"Here you are. And have a nice day." As Sumin handed over the coffee, they attempted a warm smile though judging from the man's confused expression, it didn't come over very well. Their supervisor, Michaela, had said they should always greet customers with a pleasant smile but Sumin wasn't really someone who let their emotions show very much so they weren't quite sure what a 'pleasant smile' entailed. Judging from everyone's reactions so far, they still hadn't gotten it right.
It had been a busy few weeks for them. After the school was destroyed, they were able to start their job at Miguel's Number One Coffee House immediately. Thanks to their eidetic memory, they were able to pick up everything fast. Their ability to do it was another thing though as just knowing what to wasn't enough. They learned that lesson after several spilled cups of hot coffee all over themself. But they eventually got the hang of it and were now able to effortlessly make three coffees at the same time.
A couple of times, they even used their powers to help out. Not too much so people wouldn't notice. Mostly when cleaning out dishes, washing multiple at a time with their indigo hands to finish faster, or putting away heavier items with some extra input at the bottom. It didn't pay much, but it was a start. And Sumin felt like they were helping around the house now. They weren't sure, but they thought (or at least hoped so) that the stress in their parents' expressions had faded somewhat.
It had been good the first week as they had no school so was able to spend more hours. But when the school reopened, faster than they thought possible, their hours had reduced and so had their payment. They knew beforehand they wouldn't be able to make much money from this but even so, it was disappointing. It didn't even matter how hard they worked at it, it didn't change the amount at the end of the day. And while they didn't know what their financial records were at the moment, they were pretty sure that they weren't making as much of a dent as they wanted. They weren't even sure if they were making a dent.
It was a weird feeling for Sumin, to wish to battle Swarm again than deal with this. At least there, they knew what they were doing and how to win. There was an enemy to beat clearly. Here, they had no idea how to beat this enemy. It wasn't even a real enemy, just…the pressure of life itself, they supposed.
One thing was made clear to them from that fight, however. They could never do something like that again. They had come too close to death on too many different occasions there and all they could think about was them lying on a bed next to Althea, practically dead to the world. Their parents had nearly forbidden them from leaving the house after the incident at the school. It had taken a lot of talk, and some convincing from their grandmother, to calm them down. Still, Sumin was on a strict schedule of coming from home to school to work and back home. No in-betweens.
While they did want to argue with that rule, they couldn't really after the incident and it wasn't like they had much to do anyway outside of those things. They were still allowed to visit Althea in the hospital but they had to inform them first. Sumin was grateful for that. While seeing her so lifeless still broke their heart, talking to her always did make them feel a little better. And right now, they needed that more than ever.
Sumin sighed, leaning against the wall. There was a break in the customers which meant a break for them. They wished…well, they wished for a lot of things. They wished they had a healing power instead so Althea could be all better, or any other kind of power that could help. They weren't even sure what to do with this one. They wished they knew how they could use it to help. So far, all they had really done was fight off Swarm and that wasn't something they wanted to make a habit. What they really wished for was the knowledge of how to use this power to make their and their parents' lives better. How could this benefit them?
They had tried meditating on it but the answer eluded them completely. All they could do was create constructs out of light. It wasn't like they could use it to fix whatever was wrong with Althea and make her how she used to be. It wasn't like the others' abilities either. Sumin could already think of dozens of things they could do with Travis's powers. Top of the list was doing about ten delivery jobs at once. With that speed, it would be no problem.
Someone new came in and they got back to work, losing themself in it and pushing their thoughts aside. It may not be much, this job, but it was something at least. Or, that's what they tried telling themself anyway.
"Good job today, Sumin," their coworker Miri said, waving them goodbye a few hours later.
"Thanks," they replied, wiping up the last of the tables. As they put away the squirt gun and rag, they suddenly realized they were alone. Right next to the cash register.
The thought struck their mind like a bullet, sending shockwaves throughout their body. It would be pretty easy, with their powers. Just blind the camera, take the money, and no one would be the wiser. Or even come back later, when it was closed. They could easily form a key with their powers and take the money then.
It would fix…nothing.
Sumin shook their head, disappointed at even considering such a notion, even for a few seconds. No matter what their reason, stealing like this was wrong. Althea would be disgusted to learn they had paid for her recovery this way. And that was nothing compared to what their parents might do. And heavens forbid if their grandmother learned.
No. No matter how desperate they were, they would never resort to that. They took heart in that, even if the thought that their cause was more worthy than whatever the money would be used for refused to leave them. They would just have to keep working as hard as they could and maybe look for other possible jobs as well. Perhaps they might get lucky and some revolutionary new technique would come along to save Althea. Or maybe…
For the second time in as many minutes, a thought struck them like a bullet. Why hadn't they thought of that already? When Sumin had first learned that there were others with powers, they'd had a slim hope that maybe, just maybe, one of them would have an ability that could help Althea. But that had been in vain.
However, Travis said there were others. A whole world. Why hadn't they realized sooner? If there was a whole world of people with powers out there, there had to be some with healing abilities. There had to be someone who could help Althea. And Travis had also said he was going to look for them. Starting with Swarm, which Sumin was not on board with considering how close he'd come to killing them all. Still, perhaps he knew something else. Unlikely, but their only lead.
With renewed resolve, Sumin walked home, doing their best to plan ahead. There wasn't much to plan for. They knew they needed to find someone. Perhaps this Lord Kane. From what Travis had told them all, he seemed to be the leader in this 'territory.' So he must know someone who could help. All Sumin had to do was get in contact with him. But, Travis had also said that he was looking for them all, to capture or kill because of their powers. So, maybe contacting him wasn't a good idea. Perhaps the other one, Samuel Tern, instead. Or maybe they could strike a deal with Kane. Not a devil's bargain, obviously, but something that would keep them free and heal Althea.
They needed to talk to Travis. That was obviously the first step. After that? Well, they'd have to figure that out.
They were so energized as they got home that they failed to see something important in the yard, walking right past it and into the house. They entered quietly, not wished to disturb their parents. Since both of them worked multiple jobs and odd hours, whenever they got home they usually took the chance to get some sleep. However, that didn't seem to be the case today. As soon as Sumin walked towards the kitchen, they heard voices. And they stopped when those voices turned into sobs.
"I don't know how we're going to tell Sumin." That was their mother's voice. They knew they shouldn't eavesdrop but at the sound of their name, their manners went out the window. "This will break their heart."
"I know dear," their dad said. "But it couldn't be helped. We tried our best, even Sumin. But…these things happen. We just have to figure out where we go from here."
Sumin frowned. What were they talking about? Had something happened to Althea? Their heart nearly stopped at the thought, but that couldn't be it. Their parents didn't seem devastated, more…saddened. Let down.
"Sumin didn't say it, but I know why they took the job. It wasn't just to help out," their mom said. "They think I don't notice, but every time they come home, they look at the house carefully. And then this look of relief comes over them." She sighed then. "They were trying to avoid this."
"Yeah," their dad said softly. "But this…this will be better in the long run. It's no longer manageable to stay like this. All we can do is hope it's temporary."
The realization was slow in coming, mostly because Sumin was doing their best to push it away. But it wouldn't stop and Sumin soon found themself backing up to the door. They fumbled with the knob, their hands shaking, before turning it and walking back outside. The second they did, their eyes were drawn to the large sign posted in the lawn, the one they'd been dreading for so long. The one they'd walked past without even realizing.
The one that said FOR SALE in big red letters for all to see.
It had happened. Their house was for sale. Even though they'd worked so hard, it hadn't made a difference. Their house was going to be sold. Their childhood home.
And then…then it was only a matter of time before they had to sell everything. Before they had nothing left. All to keep Althea breathing. And then…then they'd find out they couldn't save her after all, that she'd been gone the entire time. That it was all pointless.
Sumin felt like screaming, like bawling their eyes out, like punching the ground, like ripping up that stupid sign. But they just stood there, completely still.
No, they said firmly to themself. They refused to let this happen.
They had to find Travis right now. But…he was barely at school anymore, only showing up at classes before dashing off. So how was Sumin supposed to find him? What could he be doing? They knew he wanted to pursue this new world, and find Swarm before he came for them. But would he be actively looking for the man? No, that wasn't really the vibe Sumin had felt. Travis had proposed them all to work together to be ready for whatever was coming. And that first night, he had worked with Franklin and Madison to control their powers. So, he was on his own now. What would he be doing to prepare?
"Train," Sumin breathed. He would be training. And they had a pretty good idea where.
"Alright, Travis," he said to himself, rubbing sweat off his brow. "100 more laps. No, 200."
He pressed down on his phone, starting up Soundtrack 7 and hearing the beat of Glory by The Score reverberated through his ears. In a second he was off, running as fast as he could. He made it to the edge of the city and then turned a hard right just before Highway 20, racing past all the cars on the way. To him, they weren't in slow motion. They were completely still.
He took the next exit, continuing to go right. Parks, houses, streets, and buildings all appeared and disappeared just as fast. Then, the lake appeared, a vast stretch of blue in the setting sunlight. He knew the day was coming when he would start running across it. But he wasn't quite at that speed yet. Instead, he just stopped in front of it and started running next to it, his feet pounding across the turf. Rocks, soil, sand, it didn't matter to him. He blazed through it all.
Pretty soon, the main beaches showed up though barely anyone was on them at this time of day or even this time of year. Just a few other runners like him who he blew right past. He could see downtown Terrinburg from here, its few skyscrapers sticking out amongst the smaller buildings that made up the skyline.
It was only about a minute, probably less, until he reached the city limits. He made a sharp right turn, once more following the streets and cars until found the highway again. From there, he just ran alongside it, keeping the city on his right at all times, until he reached the city limits again.
"That's 1," he told himself, not even breathing hard or sweating at all. "199 to go."
He didn't know how long it took. Maybe an hour. Maybe ten minutes. He lost track of time after the 12th lap. From then on, he just focused on the run, feeling the air wash over him as he kept moving, the motion of his legs continually striking the ground. Time seemed to lose all meaning. Right now, there was just him and the run.
He first started feeling it when he hit 75. It got stronger after 100 and increased from there. Sweat began dribbling down his brow and his breath was beginning to come in gasps. Still, he refused to quit, moving even faster now.
When he finally hit 200, he was breathing a little raggedly and had stained his armpits and back completely with sweat. As he ran, instead of continuing down the highway, he made a sharp right turn back into the city. He navigated his way through all the roads and streets until he arrived back at the old warehouse, at last coming to a stop right in front of it.
"Oh, that sucks," he muttered, really feeling the strain now. He was all sticky from the sweat and there was sharpness in his lungs, like they could pop at any moment. But his legs were burning and he was told that was a good thing when exercising. At least, he thought so.
He almost chuckled. It was weird, him being so much into exercise now. Beforehand, he did absolutely nothing. He had zero interest in working himself to the bone and making himself feel horrible by doing things he hated just for the sake of those vanity muscles his brother was always showing off. Of course, he knew there was way more to it than that, he just didn't care. Exercise was not for him. But, whenever he read comics like Daredevil or Batman or Captain America and saw those guys' training regimens, he was impressed since they had to constantly workout to maintain their strength when fighting villains.
Travis had thought it would be an impossible dream, but he'd made it anyway. To devote himself to that kind of exercise if he ever did get powers. He never thought it would come true. But, here he was, with superpowers. And bad guys were coming. He couldn't afford to slack off. So, he trained. Every chance he got, keeping himself in as tough a shape as possible. It still felt horrible, especially all the sweat that made his clothes stick to him. But if it kept him and others alive down the line, then it was worth it. But he was glad he stuck with his regular clothes rather than his new supersuit. While that thing was awesome, he was a little concerned about how he could wash it since he never technically put it on, it just appeared. And if he was unable to wash it, well, with all that sweat and grime collecting over time…the thought made him want to throw up and wash his hands. No, better to stick to washable clothes. At least for non-emergency situations, like training.
He breathed in deep, glad his regimen was still pushing his body. It had been hard at first, to find the right way to make him actually push himself. He was tempted to start running around the entire state of Pennsylvania but since its borders were only clear on a map, that would be hard to do without constantly stopping and checking. He had already run around the entirety of Lake Eerie. It had taken longer than he thought it would, but he'd done it.
He was also tempted to pull a Forrest Gump and run across the entire country. But he sadly wasn't that fast yet. He was pretty sure the Flash couldn't run that fast when he started out. Hopefully soon he'd be at that speed and stamina. But he had to train hard in order to reach that level. He'd even pulled a Rock Lee and added weights to his arms and legs just to go that extra mile, pun intended. They'd been a real drag for the first few days but he eventually got used to them. Now he barely felt them. Actually, on second thought, that probably wasn't a good thing. He would need to get stronger ones later.
And he would need to practice his lightning, but at the end of the day. It drained him far too much so he reserved it for right before bed, so he could just fall into his sheets when he finished. Right now he was just trying to see how long he could maintain a continuous stream of lightning from a finger and had made it up to a minute before collapsing. He'd been outside at the time, so that had been unfortunate, but it was still progress. He was working up to doing it with two fingers and also added in rapid-fire shots whenever he could. Every day he was improving, but he still had a lot to do.
For now though, he was done for the day. Well, training her anyway. He still had stuff to do back home. But first, he had to eat since his belly was grumbling up a storm. He grabbed the bag of baby carrots he'd left behind and started munching down on them, practically feeling his energy levels rising back up. While he would prefer chips of chocolate, he knew carrots was the best option to keep his energy levels up.
As he ate, Travis took in the warehouse again. He didn't know why he picked this particular place. He wanted something isolated and he honestly didn't think the bad guys would come back here after what went down last time. Didn't mean much either way. He would just outrun them if they came. Not very heroic but he wasn't ready to fight them yet. But he would be soon.
Swarm. He needed to beat that guy. Not just because if he did, he would get an 'in' with Samuel Tern and his gang and learn some answers. But mainly because the guy was a vicious monster that needed to be stopped. Tern had said there were no heroes. Well, Travis was going to prove him wrong, even if he would be the only hero around.
Part of him wanted to run around, looking for Swarm, but that wouldn't be smart. If he went around asking criminals (not that he knew any) where Swarm was, that would probably warn the guy he was coming. And, even worse, warn this Lord Kane and the other higher ups out there that he was still doing stuff. He couldn't let that happen. He just needed to lay low, train, and get ready for the next fight, whenever that would be. And then…well, he'd figure it out then.
"Travis?"
"Gah!" he screeched, leaping in the air. He turned, bracing himself for an attack, when he saw Sumin standing there stoically. "Jeez, Sumin, what the hell?"
"Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you."
"Ugh, I'm fine. Just…never mind," he said. He couldn't ask Sumin to not scare him if he constantly did it with others thanks to his speed. "What is it? How'd you find me anyway?"
"Madison told me about this place and I figured you would be training," Sumin replied. "Seemed the most logical conclusion."
"Great. Glad I'm so easy to read," Travis huffed. He berated himself for not noticing Sumin when he arrived. That was a serious oversight on his part. If they had been an enemy, he'd probably be dead now. He couldn't let that happen again. "So, what do you want?"
"I would like to ask for your help."
Travis frowned, not expecting that. "With what?"
"I…I am not quite sure how to say this, but…" they hesitated, seeming at a loss for words. As far as Travis could tell, that had never happened before. Sumin was always someone who took their time to say what they meant to say, not hesitating or beating around the bush. "I wish to make contact with this Samuel Tern."
Travis's eyebrows shot up like rockets. "Huh?" he exclaimed. "Wha- huh? Are you…huh?"
"I am not quite sure how to respond to any of that," Sumin said.
"Why do you want to talk to that guy?"
"Personal reasons," Sumin told him after a slight pause, causing Travis to raise an eyebrow even further. "So, is it possible?"
Travis paused himself before replying. "No," he said. "The last time we talked, he said he would only contact me again if I managed to defeat Swarm. And I feel like if I tried actively searching for him, that might piss him off." He shivered, remembering the guy's power, how it had stopped Travis cold, literally. He was not someone he wanted to get on the bad side of. Not until he was ready.
"Oh," Sumin looked down, disappointed. "I see. Is that why you wish to defeat Swarm?"
Travis shrugged. "A little," he admitted. "But Swarm…I mean, you saw what he did. What he's capable of? Do you really think the police will be able to stop him?"
"No," Sumin replied honestly. "But I also saw how we fared. Do you really think you can fight him by yourself?"
Travis winced. Just another reminder that the others had no interest in joining him. "If I don't, who will?"
"Lord Kane?" Sumin offered. "Perhaps even this Samuel Tern or others like them."
"Maybe. I hope they already have. But if they haven't, if Swarm comes back, then I have to be ready. No one else is willing to do it." It took everything he had to not add a glare to that. He didn't want to blame them for not helping, but it was hard. "So it's on me. If I let him keep hurting people, then I don't deserve these powers."
"And what if you die?"
"Some things are worth dying for. If it means saving everyone else, fine." He had spoken without even thinking, taking him by surprise. He didn't know that he even felt that way, but it was true. It was just like Uncle Ben said. He had these powers, so he had a responsibility to use them.
"What about your friends and family?" Sumin asked, their tone a touch softer.
"I don't have many friends and the ones I do know my choice. As for my family…they won't miss me when I'm gone."
Sumin looked at him sadly, making him clench his fists. "That can't be tru-"
"Don't," Travis said firmly. "Don't butt in."
Sumin looked like they wanted to argue but backed off.
"Look, you made your choice to not get involved in all this. That's fine. But this is my choice. And I don't regret it." He turned, ready to run back to his house. But just before he did, he glanced back a little. "I hope you find what you're looking for, Sumin."
"Same to you," they replied softly.
Travis then sped away, racing over to his house. He could still feel the burn from his training but it was manageable now and it was only a quick run. Before he knew it, he'd arrived, sliding to a stop in the shadows of his home after making sure no one was watching.
These days, it felt weird coming home. Before, he always hated coming home, preferring to stay out at the comic book store or the coffee shop or anywhere else. Sure, using public bathrooms made him feel anxious but with the right gloves and ritual, he was able to avoid too much hassle.
Now, he barely came home at all, spending most of his time training. Not that his family noticed. The last time his dad had even cared had been when he'd asked Travis about the job. That had been a pickle for a little bit but Travis found a solution, making a deal with Greg from the comic book store to cover his shifts in exchange for free comics and telling his dad he did have a job. It was really easy actually as all he had to do was show up when they called (which he did in an instant) and deliver the pizza to the address (which he did in an instant). Of course, he waited a few minutes between so that it wasn't weird. But still, it worked. And it got his dad off his back as well as provide extra training so, wins all around.
These days though, the house was becoming stranger to him. Like, it wasn't even his home anymore. He used to always feel comfortable in his room at least with his comics and books and video games set up, able to just relax and pull the blinds on the outside world. Now, whenever he sat still, he felt like there was something he should be doing. Like he shouldn't be here anymore. Which is why he barely spent any time at all. Still, it wasn't like he could stay away forever.
He stepped inside and barely made it a few paces before someone grabbed his arm and dragged him off to the side. Reacting fast, he entered speed mode again, whirling around with his fist ready to strike when he saw who it was. Just as fast, he exited speed mode and just glared at his sister. "Jeez, Sarah, what the hell?"
"Where have you been?" she said, ignoring his question and giving him a hard glare.
"Out. Why do you care?"
"You've been out all week. What the hell are you doing?"
"Again, why do you care?" Travis tried to move past her but she blocked him.
"Mom's worried about you."
"Well, she doesn't need to be. Everything's fine. Now can you…" he tried to scooch past her again but again she stopped him.
"You've been acting weird ever since the incident at the school." Her gaze softened a touch. "If this is about that, then maybe you should…"
"No," Travis interrupted. He didn't know what the hell this was about or why Sarah was bringing it up but he was swiftly losing his patience. "I'm fine, ok? You and mom and whoever else cares doesn't have to, alright? So why don't you go back to scrolling through Tumblr or Instagram or whatever and leave me alone."
"What is with you?"
"What is with me? You're the one acting weird right now! You haven't given a damn about me my whole life and now suddenly you want to know what's going on?"
Sarah took a step back, hurt flickering in her eyes. Travis almost apologized but he held back. He really didn't understand what was going on here or why Sarah was acting this way but he didn't have time for this.
"Look, I don't know what is going on but I am always here-" she started but Travis had had enough at this point.
"Too bad, cause I don't care. I don't need you or anyone in this stupid family to be a part of my life anymore," Travis said. "I have more important things to take care of. So if you don't mind."
Without waiting for a response or even looking at her, Travis pushed her out of the way and made for the stairs, walking up them four at a time. He made it to his room and shut the door firmly behind him, rubbing his face.
"Finally."
Travis stopped, almost rolling his eyes. "Oh you've got to be kidding me."
"The hell took you so long?" his brother asked, getting up from his seat in Travis's reading chair in the corner. "I've been waiting here for hours."
"While sitting in the dark like some sort of psychopath," Travis said. "What do you want Andrew cause I'm not in the mood."
"Oh you're not in the mood?" Andrew laughed. "That's rich. I'm the one who got publicly embarrassed by his geeky little brother today."
Travis gave him a look. "Oh you mean when I stopped you when you threatened to beat up a girl half your size? Yeah, real embarrassing."
"You don't get it."
"Nor do I need to or really want to."
"I'm the top of the class."
Travis shot him a look. "In what? Being an asshole?"
Andrew glared fiercely at him. "I'm the top football player. I lead the team and so I carry the weight of the whole school on my shoulders."
"Where in the hell did you get that idea from?"
"You are really testing my patience, Timmy. When someone like those nerds disrespects me, they need to be taught a lesson. And when you, my own wimpy brother, stands up to me to defend them, that makes me look even worse in front of the whole school. Especially when you get away with it."
"You know what you sound like? A dictator. All you need is a fancy suit and an oil painting of yourself on a horse. Maybe add a moustache and a monocle for added effect."
Andrew clenched his fists. "That's it," he said and lunged forward, grasping for Travis's collar. He would have grabbed it too if Travis hadn't used his powers to move out of the way just enough so that Andrew stumbled past him. His brother turned, angrier, and tried again but Travis just tripped him up. Three more times he tried, grabbing for Travis only to trip and stumble.
"You want to give up or keep looking like an idiot?" Travis asked, yawning. "Cause I could literally do this all day. Mostly because the day's almost over, but still."
"What the hell happened to you?" Andrew asked, glaring.
"I decided I was done taking bullshit from people like you. But that doesn't matter. What really matters is what the hell happened to you?"
"Huh? Nothing. You're the one who's changed into some…other person."
"That's exactly my point. You have never changed. As long as I've known you, you've always been an asshole who had to be on the top and lord it over everyone else while also belittling, bullying, and making them all feel worse about themselves, including your own brother. And if anyone stood up to you, like Madison did, you beat them up to prove how 'tough you were.'" Travis added the air quotes for extra mocking effect. "You are literally a two-dimensional, egotistical, bully with no redeeming qualities."
"So what?" Andrew asked. "What does any of that have to do with anything?"
"So what in the hell made you like this?" Travis asked, shaking his head. Once, long ago, he'd looked up to his brother. Maybe when he was two or three, he didn't really remember. All he knew was that he thought Andrew was the coolest, the way he held himself and acted, how he dominated at football. He had been like a symbol of greatness.
That quickly fell apart when Travis realized Andrew didn't really care about him. Or anyone. For the past decade, he had been wondering why Andrew was like this. He knew why he was the way he was, or at least had a pretty good idea. But Andrew? As far as he could tell, there were no deeper meanings or backstory to his behavior. He was just a jackass, through and through.
While Travis may not have liked his father, seeing as nothing he ever did seemed to make the man even remotely proud of him, for so long his brother had been the reason he actively avoided home. He couldn't deal with the comments, the trips and prods, the constant reminder from Andrew at how much better he was. But now that Travis had superpowers, he realized something. He didn't care. People like Andrew didn't matter anymore. To him, none of his family mattered. They had all been holding him back, pushing him down to make him feel even worse about himself which undoubtedly led to his social anxieties as well as OCD. He finally felt like he could breathe, as if he'd been underwater this whole time. He finally felt like…him. And nothing, especially not his family, was going to hold him back anymore.
"Just get out of my room, would you?"
"I don't know what made you like this, but you still don't have any right to tal-"
Travis had been tempted many times to do something with his powers against Andrew. Throw water over his pants and make him look like he peed himself. Trip him up over and over again. Stuff ice cubes down his shirt. Replace his Gatorade with vinegar. So many awesome and hilarious pranks. But he didn't, not because it wasn't worth it or he was above all that. Just because he stopped caring about his brother in general. This time however, he decided to use it just a little, mostly because he was tired of just looking at him at this point. So, he entered speed mode, positioned his brother just right, and gave him a hard push towards the door before returning to his previous position and normal speed.
"-k…WHOA!" Andrew cried out as he flailed through the air before landing hard in the hallway. Before he could even blink, Travis shut the door behind him and locked it.
"And stay out!" he said through the door.
"Travis!" Andrew yelled a few seconds later, now banging on the door. "Open up right now or I swear to God I'm going to…"
Travis didn't hear the rest of it as he put his earbuds in and began playing his music. "Alright," he said to himself, looking down at a line-up of lightbulbs. "Time for some electricity training."
He didn't know what the future held, just that it would be bad and he had to be ready for anything. No more distractions. No more burdens on his life. It was time to become the hero he needed himself to be.
"Thunderbolt. That is such a good name."
"I don't know how much longer I can wait."
Patience, patience, the voice said. Just a little longer. Your strength is growing. Soon, nothing will be able to stand in your way.
"I need to do this."
I know, I know. The pain you have suffered is almost too much for you to endure. An abusive childhood from a father who hates you and a mother who abandoned you. From then on, no one out there who cared for you. You have been looked over and tossed aside at every opportunity. But now? Now you have me.
He calmed down, nodding. The voice was right. That was what he had. All he had. Nothing else mattered. He would make them pay for what they had done. He had come so close to destroying that stupid school where all his misery was born. But they had stopped him. And now he suffered even more.
And there was one person at the root of it all.
Just a little bit longer. Then, you shall have your revenge and all the power in the world.
Yes. He could be patient. He'd waited for so many years. What was a few more days? And then he would make them all pay. The whole world would pay. Starting with the one he hated most.
Stroneman.