Son of Shadow Hero of Light

by C. Louis S.

Mother noticed something had happened as soon as she saw Leon, Aidan, and Father apparate in the living room. She put down the rag she was cleaning the kitchen with, and rushed over to Leon.

  “Are you okay? Where are you hurt?”

  Surprisingly, Leon didn’t feel hurt anywhere. He was exhausted and ashamed and embarrassed, but not hurt. Mother asked him several times to make sure he was really okay. She felt his forehead and shook his shoulders and arms to make sure.

  Kali came running down the stairs and gave Leon a hug. He wanted to push her away. “It’s not that big of a deal. I’m fine. Geez, everyone calm down.”

  “Not that big of a deal!” Mother scoffed.

  “I was watching you try to get on a team, again. And when Tommy was really going to give it to you, I teleported home to get Father. I guess I could have just teleported you out of there. Why didn’t I think of that sooner?” Aidan trailed off, muttering to himself.

  “It would have saved me the embarrassment of having Dad save me from a bully,” Leon chided.

  “He can take you back there if you want to keep fighting him,” said Father. Mother slapped him on the shoulder. “You were brave to stand up to him, but we don’t want you in the hospital. You were in over your head going up against a hulk.”

  Leon knew it was true, but he didn’t want to admit it to Father or Mother.

  “Well, I’m just glad you’re okay. You got us all scared. Just sit down on the couch.”

  He wanted to just run to his room, crawl under his covers and hide from the world. He had been so close to showing everyone that he belonged on a team with the seniors, but then he ruined it by accidentally throwing that ball into Tommy’s face. If only I had missed Tommy. Then people would still be cheering for me, instead of laughing at me. I’d be playing with Randall.

  Randall. That traitor. He didn’t stick up for me. He’s playing with them right now and I’m here feeling like an loser.

  Mother took off his shoes and propped his feet up on the foot rest. He wanted to just go hide, not be fawned over. He was fine. Kali was nervously playing with her hair. Something about this really upset her. She looked a lot taller all of a sudden, Leon noticed.

  “Look!” said Aidan. “Everybody look at Kali. She’s floating.”

  Kali looked around, more flabbergasted than happy. She immediately dropped to the floor. Father rushed over to hug her.

  “I’m finally showing my powers! I knew it would be soon.”

  “You’re an aeronaut, darling. Oh, you’re red. That’s so exciting,” said Father, beaming with pride.

  While Mother hugged her, Leon watched Aidan’s reaction. He knew that Mother and Father would be pleased with her no matter what color she turned out to be, but Leon really wanted to know what Aidan thought. He would either be jealous that she could travel faster than him, or be excited that her power complimented his.

  He was jealous.

  He appeared happy, but Leon could tell. Everyone knew that Father had always wanted to be an aeronaut, and if Aidan couldn’t fulfill Father’s dreams, he didn’t want anyone too. It was written all over his face, but Mother and Father were too excited to see it.

  Leon smiled. It was nice to have something on Aidan for once. He could use that the next time Aidan threatened to tell on him or tried to make him do Aidan’s chores.

  “We’re going to have to get a phone for you now that you’re all grown up,” Father said.

  “Oooo can we go tomorrow? I already know which one I want. All my friends have it. It’s the best phone on the planet. Can we? Can we?”

  Father laughed and promised that they would buy one soon. Kali jumped up and down.

  “I’m going to have a better phone than you and you,” she taunted, pointing at Leon and Aidan.

  Aidan laughed. “It’s the color that makes you cool, not the phone, right Leon?” Aidan slapped Leon’s foot and Leon jerked both feet back onto the floor away from him.

  “You saw what I can do today, Aidan. You’d better watch out.”

  “Yeah, I saw you throw that ball like a foot. I’m not scared.”

  Leon made a face before Mother told them both to stop.

  That night, Leon was lying in bed playing a tower defense game on his phone.

  Aidan: Hey! I saw you mindbend that ball. How did you do that? And what about that green glowy stuff?

  He was still in the middle of the level and ignored Aidan’s message until he finished.

  Leon: I told you I was going to learn all the superpowers.

  Aidan: Are you using dark energy?

  Leon: You’re not too happy about Kali’s power I see.

  Aidan: Don’t change the subject. And you’re wrong. I’m happy for her.

  Leon: No you’re not. You wish you were red instead of her.

  Aidan: No I don’t. Lay off.

  He smiled. He could picture Aidan’s face with a smile even though his message sounded mad.

  Leon: You’re jealous. You want to fly. Is it because Dad always wanted to fly?

  Aidan: Dad wanted to fly?

  Leon: Don’t play dumb, Aidan. Come on. It’s obvious. What’s your deal?

  Aidan: At least you’re not red.

  Leon: What do you mean by that?

  Aidan: You saw how proud he was of you. You stood up to a bully. That takes guts.

  Leon: Lot of good it did me. Even with my new powers, I would’ve gotten killed.

  Aidan: How’d you do that green glowy stuff?

  Leon: Wait, are you jealous of me, now?

  Aidan: You’re a lantern. Of course I’m not jealous of you. Your powers are lame. You don’t even have a power.

  Leon: I do now.

  Aidan: I’m going to start calling you a flashlight like Tommy does.

  Leon: Jerk. Seriously, though. Why do you want to be red so bad?

  Just then, his door burst open and Aidan bounded onto his bed. At first Leon was afraid that Aidan was going to put him in a half nelson, but Aidan just sat there with a dreamy look on his face. It almost looked liked he was about to cry or that he had been crying. Leon couldn’t decide which.

  “Okay, you know how Dad always wanted to fly?”

  “It was like his childhood dream,” said Leon.

  “Right. So when I was little, I always thought that I would be red. Dad would be so proud of me, or something. This is stupid, but I always thought that I would take him flying and he would just be so happy to finally be able to fly around. I don’t know. That’s just what I used to think.”

  “But you ended up being purple.”

  “Obviously.”

  “And we know how much Dad loves teleporting,” said Leon.

  “Yeah, even tonight when we got home, he was like, ‘I still can’t get over that feeling. It makes me nauseous every time.’” Aidan snorted. He looked down at his phone and wiped the screen idly with his thumb.

  “But come on, he’s proud of you being the executive loser in the mail room.”

  Aidan smiled and looked up again. “I know,” he paused. “But it’s just not the same, you know?”

  Leon nodded.

  “Of course you know. You’re always moping around about your lame powers.”

  Leon playfully shoved Aidan in the shoulder and Aidan got up to leave. Before he reached the door, he turned and with heavy mocking in his voice, he said, “I’m a flashlight and I just wish Daddy would love me.”

  “Get out of here,” said Leon. He threw a pillow, but Aidan was already gone.

  Aidan: I’m going to tell Mom and Dad that you’re using dark energy.

  Aidan hadn’t even left a minute ago, but Leon started to sweat bullets. He was pretty sure Aidan was just playing still, but he could already be in Mother’s room telling them about his new powers.

  Leon: You better not. I’ll tell them you hate Kali because she’s red and you’re going to make her life miserable now.

  Aidan: Good. We’re even.

  Leon’s heart still beat intensely.
He listened for talking downstairs even though he wouldn’t have been able to hear anything from Mother’s room. His heart returned to normal after several minutes of hearing nothing. He was safe.

  chapter 8

  Fireballs at High Noon