THE HIVE

Chapter 7

The sun, hanging low is like a spectator, caught in my outreaching mutated palm. It shines a muted white on the hairs that stand on it's alien flesh. They stir, not in the wind. Squelch not on command. I open my hand, take deep breaths and calmly exhale. I look straight with resolve, determination and grit. "Okay Kevin! Come at me! "

"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! " He jogs with a start and breaks into a run, coming at me like a baseball baller as he pelts the stone with everything he's got.

It shoots out of his hand, rotating, careening as it makes its way towards me.

I smirk. "Now! Blast!"

My eyes ignite. Power and energy concentrate at the tip of my hand. It coalesces into a blinding bright light, erupting out of my palm into a jet ray of pure destruction.

Vegetation all around burns to a crisp as the corona makes way for the teeny-weeny pebble, paling in comparison to its might.

And then,

BOOM!

The explosion blinds us all in it's intensity and-

...

Ok I need to stop.

...

Yeah, I know.

...

Damn, that would have been incredible. But that doesn't happen. Nothing even remotely cool happens for that matter!

Ugh, why do I and my luck suck so much!!

The pebble carries on, following it's fated trajectory as it hits my palm square in the centre.

"Aaaaah!" I scream. "It hurts! " His aim was on point! Who is this child prodigy?!

As I am busy making cartoon faces, jumping up and down with my stupid! stupid! hand, the audience stir.

"Bahahaha!" Laughter erupts behind my back. I know the voice. It's Diana.

There goes my pride, diving deep waters before the ladies.

"Ughhhh! This good for nothing power-up! Get off me! Get off me right now!"

"B-but Jordan. We have only started with the first experiment. We have seven more," Kevin pleads.

"Oh come on. I can't handle this again for seven more times. I can't," I say, placing both my hands on my head.

"Guess being Iron Man is off the list, huh?" Sally remarks, chuckling.

"He's a good guy to begin with!" I retort.

She shrugs. "Well, what next then?" She's still smiling!

I sigh, catching my knees, then look up at Fiona. She fidgets from one side to the other. Her lips are pursed.

I grit my teeth.

"The other experiments make me look no less a clown. What do we have, checking if it is sensitive to fire, then shocking it to see if it stimulates to that. Everything, everything is just stupid!" All of it would end with me ooh-ing and aah-ing. I can't do that!

"But, we can still try stretching it, to see if it changes shape!" Oh Kevin, he pleads again. Dude!

"Ugh, this is no glove. It won't come off." It frustrates me more and more. As I take a look it's ugliness, it pisses me more and more. "It won't come off. It won't come off. You alien dungface, just get off meeeee! " I run off into the distance and hurl my left hand with as much force I can muster. I hear a thump. Yeah, probably my chest.