23. Lightning Strike
During our lunch break, Josh and I decide to go on a Superto Thefto hunt. Despite the fact that he is at our school, supposedly on some sort of 'community visit', he has actually gone AWOL and no-one has seen him since an interview this morning. According to everybody else, including his film crew, he has just vanished. Maybe he had better things to do, or maybe he is camera shy – although I really doubt the latter.
I suppose I should tell you a bit about him. He is (estimated) to be around six feet tall and according to my trading cards at home, has the powers of flight, shape-shifting and the ability to sense other supers. He is tough and doesn't mess around like some of the villains I've fought, aka Captain Catastrophe. He gets the job done, without any unnecessary taunting or mucking around with text-threats.
His ability to sense other supers kind-of has me worried, to be honest. Despite the fact that I'm completely normal right now, (thanks mum), I'm still worried he might sense me. Or will somehow recognise me and attack, or maybe just reveal and publically shame me. Maybe he has the secret ability to read minds that he hasn't told anyone about and-
"Earth to Tim?" Josh elbows me in the stomach and I wince. "Dude, you are such a space-head."
"Sorry," I mumble, rubbing my side. "That hurt." I try to shove him back and he doesn't even budge, making me mentally moan and remember just a few days ago, when I was the stronger one.
"What happened to your super-strength?" he asks, his left eyebrow raised.
"Shhhh," I say, motioning to the hallway around us, which is filled with other students. "Not here." Looking around, I quickly see the door to a supply closet and pull us both closer to it, Josh giving me a perplexed look. I wait for nobody to be around, so I can slip in with him unnoticed, giving me a place to safely tell him about my lapse of powers. However, the corridor is pretty packed with students, getting stuff out of lockers, gossiping or just hanging around, so I realise this probably isn't an option. I need a decoy.
Decoy. Decoy.
Got it.
"Hey!" I yell, causing everybody to look our way. Josh tugs on my arm and whispers "what the hell are you doing?" I ignore him, not now.
"Look everybody! Superto Thefto!" I point the other way and quickly open the door, using everybody's head turning as the perfect cover for slipping into the cupboard and pulling Josh with me. When the door is shut, I breathe out in relief.
Josh sighs in the dark next to me. "Wow. That has got to be your trademark move, hasn't it?" I roll my eyes. "Anyway, what happened-"
There is the sound of a throat loudly clearing behind us and we both almost jump a foot in the air. Oh crap, I probably should have checked this room was empty first... But who likes to hang out in a supply cupboard anyway? I quickly turn around and squint at the darkness, trying to find a person in the shadows. "Who's there?" I ask.
I hear a clicking sound next to my side, as someone switches the lights on, blinding me and Josh for several seconds. Ugggh, light. When my vision returns, I nearly have a spontaneous heart attack when I see who is in the cupboard with us.
"Find your own cupboard," he commands, flicking his red and black clad hand at us. I quickly stop my jaw from dropping and Josh shudders next to me. Superto Thefto snorts at us. "Seriously kids, I was here first. Get out, or I'll throw you out."
To stunned to speak, I am about to nod and quickly open the door and leave, when Josh steps in front of me and looks the city's biggest supervillian up and down. Uh oh, what is he doing, does he want to be killed? And he calls me suicidal...
"This isn't your cupboard,' states Josh. I shudder. "It's the school's."
"What are you doing..." I whisper and Josh rolls his eyes at me. What, so I'm not allowed to be afraid of a guy who would probably throw me into a wall without second thoughts? Fine then, Mr Badass.
"So?" Superto answers, his voice sounding bored.
"So, we aren't leaving unless you give us your autograph." What? This isn't the time for autographs! And anyway, how is Josh speaking without fear right now? I'm having a hard time stopping my legs from shaking, while he is talking to him like he is another student and not the most powerful villain in the city. "Me and my friend," I shudder again, not really liking the idea of being associated with him right now, "have spent half of lunch looking for you and we aren't giving up now."
He shrugs in response. "I don't care. Get out."
"If we leave empty handed," oh my god is his voice threatening right now? What is he doing... I'm dead, I'm dead. Someone tell Julia I like her. Actually, don't say that, she will probably just get creeped out, "then me and Tim will tell everybody outside who is also looking for you where you are. Right Tim?"
Oh god I'm dead.
Somebody help me.
Josh elbows me in the stomach again, his voice sounding annoyed. "Right Tim?"
"Right," I say, trying not to stammer.
Superto sighs. "Fine, but you better have a pen." Josh finds one in his bag, while I try and edge myself into the corner, as inconspicuously as possible. "This visit is a whole waste of time," he continues, as Josh pulls out a piece of paper and rips it into two halves.
"Why?" Josh asks.
He sighs again. "Maybe you kids can help." Josh nods and I find myself nodding with him, mostly out of fear. "Short story – I came to your school, because my intelligence sources told me Lightning Strike," he sighs at our confusion, "that kid-hero who fell into that bank robbery about a week back?" Josh nods and I start mentally freaking out even more. Oh shit... I've been found. Goodbye, living. "Well he goes to your school, apparently." Superto sounds annoyed, which is probably a good thing for my health and safety. If he hasn't found me yet, he will probably leave and go to another school and... why was I even panicking? If he didn't sense me being a super at first, he isn't about to now. God Tim you are such an idiot sometimes.
"Does he go to our school?" I ask, as my heart-rate begins to lower. I am just an ordinary student, another fan. There is nothing to worry about. My life is not in danger. Maybe. Touch wood.
Superto looks up at me from signing one of Josh's papers, a careful look on his masked face. We meet eyes and I try my best not to cower and look away. He sighs. "I'm not sure, but I don't know. I hate my sources. Anyway, if you two wanna help, you can text me on this number," he writes a number down next to the autograph, "if you find out who he is."
Then he opens the supply cupboard door and I expect him proceed to throw us out, but he instead surprises me by walking out himself. A few girls scream as he enters the hallway and I can almost hear him moan. I close the door again behind him and look back at Josh.
We stare at each other, his face just as shocked as mine. Oh hell, I'm in trouble. I didn't know that the villains hated me enough that they had started looking for me. Man, I am so lucky I managed to drain away all my power yesterday. I could have died! Or became seriously inju- nah, I probably would have died. I should probably thank my mother when I get home.
"Lightning Strike," says Josh, finally speaking. "Interesting name, but I still like 'SuperBoy' better." I roll my eyes at him. "But that isn't the only thing. You are in trouble, dude, if he is looking for you."
"I know," I say, wincing again at the thought. "How did you talk to him like that?"
"What, you mean without panicking like you obviously were?"
I cringe, embarrassed. "Yeah."
"Well, I figured if he hadn't realised who you were yet, his powers were probably broken or something, so I knew he wasn't going to attack us."
"Yeah." I sigh. "But it isn't him who has broken powers..." I quickly tell him about what happened yesterday, minus the bit about Mum having superpowers as I figured she would be mad if I told him. And she would know, alright. Josh laughs at me at least twice by the time I finish and I join in with his laughter, feeling stupid but also, at the same time, relieved.
"You have really good-bad luck," he comments, as I finish. I laugh with him. "But seriously," he says, as we leave the cupboard, "what are you gonna do about Superto?"
"Well, hopefully he doesn't kill me. I suppose I'll probably end up fighting him sometime, though," I reply, keeping my voice hushed. "Maybe in the meantime we can use somebody's phone to give him some false info and throw him off the trail for a little bit."
Josh scratches his chin. "For an idiot, you have some good ideas." I push his shoulder with my hand and he laughs at me, causing me to join in. "Still no powers yet."
The bell rings and we head back to class. I finger the phone number in my pocket as I walk. I never imagined I would end up getting the phone number of one of the greatest supervillains. I never imagined it would be like this, either.
Josh asks me if I can come over to his house this afternoon, but I have to decline, because I am still on my mother's crazy 'house arrest'. I sigh as I arrive home, knowing that thanks to today's events, it is probably about to be lengthened. I finger the autograph and number in my pocket as I walk up the stairs through the shop into our house. Apocalypse, any moment now...
Amy greets me as I walk in, watching the TV with a peanut-butter and jam sandwich in her hand. "Mum's out, mortal," she says, between mouthfuls. I shrug and go into my room, throwing my bag down on my bed. Great, this just adds the suspense to when my mum does come home.
I check my phone. A new text, from another unknown number... I open it, knowing straight way that it isn't Captain Catastrophe.
'You are dead, M'
Actually, I think it might be the wrong number, as I am definitely not an 'M'. I flick them back a text saying so and proceed to surfing the web for a bit, checking out who, according to the news websites, are the 'up and coming supervillains'. The only thing that sticks out for me are how lame their names are. Squiggle Man. Icebreaker. Psychosetter. I can already think of an insult for the last one. Psycho Sissy. Poor guy.
What was it that Superto Thefto referred to me as? Lightning Strike. I guess Julia was right about the media eventually naming me if I didn't name myself. I guess that guy's comment on the news-report stuck. Lightning Strike. Well, it could be worse.
I sense someone standing in my doorway and look up to see my mother, grinning down at me. I didn't realise she was home. I sigh and prepare myself for the mental onslaught.
She laughs at me, before turning to leave. "You are learning."
Really? She is gonna leave without invading my head? Leaving words of wisdom, or at least making me jump of the bed in fright and break my nose in fright? Well, I suppose the fright is ruined now, so it wouldn't be fun for her to...
What isn't fun?
I groan and roll over on my bed. Thought too soon. Muuuuuum.
Tiiiiiiiim. You were so lucky today, with Superto Thefto. Hello, all knowing mother. And once upon a time, I thought I could keep secrets from her. Uh, I suppose I shouldn't think about you in first person while you are in my head, right?
Right. Unless you want your sister to look at me weird again because I've burst out laughing again while making dinner, yes.
I laugh. Anyway, mum. My life is getting pretty dangerous these days with Superto Thefto looking for me and-
Don't even try, I don't care if you didn't do your homework. You are going to school tomorrow. Powerless, 'Lightning Strike' or not.
Oh come on, I wasn't going to ask that!
Yes you were. I don't even need to read your mind for that one.
Anyway, aren't you gonna freak out that I was almost killed today at school?
Drama queen, you weren't 'almost killed'.
My phone beeps, breaking me from my mental-convo with mum. I look down at it, expecting to see a reply from the person who called me 'M', or another equally lame text-insult. But instead, the name 'Josh' flashes on the screen.
'dude u need to watch the news lol'
I frown and hop down from my bed quickly replying. 'I thought you said the news was for old men? Anyway, going to watch now.'
'well julia txted me and told me to watch and now im txting u'
'uh oh.' I try not to grimace as I walk into the lounge. I hope it hasn't got anything to do with...
