I woke up from a call from Danny.
“Jacob. Check the news. Something crazy’s happening” Then he hung up.
I turned on the news, and I was glad he called. An armed criminal had just driven a bus through the front doors of my hospital.
Will I even get there in time?
Without even thinking I stripped down everything except black shorts, and started putting the suit on. It was all the way on when I put the battery in the spine. As it started I grabbed my wallet so I had something to bite on instead of screaming, even though no one was home. I was no longer tired from just waking up.
Better than coffee.
I spat out my wallet and put on the mask. I opened the window above my bed and physically dove out it.
It took me about fifteen minutes to get out of town running at my top speed. Once I got to the bridge, I noticed that they had blocked off the road leading to the city because of the hospital attack. I had to hop from one car roof to the next, with lots of people stepping out of their cars to video me. Luckily I was light enough not to do any major damage, and with the help of the suit I could jump over three cars in one leap easily.
It took me a total of five minutes to get past the gigantic silver bridge. I was at the hospital in less than a minute. The police had surrounded the building, and were storming it behind the assailant. I stopped right next to my young cop friend. He nearly jumped when he saw me stop next to him.
“Hey, cop.” I said, he reached his hand out for me to shake it.
“Evan. My name’s Evan. Listen, you really pissed Carol off with that handcuff thing.” He rambled, while shaking my hand.
“Which floor?” I asked him, using the voice modifier to sound like an adult man with a deep voice.
“What?” He asked, confused.
“What floor is the guy on?” I repeated myself.
“Dude, you don’t want to go up there. They’re about to send the national guard in. You should go home.” He said in a grave voice. I stared at him. “Fifth floor.” He finally said. I jumped past the police officers and ran up the side of the building.
After fixing the problem I was having with the claws, I was able to run up vertical surfaces as if I was running normally. In a split second I was standing on a window on the fifth floor. I pulled my body up and used my toe claws to shatter it, quickly using my arms to throw myself into the room. Luckily the room was empty. I slowly walked through the empty halls of the hospital as the lights flickered and I could hear distant wailing and screams, and gunshots.
It’s so weird being in this hospital and not being on one of the beds getting talked to by a doctor.
I heard a door open behind me. I quickly turned around and found myself face to face with…
Something. It was a person, I think.
It looked like it was smoking. Like, emitting smoke.
And its arms looked like two gauntlets made of stone. Its feet looked like they were boots made of stone. Everything else was obscured by a thick layer of smoke. It had a head and a chest, though I couldn’t see any features through the bluish grey fog.
I wasn’t sure it was even wearing clothes besides its weird gauntlets and boots. It was just standing there, staring at me.
“Hey.” I said, in my normal voice. It didn’t move. But it laughed. It sounded like a normal person, a grown man. Although whatever the smoke was, it made it a little raspy sounding. It tilted its head.
“I’ve been waiting for this.” It said in the same raspy voice.
“Waiting for what?” I asked. Then it charged at me. I was expecting it to be slow because of its bulky frame, but it was just as fast as me. I barely had time to move. It swung its huge gauntlet fist out to grab near my throat, and I dodged out of the way.
I grabbed the edge of the nurse’s desk and threw myself over it, just to give myself time to think. The thing slammed its fists through the nurse’s desk and smashed it all to pebbles. The pebbles pulverized as it walked over them with its massive boots.
“Not so tough now.” It laughed. It stood above me, and looked down at me. “Get up and fight me!” It growled as it grabbed me by my throat and lifted me off the ground.
I don’t. I don’t know what to do.
I can’t move. Why can’t I move?
It slammed its huge fist into my face and threw me hard against the wall.
“Am I not good enough for you!?” It yelled in its raspy voice.
I saw bits of the porcelain case on my mask fall off as my head fell limp. I couldn’t take another hit like that. I heard cops marching up the stairs.
Maybe they’ll save me.
I heard five SWAT officers storm through the door. They pointed their guns at the figure and started to fire. Suddenly the room erupted into light and sound as the figure was struck by a sea of ammunition. It laughed as the bullets were stopped by armor forming around the impact area. It held its huge fist out to protect its head.
Eventually, they ran out of ammo and the thing charged towards them, now covered in thick stone armor where the bullets struck. It grabbed one officer by the throat and lifted him up. The other officers ran out, leaving their teammate behind.
I could see the air leaving the officer that the figure held. I could see the fear in his eyes. I heard the last bit of air squeeze out as he clawed at his throat. I heard a crack as the thing broke his neck. The body dropped to the ground, blood leaking from an open throat. Something ignited within me.
It has to be stopped.
I jumped straight up and tackled the figure. He seemed caught off guard, letting out a grunt as I made contact. My momentum was slowed considerably by the sudden weight, but I kept pushing. We slammed through the wall, breaking into the hospital room I’d just walked out of.
My momentum was again slowed by the force of breaking through a solid wall. I kept running, holding onto the stone thing with all of my strength. Eventually we slammed through the window of the hospital room, and I let go as I felt my body start to fall.
I have to stop it.
I’ve never been one for high places. I’ve never even flown in a plane. Falling from the fifth floor of the building after letting go of a stone monster was another thing altogether. My head was filled with everyone I’ve ever loved. Everything I’ve ever done, and never done. I thought of life, and of death. I felt my insides pushing up.
For the first time in my life, I just let go.
I embraced the fall.
I was surprised I was still alive as I landed flat on my face. My body skidded across the concrete for a moment before coming to a dead stop. I was barely able to lift up my head enough to see what had happened to the stone figure. I had fallen about twenty feet from it. It had taken the fall harder than I had. I hadn’t even made a crack on the concrete of the parking lot outside the hospital, it had made a sort of crater.
I built up my strength enough to lift my arms, and used them to push myself into a sitting position. Then I sat and took deep breaths. Reporters and bloggers swarmed me from behind the police line.
“Sir! Sir! Are you the figure from the hotel fire!?” One screamed.
“Are you a superhero!?” Another yelled.
“Are you a mutant!?”
“Is that thing a mutant!?”
“Where did you come from!?”
I lifted my head up enough to look at them. The sight of my shattered porcelain mask was enough to make them stop asking questions for a second. I stood up, dusted off my legs, and limped over to the stone monster. It was still smoking, but the ‘smoke’ never left a few inches from its body.
The armor it had created was cracked in places and completely shattered in others. It was laying flat on its back in a crater. I put my foot on its chest and raised one of my claws over its face. Its face that I couldn’t see, as it was obscured by smoke.
Did I actually win this?
I tapped the point of the claw against what I assume was its chin. I looked down at it with my shattered mask.
“Give yourself up.” I said. My voice modifier wasn’t working properly so it sounded extremely robotic and lifeless. I felt a stone hand grab my ankle and squeeze hard.
Then I didn’t feel anything as I was thrown through the air like a ragdoll. I slammed hard against something metal and passed out looking at the warm blue sky.
…
Ouch. I think Mr. Smog threw me into a police car.
I woke up only a few minutes later with a massive headache and no idea what to do. I sat still and listened to the screams of people and the gunshots of police officers.
“He got away!” I heard a police officer scream in anger. I heard them radio in a description of a smoke monster going down the street away from the hospital.
Yeah, I’m sure they would’ve missed that otherwise.
I found the strength to pull myself up. I had made a massive dent in the top of the police car. I rubbed my forehead. I heard angry footsteps as a police officer grabbed me and threw me to the ground.
“You! You’re staying here this time!” She said, and I recognized her as the blonde woman that had yelled at me last time. I let out a cough. If I coughed too hard with the mask on, I could damage my throat irreparably.
“I’d rather not.” I barely got out through coughs. She slammed her knee hard against my back, which sent me straight down flat on my face.
“I will blow your head off if you try to leave.” She whispered into my already ringing ears. I was too weak to fight back. I didn’t know how much more I could take. Then the older officer I saw the other day walked past me and put his hand out to stop the lady officer.
“Carol, stop. Let him go.” The man said.
“What!? You want me to just let a vigilante go!?” She growled.
“Just let him go. There’s eyes on us.” He said, firm. I glanced back and saw them staring at the small army of reporters. “He’s not the enemy right now, anyway.”
She begrudgingly let go of my arms, and walked off. With shaky legs, I stood up and struggled to take more deep breaths. Then I limped past the police line. Reporters Swarmed me but I just ignored them. I made it about halfway down the street before I needed to lean against a light post so I didn’t fall down.
…
Jones ran down the alleyway, quickly telling his fog to go back into his spine. His bare chest was exposed now, but at least he didn’t look like a monster. He hid in the darkness long enough for the fog to eat away at the gauntlet and boots.
It took much longer to eat through his own armor than it does to eat through concrete. Jones laid back against the wall of the alleyway and panted. His heart felt like a jackhammer in his chest. His pale face was soaked in sweat.
Fucking kid got the drop on me.
I killed a man with my bare hands.
What’s happening to me? Jones thought.
“Are you a junkie or something?” A young girl asked, at the entrance of the alleyway.
“Or something.” Jones responded between breaths. He held his hand against his bruised ribs. The girl walked over and stood a few feet from Jones.
“What’s your deal?” The girl asked. She looked about twenty.
“Stupid… Stupid kid jumped me. Hit me hard.” Jones gasped out.
“Did he take your shirt?” She asked. Jones looked at her and smiled.
“Why don’t you just run along, girl.” Jones growled.
“Whatever.” She said, as she turned around and walked away.
Everywhere I go, little kids are mocking me. Jonest thought.
Jones used the metal side of a nearby dumpster to pull himself up. He rubbed his eyes as they adjusted to the sunlight. He made his way out of the alley and down the sidewalk. A free man once again.
…
“I saw you on the news yesterday. You saved my niece.” The cab driver said.
I writhed in agony in his backseat.
“I did? That’s great.” I said, despite the pain. The broken voice modifier made everything sound apathetic.
“Those psychos kidnapped her and my sister off a bus. They took them to that warehouse.” The middle aged man explained. He was dark skinned with a curly black beard. He was wearing sunglasses, and gripped the wheel hard as he spoke. “Those madmen. They blew off my sister’s head right in front of my niece. I… I saw the footage. You saved her… Anything you ever want or need… I’m here for you. Here’s my phone number, anything you need, ever.” The man passed me a card.
I could see tears streaming down his cheeks beneath those sunglasses.
“Actually there is something…” I began. “Anything. You name it. I don’t have much, but you name it. I’m Houston, by the way.” The man said adamantly.
Getting hard to breathe.
“Can you keep what I look like a secret?” I asked.
“You have my word.” He said solemnly.
If I was a little less exhausted I would’ve never taken off my costume in front of a stranger, or anyone at all for that matter, but I really needed to get out of the suit. I was too exhausted and too hurt. I started with the mask. Then the suit came off next. I was still wearing shorts, luckily. But I was now shirtless and shoeless in a stranger’s cab, holding a shattered mask in my arms.
“Woah.” Houston exclaimed. “You’re just a kid.” He laughed. I let out a sigh, and leaned my head against the window.
“Fifteen, actually.” I said in a weak voice.
“Fifteen. My lord.” Houston said with levity.
I kept staring out the window as we passed other cars on the bridge. The traffic had lightened up after the attack was over. People were allowed back through and this was the fastest I had ever seen the bridge move.
“So are you one of those mutants everyone’s been screaming about?” Houston asked.
“Nope. I’m a normal human.” I said with a smile. I looked at Houston in the mirror. His glasses stared back at me. “As far as I know, anyhow.”
“So how do you do what you do?” He asked.
“The suit I have on my lap. I built it, it gives me strength, speed, it even makes me bulletproof.” I explained. That seemed to be enough for him.
We spent the remainder of the car ride in silence until he dropped me off a few yards from my lab. The walk over was a very itchy one as my bare legs rubbed against thigh high grass. But eventually I made my way to the front entrance. Once inside I flipped the generator on and put my suit on top of the proper workbench. I stuffed it into my backpack, and then I started the walk home.
…
“Jacob, why are you shirtless?” Mom asked as I walked through the front door.
“Long story.” I said dismissively.
“Oh, okay.” Mom laughed, then went back to preparing lunch.
I headed back to my room, shut the door, and locked it. Luckily when I left I made sure to close the window on my way out, or else I’d have some explaining to do. I sat down on my bed, turned on the tv, and then pulled my suit out of my backpack.
I laid out each of the parts. The suit itself, the mask, and the battery chip. I put the battery on the charger after unplugging my desktop, and I gave the suit itself a quick once over.
The frame was undamaged for the most part, and I lost barely any fur. Then I looked at the mask. You could see electronic components under the deep shatter lines throughout it. The lenses were cracked in multiple places.
Sensors all throughout it were damaged, the voice modifier was broken. Large chunks of the porcelain had fallen off after it had shattered. Some shards of it were still in the backpack I had put the mask in. I rubbed my eyes in exhaustion, then I carefully put everything back into my backpack.
Then I crawled over to the corner of my bed and curled into a ball.
I’m in over my head.
The thought resonates through me, as I try to figure a way out that doesn’t involve dying.
