The Adventures of Strengthman and Speedman I: The Story Begins

Chapter 7

     Denzel and Arron came over around noon the next day, followed by Jacob and Kiera an hour later. Sam stood up, and paced over to his brother and said, "Look, man. I'm sorry. I was hot headed over getting our asses kicked. I felt like you left me alone when there is a bigger picture here. I'm sorry." Jacob smirked a little, before accepting the apology. "It's fine man. The issue is, how are we going to stop Villianman and Speedvillian?"

     Sam became lost in thought, until he finally came up with a solution. "Well," Sam paused thinking again. Chances are this was something he didn't do much of, except when high. "I guess next time we'll just have to work as a team more, and individuals less." There was another pause as the words soaked in. Everyone accepted it as fact, except Denzel and Arron, who had dumb looks on their faces. "What the hell are you guys talking about?" Denzel said boldly.

     Jacob glared at Sam. "You never told them?" Sam looked up and the ceiling, avoiding his gaze. Sam then turned to Denzel and Arron, letting out a sigh before telling the story of how they got their powers, the superhero idea, and now the supervillains that stand in their way. Denzel and Arron listened, asked for proof, and watched blankly as the duo demonstrated their superhuman abilities.

     Arron would stare, gasp, and appear shocked while Denzel looked on blankly, seemingly expressionless though he could be keeping his emotions inward, like a stripper when asked if she was turned on by an ugly old dude. After all this, Arron and Denzel just stood there, soaking in the shock. Sam chuckled. "So... that's it." After some silence, Arron finally spoke up. "Uh...wow." After another pause, because apperently everyone forgot how to speak, he spoke again. "How did these supervillains gain these powers, then?" Jacob spoke first. "I'm drawing a blank, your guess is as good as mine."

     Denzel and Arron seemed to finally accept the truth. They nodded in understanding as the conversation dragged on into the later evening, just discussing the powers they were given, the villains and the future plans to take them down, Denzel and Arron finally said their goodbyes, offered their help, and left, leaving Jacob, Sam, and Kiera.

     It wouldn't be long before Kiera pulled Jacob to the side while Sam sat on the couch, drinking a coffee, staring at some copyrighted show on TV. Fucking copyright. Kiera and Jacob rounded tbe corner into the kitchen before speaking. "I've been thinking," started the young woman, and immediately Jacob knew what this was about. "I don't want you to do anything you don't want to." He interupted. Kiera got wide eyed, as though worried. The sound of a news report of an anniversary of a tragic school shooting years ago could be heard. It didn't lighten the mood, much. Then again, what could? And why the fuck was Sam watching this shit anyways? "It's not that I don't want to, it's just that..." she trailed off. Jacob pondered what could come next. Would she confess that he was nothing but a friend? Would she confess love? Would he stop assuming shit and listen to what she has to say? Welcome to marrige, buddy. If she pulled him to the side, away from Sam, she obviously had something important to say. As he intisipated what was to come next, he nearly shit himself at what he really heard.

     Kiera took a breath before speaking. "Back in high school I was living the high life. Good grades, tons of boys, nice home life. I finally settled on this guy, Ricardo, who was very sweet." Her eyes soon met the floor, for she could no longer look at Jacob. "I thought he was the one. He gave me the world. One day we got into a fight. He got really mad and..." she paused, lost in the memory she has tried so hard to repress. "He hit me. He felt so sorry, bought me gifts, promised it would never happen again. Then...well, it happened again. It went on for about a year, and I constantly had to cover him up. I'd put on make up, pretend that I fell down stairs, make him look like the perfect boyfriend. Finally I gave up. I told some friends, who thought I was lying. As if I'd lie about that!" Her eyes began to tear. "Senior year of high school, and I was the most hated girl, trying to 'get back at the most popular boy in school' or something. When he broke up with me, I was heartbroken. My dad asked why, so I finally confessed to him. He got so mad at him, he got in his car with a gun. I came with, begging him to stop. He just said 'Nobody hits my little girl'. He knocked on the door and his dad answered. My dad started yelling, so did his, and when Ricardo came downstairs to see what was going on, my dad pointed the gun past his dad and fired. He hit Ricardo in the lung, but he lived. My dad went to jail, and since all this I been afraid to get close to a guy. I guess after losing two close men in my life... I just didn't want to do it again." She now looked up and Jacob, who had no idea how to respond.

     Tears in her eyes, she pressed her head against Jacob's chest and sobbed hysterically, while Jacob cradled her in his large arms. "I'm not leaving you. " He said. "I'm not going to hurt you, ever."