Two girls, both about college age, looked at me with surprise. The one with a glass of wine in hand, lowered her sunglasses.
"Are you Orbweaver? Honey, look! It's the spider hero!"
"No, no. He's a friend though." I replied, trying to sound as normal as possible despite my bedraggled appearance. "What city is this?"
"Oh! This is Wilmo. You lost, Mister?"
"Home is about 700 miles that a way." I said pointing straight west.
My stomach churned.
"You gals wouldn't be able to spot me some breakfast? Maybe some tea too?" I asked.
"Geez, what's in the fridge?" the blonde one asked, looking back at the brunette.
"Ummm, we have eggs. Could make some pancakes if you got a minute," the other replied, hesitating, "but you ain't walking in my kitchen sopping wet."
"Fair enough." I managed a weak smile. "Is there somewhere I can dry off first?"
"Take this." one of the girls said, pulling the beach towel out from beneath them.
"Thanks," I said, taking it and wrapping it around myself. "I really appreciate it."
"No problem," the girl replied. "But how are you going to get back?"
"Good question," I said, frowning.
"Well, there's a bus station a few blocks from here," another girl suggested. "You could start there."
They led me to a small porch with towels and blankets. As I dried off and wrapped myself in their towel, the smell of cooking began to waft from the kitchen. The girls chatted amongst themselves, occasionally glancing over at me with a mix of curiosity and awe.
The blonde brought me a mason jar full of sweat tea. "Drink up."
"Thanks," I said, gratefully taking the glass and sipping the tea. It felt like a lifeline.
"I'm Ash and she's Emily. Nice to meet you..." Ash trailed off, waiting for my answer.
I decided, "Endurance... Yeah, Endurance."
A few minutes later, the girl who had offered to cook came out with a plate of pancakes and scrambled eggs. "We got way more where that came from."
I took the plate, my stomach growling in response. "Thank you. This is a first actually."
"It's no problem, really." she said, smiling.
"I'm new at this," I replied between bites. "And it's a long story, but let's just say gravity manipulator plus bad luck equals me landing in the Atlantic."
They laughed, and one of them shook her head. "Sounds like a rough night."
I nodded. "Yeah, you could say that. But really, thank you for this. It means a lot. You got a pen?"
"Sure do." She walked back into her kitchen and rummaged around a drawer for a minute.
"Something to write on too?"
She grabbed the notepad from beside the landline and came back out, the blonde rejoining us with a plate for each of them.
"Here..." I scribbled down my office number, "Call this number sometime and leave a message with the secretary. I'll make it worth y'all's while."
The brunette, who was introduced as Emily, leaned against the porch railing. "Just being decent human beings. Everyone needs a little help sometimes."
Ash chimed in. "Besides, how often do you get to help out a hero? This is kind of exciting!"
Their kindness warmed me more than the upper atmosphere. "You know, it's people like you that makes it worth fighting for."
Emily smiled.
My stomach grumbled again.
"Seconds coming right up!" Ash said as she walked back to the kitchen.
"Hey, anytime you're in Wilmo, you know where to come for pancakes and tea," Ashley said with a grin.
"I'll keep that in mind," I replied, standing up. "Thanks again. I should really get going though. I kinda left Orbweaver and Ace Citizen with ol' dense and ugly."
I polished off the jar and walked out to the beach.
Emily handed me a small bag with some snacks and a bottle of water. "For the road."
I took the bag, "Thank you. Be sure to call that number!"
They waved me off as I stepped on the sand. I gathered strength in my legs and focused. I leapt into the sky, tossing up a cloud of sand in the recoil. I flailed wildly as I tried to recreate the kick off nothing. The sensation of weightlessness was disorienting, but I adjusted my posture, tucking in my knees and leaning into the trajectory.
As I ascended, the coastline and cityscape blended into a patchwork quilt of colors and shapes. The feeling of freedom was exhilarating; I was flying. I left a sonic boom as I rocketed forward.
I scanned the horizon, trying to get my bearings. West here I come. I took deep breath and focused on going forward, on moving through the air. Minutes ticked by as I bounded across the landscape, the sun slowly eased back below the horizon as I outpaced the coming morning.
I felt more in control, more attuned to the delicate balance of gravity and speed. As I passed Emerald City, I traced the highways with my finger along the way.
Coming across a flock of doves, I slowed down to aviate in sync with them over the Smokey Mountains. I bobbed and weaved between them, startling one when I patted its head.
The scent of pine filled my lungs. The peaks and valleys rising and falling like the waves I left with Emily and Ash. I paused mid-air, suspended in a moment of pure wonder, before diving down into the valleys below, laughing from thrill of the descent.
Crossing into Tennessee, the lush greenery gave way to the urban sprawl of Dynamo. She blurred behind me as I continued on. I roughly followed the interstate, shortcutting curves and intersections, back to the skyline I knew best.
The mighty Mississippi snaked through town. The sound of early morning traffic, distant yet familiar, reached my ears. The scent of barbecue wafted up, making my stomach growl in anticipation. I took a moment to savor the view from above, before diving toward where the paper plant once stood. But as I descended, my heart sank.
Crepuscule had torn through the area, breaching the police perimeter and causing chaos among the civilians. Injured people lay scattered, and Ace Citizen and Orbweaver were fighting for their lives in the dirt, desperately trying to fend off being crushed by gravity. News crews frantically scattered as concrete had hailed down.
I landed with a thud, the ground shaking beneath me. Dust and debris filled the air as I rushed to Ace and Orbweaver, who were barely clinging to life. Bloodied and bruised.
I launched myself at Crepuscule, using my super speed to dodge his gravity-warped projectiles and land a series of powerful blows. Each punch connected with a satisfying thud, but Crepuscule barely flinched.
Cars, chunks of asphalt, and twisted metal joined the barrage, transforming the area into a hurricane of property damage. I hovered in place, bracing myself against the onslaught. The first wave of projectiles slammed into me, but I barely felt the impact. Each piece of debris shattered against my body or bounced harmlessly off. My newfound strength and resilience held firm.
Crepuscule's eyes widened. He intensified his efforts, increasing the gravity around me in a desperate attempt to crush me, but that was not going to win him the case.
"Sorry bud," I taunted, my voice carrying across the battlefield. "I simply built myself better."
Crepuscule's face contorted with rage. He hurled more buildings and cars, but they all fell short, breaking apart before they could reach me. His desperation grew palpable as he threw everything he had at me, yet nothing could touch me.
"You think you're invincible?!" he screamed, his voice cracking with frustration. "I'll send you back into orbit!"
He focused all his energy on me, trying to launch me back into the sky. The force was immense, but I resisted with my own inertia.
"I've got the endurance for that too."
With a final, desperate cry, Crepuscule tore open a portal in the sky, a swirling vortex of darkness.
He said, regaining his composure, "Until next time."
He stepped into the portal, the darkness enveloping him. The sky sealed shut behind him, leaving the battlefield eerily quiet. The debris settled, and the oppressive gravity lifted, returning the world to its normal state.
I hovered there for a moment, catching my breath and surveying the destruction around me. The city was in ruins, but the immediate threat was gone. I lowered myself to the ground, feeling the weight of what had just happened.
Ace Citizen and Orbweaver slowly approached, battered but alive.
"You did it," Ace said, his voice filled with awe. "You actually did it."
"We did it." I corrected.