This World

by Lee, TD

  "Wh-what's going on?" I ask rhetorically. I know exactly what’s happening here.

  Jaron tosses a pipe over to Beth. Beth swings her pipe in a circle, laughing as she approaches the kid. "We found this Deviant, so we thought we could have some fun." She takes the pipe and swings it against the kid's leg.

  A piercing scream fills the air as the kid takes the hit. The kid turns, trying their best to crawl through a narrow walkway. You can just tell that he’s weakened.

  "That's right, try to crawl away," Beth heckles as she and the other people around us slowly follow the Deviant. She swings her pipe again and hits the Deviant in the rib. The many other people around her start swinging their weapons at the Deviant, creating disgusting music of laughter, terror filled screams, and weapons against flesh.

  Jaron looks over at me. "Ridley, here," he says, tossing me the rusty pipe he was using. I catch the pipe upon instinct. Examining it up and down, I can see dents and blood. "Don't be shy, come over and take a crack at this abomination," he beckons me as he skips over to the group dogpiling against the Deviant.

  This is wrong. I get hating super people, but not to this capacity. Rallies and protests, I can get behind. This kind of violence though? I just can't, and I especially can’t let this happen after my talk with Sadie. Yet, I’m petrified. I can’t stop this. All I can do is watch in absolute terror as these people are hurting an innocent person. How can I stop them? If I try, they’ll attack me too probably. What the scary hell do I do?

  My body is trembling. My legs are actually fighting to stay standing. All of these guys, they’re so full of rage. They have maniacal grins on their faces as they continue to beat this Deviant kid. Why? Why can’t I do anything? Is it because I’m not a hero? I want to do something to help the kid, but I’m scared. I’m a coward. Where’s the hero to save the day?

  A dog bark echoes. No one else seemed to notice it. Echoing along the alley are quick footsteps. Oh please, please tell me this is someone who can save this Deviant kid. Rushing in like a shadow is a dark, small figure that swiftly tackles one of the guys attacking the Deviant kid. Snarls and growls fill the air now as everyone diverts their attention away from the Deviant. The shadowy figure is a fairly small black puppy with wet fur and hellish red eyes. It’s angry as it snarls at the group looking at it.

  “You damn mutt!” yells the guy who was tackled by the puppy. He runs up to the puppy and prepares to kick it. The puppy dodges nimbly by jumping back onto a nearby wall. Light starts to emanate from the puppy until its black fur is completely covered by light.

  The group is taken aback as we all watch the puppy. “Wh-why is it glowing!?” I hear Pat scream.

  The puppy then propels itself off of the well, breaking the light to reveal itself to be at least three times as big as it was, but also sporting two ghostly heads that branch from its neck. Flames seep through the side of its jaws as it tackles the same person that attempted to attack it. The dog is exponentially stronger now, pinning the guy down without it looking like it’s a difficult effort. The dog isn’t necessarily being extremely aggressive as it has plenty of opportunities to bite and severely damage the guy, but it’s not. Rather, it looks like the dog is just subduing the guy from attacking the Deviant.

  “The dog is a freak! Get it!” Beth screams as if she’s part of a war. She and several others of the group run towards the dog. The dog’s two ghostly heads face towards to the group, snarls on their own and breaths out flames that keep the group at bay.

  Swooping in from above is a strong looking woman with long blonde hair in a ponytail and purple baseball hat. She's dressed in sweatpants and a white tank top that shows her strong midriff. A thin gray jacket barely covers her upper body that is soaked from the rain. She's breathing hard. She's incredibly intimidating. While she's not overly muscular, her physique is one that shows off her muscles.

  "Wh-who are you!?" a guy holding a bloody hammer yells, pointing his hammer at the woman.

  "This doesn't seem fair," the woman says, ignoring the hammer guy. Her glass blue eyes pierce every single one of us. She takes up a fighting stance as she eyes each and every single one of us. No matter how many times she glares at me, I can't help but feel more and more pressured by weakness.

  "Y-you don't scare us!" a guy holding a bloodied crowbar stammers as he hesitantly moves towards the woman.

  The woman is completely unfazed as she stares at the crowbar guy. The crowbar guy and hammer guy attack the woman together. She dodges their attacks and uses her jacket to cunningly wrap around the hammer guy’s arm. This prompts everyone else to attack, Beth, Jaron, and Pat included. The woman uses the hammer guy like a puppet as she vaults over him to kick someone or uses him like a human shield or even a weapon to hit her pursuers. She eventually throws the hammer guy while untying her jacket in the process.

  This woman is extremely nimble in her movements, but the way she's moving is strange and awkward. She's favoring her left leg over her right. Maybe her right leg is weaker?

  Jaron brandishes a switchblade. He swings at the woman, but she dodges each swing with ease. While the woman is focused on Jaron, Beth takes her pipe and smashes it against the woman's right leg. The look of joy that Beth had when she hit the woman immediately disappears as she realizes that the pipe she has is completely bent around the woman's leg. The woman is completely uninjured. The woman kicks Beth in the stomach, causing Beth to fly and collide into a nearby wall. A bit of the woman's sweatpants rises and I can see something metallic around her ankle.

  "Beth!" Jaron calls out, but he's quickly kicked into the air and punched several times, defying gravity, before landing hard on the ground.

  "R-Ridley, do something!" Beth calls out as she sits on the ground in pain.

  But I don’t want to do something. Not because I feel like I can’t, which is actually true, but also because this woman is protecting the Deviant kid. She’s the hero that I needed to show up because of these guys ganging up on the kid. I’m not going to stop her. It’s an inevitable fight. I can’t do anything against her nor do I want to. I drop the pipe in my hand which rings loudly in the air. The woman looks at me as if she’s prepared to attack. I throw my hands up to show that I mean no harm towards her. The woman glares at me right before she wraps her arms around an oncoming attacker’s neck and throws them to the ground.

  Everyone is defeated. The dog is still pinning down a guy. The Deviant is watching in awe despite being bruised and bloodied.

  “And you just stood here?” the woman scolds me. She approaches me until her body is literally touching mine. She’s so much more intimidating now that she’s up close and personal.

  “I-I-I-”

  “Whatever, you’re smart not to fight. Now go away,” the woman commands me. She moves towards the Deviant, picks them up, and runs out of the area. The dog quickly follows after the woman.

  My body drops to the ground as a deep sigh escapes my mouth. I’m so glad I didn’t get beat up, that woman kicked a lot of ass. Just wow.

  “Y-you just stood there!” Beth yells at me as she holds onto her arm. She can hardly walk straight because of that beat down. Her eyes look at me in frustration and anger.

  Jaron and Pat are also hardly able to walk normally. Each of them look so battered that it almost makes the Deviant look like they just barely got away with some scrapes. The three are holding onto each other for support just to stand.

  “Ugh, whatever! Let’s go to SAVE, they can probably help us there!” Beth starts stumbling her way through the alley, leaving the other people behind.

  “B-but!”

  “But nothing Ridley! If you didn’t help us here, at least help us get to SAVE alright!?” Beth yells at me, as she takes her hand and grabs my wrist. She starts dragging me again as Jaron and Pat have moved on ahead and we leave the injured people behind.

  I’m not dragged too far. As soon as we make it back to the main streets of the city, we start getting looks of concern from many passing peo
ple. Yet, none of them asked us for help, they just kept walking. Normally, I would be angry with that, but I basically just stood in one spot watching people get beat up. Unlike them though, I didn’t do anything because I didn’t agree with what they were doing.

  Luckily, the building where SAVE is meeting in isn’t very far so Beth and the others didn’t have to walk too far injured. We enter a tall brick building that kind of looks like an apartment building. As soon as we enter we’re greeted by a warm lobby filled with plenty of chairs and a reception desk. Plenty of people are standing around as well. Everyone is strangely still and quiet. It’s kind of freaking me out.

  Beth approaches the reception desk and asks, “This is where SAVE’s meeting is right?”

  The receptionist, Winona according to her nametag, responds with a wide smile, “Oh yes, quite.” She points to one of the many plush chairs that are placed in the lobby. “Go ahead and take a seat and we’ll get you all started as soon as we can.”

  Without even trying to argue or say that she needs help because of her injuries, Beth willingly complies and moves to a chair and sits. Jaron, Pat, and I follow suit and find chairs to sit in too. It feels wrong to be here though. I need to go, I need to not be here because I don’t belong. Sure, SAVE is an organization that’s supposed to help people affected by super people, but I get this feeling that this isn’t what this meeting is supposed to be about.

  Beth is surprisingly quiet. Wouldn’t she normally be talking a lot about something? We’re in SAVE now so it would make sense for her to start saying something against super people. Yet, she’s quiet. It’s kind of scaring me. Jaron and Pat haven’t really said anything either. Why? They’re all sitting quietly as if they didn’t just get in a fight. I look at them and their faces are weird. It looks like they’re trying to force a straight face. They don’t look natural at all. What’s going on with them?

  Maybe they just need to be quiet like you!

  My eyes flare open in shock. That voice, that voice is back! No! Where is King? Where’s he hiding? Why is he here? This can’t be happening. I want to say something out loud, but I can’t. Even if I tried to move my mouth, it won’t. Shit! Shit! Really!? King is here!?

  The next couple of agonizing hours go by. Not only did I just sit here and stare blankly at the wall, but I had to do it for hours. My body refused to move. Words couldn’t come out of my mouth. I just sat in total silence. What the hell? Winona moves in front of everyone in the lobby. A wide smile is on her face. She strokes her lilac purple hair behind her ears. “Hello everyone, I regret to inform you that you have all been fooled into coming here.”

  “What!?” someone yells for everyone else.

  “Yes, you have been fooled to coming here, for you are about to die,” Winona responds calmly. Her smile is terrifying now. “How? You may be thinking. Well, you will cause yourselves to be the source of an explosion. You can’t stop it, so don’t even try to. Your inevitable end has come.” Winona chuckles quietly which only makes everything else she said completely terrifying.

  No, no, no, no! I just talked to Sadie about Hiro. I want to reconcile things with Hiro! I can’t die now, not today!

  Several people try to stand up and run to the door, but instead they just freeze in place.

  You will stay seated and you will be quiet.

  My body won’t move at all. Even though I know am fully capable of standing up, everything else is refusing to. My brain doesn’t want to tell my body to move. I hate this, I hate not feeling in control of my own body! Everyone else in the lobby stays still. Did King tell them to stay where they are? This is ridiculous.

  Winona goes to a closet and pulls out a long clothing rack with several vests equipped with bombs strapped onto the front of them. She approaches each and every single person in the room.

  “Before you go, I’ll have each of you please put this on,” Winona smiles as she hands me a vest with a bomb strapped to the front of it. “Thank you for your service, it will not be forgotten.”

  You will take that vest and put it on.

  My arms move up to grab the vest even though I know I shouldn’t. Despite me trying to fight against King’s words, my body just moves willingly to his instructions. I put on the vest and hide it under my jacket. I don’t want to die! Not before I apologize to Hiro! Why? Why is this happening!?

  Now, you will walk outside. A good several miles away from this location and stand and explode. You won’t look around at others for help. You won’t yell. You will comply like the dog you are and stand at a populated place and blow up. Make your master proud.

  My body just moves, willingly and not willingly at the same time. While I know I’m voluntarily moving my legs, I’m also trying to stop, but I can’t. I try to move my head to the side, but I can’t. I’m forced to move and look only forward. My body automatically moves outside into the rain. Without stopping, I just keep moving straight. I was separated from everyone since the lobby. I’m alone, or maybe I am since I can’t move my head at all. My eyes won’t even close. It’s painful, all of this is painful.

  My body brings me to the shopping plaza with the beautiful trees and lights. There’s so many people around me. My forehead is beading with sweat and rainwater. I stand idly. Several people slowly move by me, but don’t look at me as if I’m invisible to them. The bomb starts beeping loudly.

  Ten.

  Someone help! I have a bomb on my chest!

  Nine.

  The beeping of the bomb is scaring me.

  Eight.

  My heart is racing.

  Seven.

  Please body, move! Move!

  Six.

  Run, everyone run!

  Five.

  Someone stop this!

  Four.

  Kids, run away!

  Three.

  I'm gonna die.

  Two.

  I'm so sorry Hiro.

  One.

  Goodbye.

  Zero.

  Chapter 14

  Am I dead? It’s still cold. Am I just floating in nothingness? No, I still feel the ground. Are my limbs all still here? I can’t tell.

  I didn’t realize it, but I closed my eyes just bracing myself for the inevitable heat that would overcome me. Quick and painless, that’s the kind of death I’ve wanted. Maybe it’s finally happened and I’m just in complete nothingness. Just alone with my thoughts.

  “Take the bomb vest off already!” someone yells. It sounds so real.

  “Didn’t you hear me? Take the damn vest off!” the voice yells again.

  I open my eyes. I’m still in the shopping plaza. Rain still falls. How am I all intact? I look down to find the bomb has been blown, but the burst is being forcefully contained. No one around me is dead, rather they're looking at me in complete shock. The bomb’s heat is quickly hitting me now. It’s getting way too hot.

  Looking up I find Meteor floating overhead with his hands in some weird pose. His arms are shaking as he yells at me again, “If you don’t take off that stupid vest, I’ll just let the explosion hit you.”

  “Oh, uh, right!” I respond, dazed. I quickly take off my jacket and fumble at taking off the vest without touching anything that will burn me. The explosion is ripped away from the vest as all of the flames and heat that was once inside the vest is sent flying into the air by Meteor only to explode as a dangerous firework.

  A long, deep sigh escapes my breath as I fall to the ground. My breaths become rapid and I can’t tell if it’s sweat or rainwater that’s streaking down my face. I almost died, but was saved once again by a hero. I was saved by Meteor, a super person who I thought was a horrible hero. There’s something different about being saved this time around. I’ve been saved so many times that I’m used to it, but something about this save is so different. Is it because I actually thought I was going to die? What exactly is the difference in this rescue?

  I look up to find myself being surrounded by way more people than I remember. There are the civil
ians standing all around me with cameras and flashes all on me. Were they recording this whole entire time? Among the circle of people around me are also armed soldiers with their guns pointing at me. The soldiers are all in a dark brown uniform with futuristic helmets.

  “Stay where you are!” a soldier yells at me, slowly approaching me.

  I freeze in place. I don’t even dare to blink.

  “I said, stay where you are!” the soldier yells at me even louder.

  “I-I’m not moving!” I yell back.

  “Remain hostile and we will shoot!” the soldier screams.

  But I’m not moving. Not at all. I’ve stayed in place this whole entire time.

  “Stop moving!” the soldier screams, pulling the trigger.

  Bullets fly towards me. No, no, no! I just got saved, I can’t die like this!

  The ground around me trembles. I open my eyes to find giant robotic hands protecting me. Looking up, I find the familiar mech, Lancelot.

  "H-Hiro!?" I questioningly yell out loud.

  "Stay low!" Hiro speaks to me through his mech's speakers. “GUARD soldiers, stand down!” Hiro’s voice commands dominantly over his speakers. Damn, he doesn’t sound like the Hiro I know. “This is an innocent civilian who was under the psychic impression of a mind controller! There are many others that are suffering from this at this very moment! You, as GUARD, should be protecting them and tending to their needs!”

  “Monster!” the soldiers yell as they start shooting Lancelot’s armor.

  Meteor descends from the sky a bit, floating next to Lancelot’s head. He speaks loudly, “Shit, the soldiers are being mind controlled MechaKnight.”

  “What do we do then?” Hiro asks.

  “I’ll try to find King, he’s more than likely the one doing this. You stay here and try to get a telepath or someone who can do psychic suggestion or emotionally drain them so they stop,” Meteor replies before flying off quickly.