Big City Villain | BOOK ONE

Revamped Chapter Two: Home Unsweet Home

The front door was thrown open with such aggression that the two people who were sitting on the couch jumped with fright. I ignored them and looked to the digital clock hanging on the wall, anticipating that it was far past my curfew and scared witless.

8:59:59 PM.

"Made it just in time," I breathed in relief and leaned against the closed door. That was a close call, but in my best defense I was running as fast as I unsuperly could.

"Woah there, Coal, was the boogeyman chasing you?" My cousin Jay asked. He laughed at his own joke and shook his head, making his blonde curls bob. Jay usually stopped here almost every day on his way back to his house after work, usually to sample whatever mom made and help dad with whatever random project he had.

I scowled at my lanky cousin. "Don't you have a home on the other side of town?"

"Be nice to Jay, he's a bachelor. It's tough out there," Dad said. He got up and ambled his way over to me. "Are you hungry?"

Before you assume that he asked because he cared and was on his way to fix me something to eat, you should know my dad only knows how to make one thing. And you're about to find out what it is.

Unable to find an escape route, I could only stand with a grimace and I prepare for his customary and painful greeting. He wrapped his strong arm around my neck and gave me his signature knuckle sandwich, thankfully without any relish. Dad's evil villain laugh filled my ears as his knuckles rubbed hard on my blonde hair and fussed with the perfectly good windblown look I had achieved.

"I am so glad that you are banned from using your powers! There's nothing like dishing out a good knuckle sandwich!" Dad said, laughing at my pain.

I groaned and tried my best to twist out of his grasp. "Okay, okay! Let me go already. I can still use them for self-preservation!"

Dad gave me one last good scrape and then let me go. "Glad to see you got home before your curfew. With just a second to spare. Impressive."

"Barely," I scoffed. I ran my fingers through my hair as I stumbled into the kitchen looking for food, fuel, or even something mildly edible.

I rummaged through the cabinets and pushed aside boxes of stale crackers and eyed a package of oatmeal and raisin cookies that have been there for a suspicious amount of time. Eventually, I ended up in the freezer, staring at Benny's pint of cookie dough ice cream he warned me to stay away from or else. He never elaborated on the consequences, and it was looking rather tempting.

Should I risk it? My hand began the treacherous journey to snagging the unopened ice cream when a voice was suddenly behind me.

"I want to see you grow up and live a good long life, Coal Evan Maximus Black, so I think you'd be wise if you left that ice cream there," mom said, her voice touched with concern and sternness.

I turned around and found her already in her pajamas and wearing her trademark bunny slippers. I grinned sheepishly. "But it's been sitting there for a whole week. It's so lonely. I need to put it out of its agony."

"Then you shouldn't have eaten yours in one sitting!" Mom said. She shrugged like it was my fault I had no self-control. "I would take you to the store to get some more, but it's already past nine. I'm sorry, buddy."

"Stop torturing me," I grumbled, closing the freezer door and shuffling back to the pantry. "There's nothing to eat!"

"You already had dinner!"