!” I yelled out upon seeing the symbol he proudly wore on his chest.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Quiet down,” Jackson said from next to me. “My head hurts.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“What the? Jackson?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Yeah, What, you thought you were alone? Nope, we're all tied to this steel column thing,” he explained. “We've been waiting for you to wake up to find out why we're here.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“And now we can begin,” a sophisticated voice said. I looked up to see a man with parted brown hair wearing a finely tailored suit walk towards me. “Hello, Mr. Allain. I'm Niles Ferris.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Are you the same Adventus scum that sent Carol Wilke after me, to use against Kyle?” Jackson asked spitefully.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Niles Ferris walked over to Jackson and crouched before him. With maleficent relish, he said simply, “Yes.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Jackson spit in Ferris' face. “I don't like being used,” he said scornfully. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You tell him Jackson!” Jason said. Briana and Dr. Wyatt cheered. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Wiping the spit off of his face, Ferris went on to backhand Jackson. “No one disrespects me, understand?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Unfazed, Jackson said, “I think I just did.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]My respect for my friend rose considerably with those five words. Ferris smiled cruelly at Jackson, and his eyes shone brightly. “I see why Kyle is friends with you.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Where is he?” Dr. Wyatt demanded to know.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Oh, you didn't hear Mr. Allain's proclamation a few moments ago? He's quite safe in that stasis pod right over there, no need to worry,” Ferris said, sounding bored. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“What's he doing in there?” Briana asked, sounding worried. “What's happening to Kyle?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I've been waiting for someone to ask that,” Ferris said, sounding delighted. “This story begins right after your friend defeated Dean Murdoch and his mechanical exo-skeleton. The heads of my organization were getting desperate, they wanted to accelerate our plans for world conquest. The Adventus Overlords, as they are called, put yours truly in charge of finding a way to recreate Spartan's powers, since they felt that was the fastest way to achieve our goals if he would not join us. I tried using the blood sample he'd left behind when he stole his costume, but much of the genetic code was incomplete. I needed a fresher sample. Unfortunately, he was now invincible, and the only way to get his blood was willingly or through the usage of sonics. Murdoch was out source for sonic weaponry, so we had no choice but to get Spartan to come willingly. I came up with that pod over there to contain Kyle as I unlocked his genetic code. But how to do it? As I said, Kyle was all but invincible. Then I remembered how Murdoch drew him to their last fight: he threatened Kyle's loved ones. You four. But I improved on that. Instead of threatening to kill you, I took Murdoch's surrogate daughter, Carol, under my wing. I was able to convince her that Spartan was behind for Murdoch's disappearance, when in reality I was responsible for that. I told her that, to get revenge, she should use her unique mind control powers to take over the mind of you, Jackson. I knew that if Kyle lost one of his friends of their (seeming) volition, he would become susceptible to outside influence. But, and this was a surprise to me, Kyle figured out the plot and defeated Carol, learning to fly in the process. I was close to giving up, until I heard that Kyle's girlfriend Olivia had been killed by pure chance, enraging him. With a few alterations, my plan continued.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Over the next few months, I sent underling after underling to fuel Kyle's anger. When I felt it was at it's peak, I sent my number two man, Neil McCain, wearing a sonic shield to hide himself from Kyle's Battle Sense, to offer Kyle a chance to live his dream life in a new reality. In actuality, he would be placed in the stasis pod you see before you where his mind would create his dream life, leaving him docile as he lived in a world where Nina Wyatt had never died. Surprisingly, this offer was at first declined, so I had to kick it up a notch. I created a gas that would amplify anger, aggression, and paranoia that had the side-effect of slightly weakening his powers. This led Kyle right into my hands after he attacked you.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“So as he slept in his new dream world, where hours are days, his DNA was quickly deciphered, and we were able to create a formula to replicate the strength, speed, agility, and senses, but not his other abilities. Not that it matters. Do you recall the bank robbers that Kyle faced in his first 'true' appearance as Spartan? Well, I freed them from prison and offered them a chance to get revenge on Spartan, provided they destroy Xavier City first. They eagerly agreed, and are on their way now to cement Adventus' control over the city. When they are done, I will allow them to kill Kyle.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“You're a fool, Ferris!” Dr. Wyatt roared. “The only reason Kyle survived was because there is an anomaly in his DNA, unique to him. Because of this, Kyle is stable, but your bank robbers don't have it. They'll be dead before tomorrow!”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I saw a shadow of fear flicker over Ferris' face, but it soon vanished. “You're bluffing,” he said, but he didn't look entirely sure. “But even if you're not, my 'Super Adventi' will destroy the city long before tomorrow.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Kyle will stop them,” Briana said. “Despite all the odds, he always manages to save the day.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“How, little girl?” Ferris said, eyebrows raised. “Your beloved hero is asleep in his dream world. Permanently.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I laughed. I couldn't help myself. Ferris rounded about on me because of it, putting his hand around my throat. “And what, dear boy, is so funny?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Because, you piece of ****,” I gasped, “Though Kyle will never admit it, being Spartan is his dream life. He loves being the hero.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Ferris stared directly into my eyes with his cold brown ones. “While that may be, Mr. Allain, there's still the fact that Kyle Wyatt can never, ever awaken. I assure you of that.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Sir,” an Adventi who sat at the computer connected to the stasis pod said, “the subject is waking up.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“WHAT!?” Ferris said, releasing my throat and hurrying over to the computer. “How is this possible? My design ensured that he would never awaken!”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“It would appear that the subject's mind was so strong that it created a way for him to exit the dream world,” the Adventi scientist said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Told you so,” I said to Ferris as my friends cheered. Ferris gritted his teeth, and then pulled a gun from the inside of his jacket as he walked over to me and aimed the pistol (a .44 magnum, it would seem) at my skull. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Even if Spartan may be back, he won't be able to save you,” Ferris said.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I heard Ferris pull the hammer back just as the stasis pod hissed open...[/FONT]​
 
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