Chapter 4: life as a hero -Brief conflict.
Since we got our suits me and Mark have taken to patrolling Chicago. With a grin, I fly above the water. My hair blows in the wind as I shoot into the clouds.
"Wooo hell yeah!" I yell as I stop flying and let myself free-fall backward. Before I catch myself just before I slam into the water. Flying toward the city.
My eyes scan the area for any sign of crime.
I hear gunshots and zoom in the direction. My form is a blur as I grin.
Arriving at the scene of the crime. I slowly float down behind the police hand on my hips. The police rapidly fire on the form of a laser-wielding man. But just before I can take action Mark comes out of nowhere and punches him.
"Bruh," I mutter as I shoot after the man's flying form.
Using my speed I reach the other side of an office building just as the man crashes through it from Mark's punch.
Catching him with one hand. He shakily turns and sees me as I smirk. Tossing him into the air I land a spinning kick to his jaw sending him crashing into the street.
-BANG!-
He crushes the asphalt. Decently durable. That was about 5% and he ate it casually. Though he is unconscious.
Mark flies over. A scowl is noticeable even behind the mask as I turn to my brother.
"Dude I had that." He says annoyed as I glare.
"I saw him first and arrived on scene first. You just came outta nowhere and punched him through an entire building" I scold my brother. Poor construction workers going to have to fix a building.
"Whatever, Markus. I'm going home." Mark says as he flies off. I wave him away with a grin. Looks like I get all the action to myself.
Watching the police carry the unconscious man into a GDA escort. I smile. He's going to super prison. I guess I better head home as well.
*****
The next day. I'm woken up by Mark his face panicked.
"Markus wake up! It's about Dad!." That gets me up as I rub the sleep out of my eyes. I immediately get dressed mom waiting for us I frown.
"What the hell is going on?"
Two men are at our door. Their faces are deadly serious as I note Mom's look. She looks scared. Worried.
"Come with us."
.
.
After a short trip to the Pentagon. Me Mark and Mom are in an elevator with a guy named Donald.
"This is the most advanced hospital on the planet. Nolan is under extensive care." Donald says as he leads us through the halls.
Me and Mark take note of the futuristic aircraft outside of one of the hallways windows.
"Woah," Mark says. Donald smiles slightly.
"That's how we get to people so fast neat isn't it-"
"We aren't here for a tour Donald." Mom cuts him off. Her face now a scowl. Dang, she's mad. I've never seen her like this.
We enter a room. And come face to face with a white-haired man. A narly scar on his face as he greets us.
"Debbie, Mark, Markus." I raise an eyebrow. Never met this guy in my life how does he know my name?
"Cut to the case Cecil. Where's my husband?" Mom says seriously as Cecil sighs.
"Nolan is under extensive care right now. We found him on the verge of death." Cecil says with a large frown. But that may be his resting face.
"Seriously? Who could've hurt Dad like that-" Mark begins as I nod. This doesn't make sense. Dad is too strong to be put on life support.
"The guardians are dead. All of them. We tried our hardest to bring them back. But only Nolan is alive." That makes me freeze. The guardians dead? And Dad on life support?
"How?" I question my face showing my internal conflict and pure confusion.
"We don't know. A running theory is the person who did this led your father and the guardians to their HQ. Where they promptly took your father and the guardians down ripping them limb from limb". Cecil begins as I shudder.
I shudder in fear. If something or someone can take on Dad and injure him to this degree. How would Mark and I fare?
But my gut tells me something else. Like something is amiss. My mind thinks back to all of Dad's subtle undertones. His darker form of speech when interacting with specific villains.
'Holy shit... did Dad kill the guardians?' This thought makes me cringe as I rack my mind. Looking down at the prone form of my father. His eyes closed as I frowned.
"Mister Cecil. Do you think there's any villain? Past or present that could've done this to my dad." I ask seriously. Hoping there was. Hoping all my suspicions since I was 9 have been false. But no.
The older man shares a look with me and shakes his head. He knows too. Dad killed the guardians.
I breathe heavily and rapidly. Why would he do this? I thought his people were sent to planets to help them why kill Earth's greatest protectors? Why?
Mom puts a hand on my shoulder. Misjudging my hyperventilating as Mark looks concerned.
"Markus I'm sure Dad will be fine." My brother says comfortingly as I nod.
"Yea... Dad will be alright." I grip my chest. All the memories come flooding back. The man was my second life's father. And a damn good father at that.
It feels like yesterday he was cheering me on at my regional MMA tourney. Now he's in this state. After slaughtering a bunch of good people.
Cecil and I share another look. His eyes tell me it all. He knows. We both know. I look to Mom and Mark. But Cecil shakes his head no. He's right, I shouldn't tell them.
Mom hugs me tightly. I never show this emotion usually so I'm sure she's very worried. I hug her back tightly.
My face scrunches as I fear the worst. Will our family be broken up over this? The truth will come out eventually.
Looking at my twin, I calm myself. If Mark is this calm I should be calm as well.
Taking calming breaths. I steady my resolve. If my suspicions of Dad turn out to be correct. I won't hesitate to protect humanity.
That I vow to myself.
******
Flying over Chicago I look around for any sign of crime. You know for a city full of superheroes there's a weird amount of crime that happens.
Mark is next to me as we hear a large explosion. That's our queue. Without hesitation, we zip down at the speed of sound.
Our forms blur as we arrive to find 5 heroes fighting an army of green men coming from portals.
'The teen team.' I raise my eyebrows. They usually don't operate around here.
Spotting a red and blue blur zipping around and knocking the aliens unconscious. I note Xlr8 she's a new addition and the rumored younger sister of Red Rush.
The next is the uncomfortably familiar girl with strawberry blonde hair. Atom eve. Barring an uncanny resemblance to that girl from my sophomore year of high school.
I land with fitness next to a guy tossing around exploding marbles. Rex-splode. A girl cloning herself rapidly moves through the enemy forces with practiced ease. Dupli Kate. And a robotic entity commands the 4. Robot.
"Woah who the hell are you guys?" I ignore Rex-splode and move into action. It's finally a real challenge.
Moving forward towards a tank I'm shot twice by two beams that explode on my body upon contact. I move forward unaffected by the explosion a grin on my face.
"Come on that didn't even sting!" I yell as I punch the closest tank near me. The alien metal folds under the force of my punch as it's sent crashing into another tank and exploding.
I become a blur of movement. Only matched by the speedster girl as I dismantle the alien invaders along with saving nearby civilians. Mark flies off with a bloody old lady in his arms taking her to a hospital as I enjoy the rush.
My long hair waves in the wind as I bash through tanks. I've become their main focus as they all turn to me shooting rapidly.
"Hey dude they're targeting you, stay away from the others not everyone is super durable like you handsome." A feminine voice says to my left as I turn and smirk at Xlr8. Me and the girl make brief eye contact before I nod and shoot forward.
The aliens keep coming as more portals open. A massive tank rolls out and aims at Atom Eve and robot within a barrier.
Duplikates clones get slaughtered faster than she can spawn them and Rex Splode begins to get overwhelmed. I shoot forward using my body as a shield to protect Rex splode from an onslaught of laser blasts as the new massive tank fully focuses on me.
My eyes widen as the beam shoots out with an audible boom. I brace for impact as the beam hits my chest with the force of a train. As I gasp blood slips from my mouth and I'm sent flying.
My form crashes through a nearby marble fountain before continuing through 3 buildings.
"*Groan* Hot shit that hurt" I mutter. For the first time since getting my powers, I've been hurt.
Spitting out a glob of blood like some anime character. I sigh. That can't be good.
Shooting out of the me-sized crater I rush to help the teen team but when I arrive I notice the aliens rapidly aging.
"Woah these guys are getting pretty slow" Rex-splode comments as he tosses coins at the aliens. The explosions kill their old and frail bodies on contact I sigh in relief.
"They appear to be undergoing a rapid aging process" robot states the obvious as I float down slowly.
The aliens quickly rush through their portal as their comrades age rapidly.
"I don't know what just happened but I never want it to happen again," Rex-splode says as he punches a groaning rapidly aging alien before turning to me.
"Who the hell are you pretty boy?" The hero questions as I smile.
"I'm sentinel and the guy who flew off with that old lady earlier is my brother invincible." I introduce myself and Mark since he's not here to introduce himself.
"It's nice to meet you, Sentinel. You were an awfully helpful ally in our most recent fight." Robot greets me with a handshake and I smile slightly.
"Nice to meet you too robot."
"You're fast sentinel. Almost as fast as me, would you wanna race sometime?" I turn and get a good look at Xlr8.
Like me, she doesn't wear a mask. Soft eastern European features adorn her face. Smooth blond hair and emerald green eyes. Her eyes are covered by red-tinted goggles.
"Pfft, you sure you would be able to keep up blondie?" I question genuinely curious. I haven't tested my speed but I'd say I'm at least 20 times the speed of sound at the very least.
"Oh, your confident. That fight wasn't much how about a quick race right here right now?" She says as she steps forward playfully glaring up at me as I'm a decent 5 inches taller as I smile down at her.
"Okay. Here right now to Oak Park. Loser has to do what the winner says." I say confidently as the girl smiles at the challenge.
"Okay after I school you we'll be going on a date. You pay."
"Your so on." Bending down I grin as the girl gets into a running position next to me.
"Must you two do this now?" Robot questions before we look to him.
"Fine, on your marks. Get set. Go!".
In an instant I fly at my top speed. The sound barrier shattering as I soar through the air. Flying above the water as I move as fast as possible.
*****
Landing in a skid. I take a few deep breaths after pushing myself. Looking around for the pretty little speedster I smirk.
"Heh, looks like she was all talk." I say to myself before I turn around.
There leaning against a nerby wall is the same blonde girl I just bet with. She smiles up at me before looking at her phone.
"How did you-"
"Whats your number pretty boy."