Acceleration

Chapter 8: Flying Terror

"So what—he's like a super cool 'Nam vet or something?" Tommy asked, grunting as he helped Erin feed a polymer sheet into the fabricator. The hum of machinery filled the room as the lab's 3D printer began to spark to life.

"Pretty much," Erin replied. "Not to mention, it's kinda wild he ended up being Liz's grandpa."

"Liz?" Tommy raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, she told me to call her that. Also," Erin added with a grin, "she's coming to hang out with us today."

"Oh, for real?" Tommy smiled and raised his hand. Erin slapped it with a high-five.

Across the room, Jessica sprinted in, her face tight with urgency.

"What's wrong, Auntie?" Erin asked. Jess didn't respond. Instead, she grabbed the remote and turned on the television.

The screen flickered to life with a live news feed.

"I'm Melissa Garth, reporting live from Richmond Park—" the anchorwoman ducked as a chunk of tree flew by, "—where a massive bird appears to be uprooting and throwing trees at random civilians. Wait—correction—it's not a bird. It's a man... in a bird costume?"

The screen showed a flying figure screeching above the park.

Tommy and Jessica turned toward Erin. He was already suited up in his blue and white track gear, goggles in place.

"Already on my way."

***

The bird-man's unhinged laughter echoed through the air as he dropped another oak onto the pavement. Civilians screamed and scattered.

A crackle of blue lightning lit up the park as Erin skidded into view.

"Dude!" he yelled up at the figure circling overhead.

The flying man's armor glinted in the sunlight—metallic blue with massive hydraulic wings, a flight helmet with tinted goggles, and clawed talons strapped to his limbs. He shrieked in response.

"Seriously?" Erin groaned. "We can't talk like normal people?"

The man swooped down like a hawk. Erin dodged easily, his own lightning arcing and jumping onto the suit as the attacker flew past. The winged villain crashed to the ground but quickly recovered.

"Listen," Erin said, exasperated. "If you don't talk to me, I'm going to punch you very hard."

The man sneered. "You must be one of those disgusting do-gooders."

Erin slouched. "Hey, being a hero's not that bad. I get to take selfies with people—"

"I don't care about your heroics!" the man spat, his voice rising. "You're one of those eco-friendly bastards!"

Erin blinked. "Wait. That's why you're attacking me? Because you think I'm environmentally conscious?"

"The king of animals needs no help!" the man shouted. "The RAPTOR needs no help!"

He shot back into the sky, his synthetic wings slicing through the air.

"Really?" Erin muttered. "The king of animals? That's usually the lion."

A tree came hurtling toward him. Erin dodged it effortlessly and leapt away from a second.

"Oh, and for the record—'raptor' usually refers to dinosaurs. Not birds. You're thinking of birds of prey. Specific ones. You know, like eagles. Hawks. Owls."

The only response was another piercing screech as the Raptor launched a refrigerator at him.

***

"Okay guys, I'm not getting anywhere with him, and he's just turning the park into mulch," Erin muttered. "Any ideas?"

"It looks like your lightning shorts his wings when you touch him," Jess replied through his earpiece.

"Yeah, but now he's not getting close enough for that."

Tommy jumped in. "Can you, like... throw lightning?"

"Like, comic book style?"

"Duh."

Erin sighed. "Let me try."

He sprinted in a tight circle three hundred times. When he stopped, he aimed his hand dramatically at the sky.

Nothing.

"Yeah, no. Nothing."

"I've got an idea," Jess cut in. "When you run, you build up an electric charge—that's why the lightning jumps off you. The faster you go, the more static builds."

"Okay, and? He just threw a Benz at me, Jess."

"Rub your hands together. Fast. Now!"

Erin shrugged and did what she said. Sparks built along his fingers, crawling up his arms until his forearms were glowing.

"Now what?"

"Transfer all that energy to one fist. Close it as you do!"

Erin obeyed, sliding one hand into the other and clenching tightly. The energy surged into his fist, glowing blindingly bright.

"When you open it, the charge will release in that direction—like a bolt."

"I'm about to Call of Duty this bird out of the sky..."

He raised his arm and took aim.

Then—

HONK.

"YOU'RE IN THE ROAD, IDIOT!" a driver screamed as he swerved.

VWA-BOOM.

A deafening bolt of lightning exploded from Erin's hand and annihilated the street. Asphalt vaporized. A smoldering crater replaced it.

"YOU BROKE THE ROAD, IDIOT!"

Erin winced. "Okay, less charge. I do not want to vaporize this guy."

Back in the park, Erin rubbed his hands again—this time only until light crackled between his fingertips. He opened his palm and released a focused stream of lightning.

ZAP.

The bolt struck the Raptor mid-flight, locking onto his armor. The bird-man screamed and spiraled toward the ground. Erin sprinted up the side of a hill and caught him before he hit pavement.

The villain groaned. Erin yanked his helmet off, revealing a disheveled man in his fifties.

"Seriously, man. Why wreck the park?"

"GLOBAL WARMING DOESN'T EXIST, BASTARD! LEARN THE TRUTH!"

Sirens wailed in the distance.

"Oh boy," Erin muttered. "Not these guys again."

He looked down at the Raptor's gear. "Hold still..."

He twisted the metal wings around the man's wrists, making makeshift restraints.

"There we go."

A crowd had gathered. Cheers erupted. People shouted, clapped, and recorded.

"I love you, Lightningsonic!" a girl screamed from the front.

Erin raised a finger. "Okay—first of all—thank you. But also..."

He looked out at the crowd, chest rising and falling.

"The name... is Hypersonic."