Grace grinned as she saw the police cars, and it worried me, her excitement. This is what she waited for. This is her big moment. What if she chokes in the heat of the moment? She hopped out the car fast and ran toward the blockade in front of the bank. The police turned to her looking completely confused, as they should’ve, but they probably knew the deal. Now the police just wait for a hero to come in to do the job for them, good or bad. I probably would do the same to extend my career-span … and lifespan. Should I back my car away? I thought as I briefly looked behind. My urge to see what would happen made me look forward and held me there.
Grace slid over a police car then rushed up the stairs toward the bank, eager for action no doubt. As she approached the front doors, it burst open. Vixel, another hero, female, and at least my age or older. I remembered seeing her before, online somewhere. She’s a lot more pro, you could tell by her decorated armored outfit. She had the ability to fly, with her wings which were pixelated somehow, but that’s her gimmick. A video game look. Her fanbase is huge because of that. She uses a shield that when hit, collects any projectiles and forms some sort of dot matrix thing on its surface then explodes in a bubble around her. With all of that, this was probably an easy job for her if the robbers had guns or even fireball like powers.
Vixel didn’t even look at Grace as she exited the bank, pulling two of the robbers on her floating shield, using it as a dolly. Even from a distance, I could sense the disappointment from Grace as she stood still, staring at Vixel as she made her way down the stairs. This is one of those hardening moments, I thought. Her moment was gone because she chose to stop and break up a small fight on the way. Grace walked up to Vixel and tapped her on the arm. Vixel wore a mask, but you could tell she was annoyed by the way she slowly turned to her. I don’t know what Grace said but she made Vixel laugh somehow. Maybe I was wrong. I keep doubting her. Vixel pointed toward the bank and Grace ran inside.
I watched the entrance for minutes until Grace came back out, dragging another unconscious robber out by his arms. I was amazed. She didn’t let it get to her and even thought to help out. “She needs to be a hero,” I whispered to myself. I was convinced she had to be. She’s special. I watched Vixel pat her shoulder then pick up the robber with ease then place him on her shield. They talked a bit more before Grace ran back in. Vixel signaled the police to come in before she also went back into the bank.
I think sat there for around 30 minutes wondering what the heck was going on. One of the police officers finally came over and made me back away. I was at the end of the block but I could still see the entrance. Why was I waiting? I don’t know. It was a one-way trip. I didn’t have to, but my face smiled on its own as she finally came back out. She was looking at her phone, so I honked a few times to grab her attention. She noticed and walked over, smiling back as always.
She stretched her arms out to her sides. “Brevlin! You waited for me?”
She keeps playing with my name, but I didn’t mind. Why? Why is she so likable? I thought. She managed to get Vixel to laugh and made my day in minutes. “That’s what besties do,” I replied.
I rolled down the window further, all the way, and she leaned on my car door then pointed at me. “Haha, but I demoted you.”
“Besties are forever. Everyone knows that.”
“You’re so right about that, Kevin.” She walked around and got in. “So does this mean I get free rides now?”
I laughed then quickly stopped, putting on a serious look. “No.”
“Ooh, that was scary. You can do that? Flip your mood like that?”
“I was joking.” That’s exactly what you do but in a positive way. “I’ll drive you back home for free, just this once. Actually, wait. Are you hungry?”
She pulled down her ski goggles and replied, “Kinda. Why? What’s up?”
I felt bad that her moment was taken away, and thought I’d take her to a spot I liked. “I didn’t have my lunch yet, so if you want to hit up Shake Shack for some burgers or frozen custard …”
“Yes! Drive the car already, Bruv!” she shouted with hands pointed at the windshield, super excited like a child that heard the ice cream truck come around the corner. I made an illegal U-turn in front of the cops and floored it. That was probably the fastest my heart raced in weeks. “Whoa, Fast and Furious over here,” she joked. “Look at you drifting.”
I chuckled. “That wasn’t drifting. Just a … skurt. So, what’d you say to get on Vixel’s good side? Seemed like you made her laugh, but I couldn’t really tell.”
“You know Vixel?” She leaned her head back. “Oh … she’s the coolest. I asked if she could give me a piggyback ride as she flew.”
“Did you actually say that?”
“Yeah, and I was so serious when I said it too, but she laughed at me. I was like, girl, I’m serious!” Grace waved her hand at me. “No, I didn’t say the, I’m serious part to her, but I wanted to. Her armor is so cool. I got to see her wings inside the bank when she gave me a walkthrough of what she did.” Grace got animated with her hands as she continued, “She went in from the back and was like super stealth mode, scoping it out then bam! She said she went in hard and loud after seeing how disorganized they were. And only one of them had powers, some metal robe thing but it didn’t work out for him. Obviously.”
“Ah. She’s like a one person army, huh? Did you ask her any questions about being a hero?”
“Yeah, she gave me a bunch of tips! She said to get an app called Citizen and a police radio app. She said most of the day is just listening for something to happen, and do not let the boredom drive you insane. She got really serious when she said that for some reason.” She tapped my arm. “Hey, did you know her wings don’t really work?”
I squinted at her briefly then turned back to the road. “What? No way. They flap and everything.”
“Haha, yeah, they’re just digital projections from her armor. Her actual flight is something else entirely. She didn’t tell me what it was when I asked though. You know, hero secrets.” She put her hand on her forehead. “Aw, I really can’t believe I got to meet Vixel in person though. And got to help her too.”
I can’t believe that I thought this would get to her in the first place. She’s just as cheery as ever. “So you look up to her then?”
“Yes …” She turned her head to me and shook it. “I want this so bad, Kevin.”
As I switched lanes, I noticed her look away, but I caught the sunlight reflect off her eyes so clearly and saw the water building up at the bottom. That slight crack in her happiness she let me see, it made me wonder how long was she trying for. And what was her honest motivation? Does she have a big origin story? “What uh, what inspired you to get into the hero life?”
She took a deep breath. “That whole thing that happened in Kale with the BSO. The same people involved with that school thing had the balls to jump back in and fight against them too. How crazy is that? They probably didn’t want to, but someone had to. There has to be someone that stands up to fight for those who aren’t willing to do so. And I was tired of being a bystander, waiting for someone else to stand up for me.” A dead silence entered the car as she stared forward until she broke it with laughter. She turned to me. “Okay, it literally got too serious in here. Even the car got all quiet.”
We were at a stop light, and I had my hand over my mouth, thinking of what she said. “No, no. I was just thinking … You’re right.” I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something she wasn’t telling me, but I didn’t push it. “We need people like you. Everyone’s scared with what happened out there and you guys are more trustworthy than the cops because you’re like actually people. You’re not attached to some government body, pulling your strings or cracking the whip.” I don’t know what I was saying at this point or even if I believed it. I think was parroting some article I read, trying to make her feel better. “There can never be enough heroes,” I said, definitely not believing it as it came out of my mouth.
“Haha, okay Breverly, you can stop wheezing now.”
I hated that term since I actually had asthma as a child. These kids come up with the weirdest slang terms. You’re just saying extra words to say relax. I still chuckled, the way she said was funny. As I pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, I said, “Alright, kiddo. Let’s go get that ice cream I promised.”
She took off her makeshift utility belt and the sports bra over her hoodie. “I’m not a kid,” she said, pulling down her hood and taking off her goggles. Her blonde hair faded into sky blue at the end. The blonde hair kind of took me by surprise because her eyebrows were dark. She raised her eyebrows at me as she tightened her ponytail. “I’m a young adult. Big difference.”
“No you’re not.”
“But it’s true. Legit, young adult, Brev,” she said as she pulled out a crumbled pink object from one of her bags. I stared, confused until she shook it out, and it instantly unraveled into a baseball cap.
“Really? A magic hat. That was top priority to buy?”
“Don’t tell me that wasn’t the tits. You saw how fast it unfolded?” she said as she put it on and exited the car. I shook my head and smiled before we walked toward the store together. She jumped on top of the guardrail and slipped, landing in between her legs. She gasped and turned to me, laughing as she pointed. “You didn’t see that!”
I smirked. “See, only kids do that,” I said, walking toward the proper entryway. “This is what adults do.”
“That’s so boring. I like using my body. It’s fun, you should try it sometime,” she said laughing.
“I’m using it to walk to the door … I’m using it to open the door.”
“Great usage. I bet that’s how you stay so swole,” she said, pinching my arms.
I rolled my eyes. I was being slaughtered by a kid and I couldn’t think of a comeback. I looked at my arms and thought, I gotta go back to the gym. As we walked in line, I looked at the menu overhead. I already knew what I wanted, but I always did that for some reason. “You know what you want?” I asked Grace.
“That chocolate concrete custard. Oh my god, it’s so good.” She pointed her fingers at me and squinted. “Wait, is this a date?”
I shook my head in disbelief at the question. “What? No. You’re like 12.” My eyes opened wide and I quickly scanned the room to see if other people were staring. Luckily no one was, but the thoughts of what they were thinking raced through my head. “Why are you trying to send me to jail?”
“I’m not 12. I’m 20, for your information.”
“No the hell you’re not.”
“Yes I am,” she said as if she was offended, but her expression cracked pretty quick. Her attempt to hold back a smile was obvious.
“Let me see your ID then.”
She waved her hands. “Okay, okay you got me,” she said, turning around. “I’m 21.”
“You’re such a great liar.” Grace walked up to the cashier and ordered her concrete. She turned to me as the cashier told her the price. She waved at me. “What?” I asked.
“I don’t have any money.” She patted her leggings. “No pockets.”
Her hoodie clearly had pockets but she kept her phone in her belt. Her money was in there too I bet, and it’s all in the car. This sly girl, I thought. She got me. Of course I paid for her damn chocolate concrete. As a result, my double cheeseburger turned into a single. But I didn’t complain.
We sat down in a booth. She took in a spoonful of her frozen custard. “Shame this isn’t a date. You’re actually kind of cute Kev,” she said, pointing her spoon at me.
“Wish I could say the same for you.”
She gasped and put her hand on her chest. “What are you saying? You don’t think I’m cute, Kevin? Oh my god.” She stood up. “I’m going to the bathroom. And I might climb out the window after that rude remark.”
I smirked as she walked off. I was only joking. My thoughts were the exact opposite, but she was too young. Besides my older, realistic and Dark Knightish view would’ve only darkened her blue-sky world. She was probably joking anyway. I took a few bites into my single cheeseburger, and it was halfway gone already. I sighed, but it was cut short as the front door was swung open. I turned my head over and watched this angry dude with a hockey mask on, storm up to the register. He had what looked like a broom handle in his hand but it had yellow cracks on it that looked like the inside of a volcano.
He banged the handle on the counter and it broke into pieces on contact as a yellow flash shined. The customers on the line screamed and made a beeline for the exit. He shouted at them to not move and they all stopped in their tracks. He focused back on the cashier and shouted, “Give me all the money!” A cliché thing to say but he sort of stumbled through it. I was so scared at what he just did to the counter that I ducked down low in the booth. I peeked out. As the cashiers complied, he directed the customers to get back in line to not make a scene. The place had glass windows. I guess that’s smart. He looked back at the cashier as she scrambled to open the cash registers. “No! Go and get the money in the back. I know how it works here. Get the metal box in Kat’s—the, the manager’s office. I know it didn’t go out yet.”
Who robs a damn fast-food restaurant? I thought to myself. You’ve got to be kidding me. I looked toward the bathrooms and shook my head. Of course she wouldn’t be here the moment she’s needed. What were the odds that my kind-hearted gesture would lead her to another robbery? And she’s going to miss it, again! Hurry up, I thought. I couldn’t believe I actually wanted her to come in and save the day.
The asshole continued to shout at the employees like he had a personal vendetta against them. I turned my head and saw the pink hoodie of Grace as she exited the bathroom with no idea what’s going on, smiling. “I decided to give you a chance to redeem yourself, Brevvy. Before I demote you again …” She stopped, noticing me hunched over in my seat. “Aw, you total freak. Are you smelling the cushions?” I pointed to the front, and she turned. I could see her stare for a moment. I watched her expression turn awestruck, not the expression of someone normal. It made me think, if she saves everyone with her face exposed would it be bad for her future?
Without a second thought, Grace sprung forward, and I looked up to watch her charge the guy. She didn’t have her belt, so all she had was the glyphs on her arms. I became worried as I remembered that in order to use her powers, she had to be hit. What if she doesn’t survive the first hit? I thought.
He didn’t even notice her running at him and she tackled him to the ground. The customers stared at them, surprised. But it wasn’t long before she was blasted into the ceiling when a yellow flash of light emerged between them. She plummeted to the floor like a sandbag. The customers shrieked again and quickly ran for the exits, taking their chance as he slowly got up. I’ve never felt so helpless. She was on the floor, again. And again she got back up, laughing a bit this time.
“That was actually really fun,” Grace said as she dusted herself off. I had no words. She looked down at her arms. There were about four circles glowing brightly; three were yellow and one red. “Awesome, I got a red.” She chuckled again then looked straight at him and continued, “Okay, dude, I’m warning you. This will totally not go well for you, so just put down the … staff and give yourself up.”
The cashier who was ordered to get the money out the back ran up and apologized for taking so long. I guess she thought the loud noise was him getting angry. She paused as she figured out the situation, and he noticed her. “Put the money on the counter,” he directed. “I’ll finish this idiot in no time.”
Grace shrugged and said. “Alright. You can’t say I didn’t warn you.”
She ran at him again. He smirked and twirled his staff. I don’t know why but he did. Surprisingly, he didn’t hit anything near him before thrusting it at her. She threw a punch at it, and the staff shattered into pieces as another yellow and this time, red flash of light shined. Grace is thrust back again, into a wall. His hockey mask was knocked off and he stared at her with his eyes wide then turned to his broken stick as he shook his hand. He turned to his right, noticing the huge hole in the restaurant leading to the outside, made from her other hand. I guess that was what she meant by tornado. Insane.
That must’ve scared him because he ran for the briefcase on the counter then made his way toward the hole. Grace ran after him. She swung her hands behind her and clapped, unleashing a huge yellow burst, propelling herself forward, and crashing into the guy. The momentum was so great, it sent both of them flying into the intact window next to it, shattering it and sending them both outside.
I stood up and ran toward them to see what happened. Grace was completely fine, and on top of him, restraining his arms. One side of the guy’s face was bloodied. He was still conscious but wasn’t struggling to get out. She looked up at me and smiled, giving me a thumbs up. Grace you maniac, I thought. Was this one of things you tested?
Customers around the restaurant whipped their phones out to record her. She looked at all of them smiling and holding up a peace symbol as she sat on top of him. “Are you a hero?” one of the customers recording asked.
“Yes. I go by Kris Kross, with two K’s!” she said and couldn’t have been happier as she did. “Let it be known! The protector of Blaumonte is here!” she shouted as she crossed her arms.
I literally facepalmed. Holy crap. Why would you make such bold claims without your mask? You just challenged every lunatic in the city, effectively setting your own bounty on your head. Maybe this is what she wants. To be a controversial hero. Stir up the hero game and challenge even heroes to be the best. I hope she does, I thought. She might be the first one I actually support. Hopefully she’ll last.
Magoch 