Fusion

Prologue

Michael

PROLOGUE

I've always wished I could live in a comic since I was a child. I wished I could swing from wall to wall like Spiderman, to fly like Superman, to have super strength like the Hulk, to be as fast as the Flash, and even to be as cool as fuck as Batman. Little did I know, I would be living in my own superhuman world when I was older.

I had always liked the idea of having a power. Ive been obsessed with comics since I was a child. My mom told me I was wasting my time, staying in my room all day and having my face stuck in colored, dialogued drawings. My dad didnt mind it as much, as long as I at least worked on my guitar once or twice every few days.

My social life wasnt that good, neither was my dating life. I didnt really like to socialize, one reason being that I was bullied half my life for being a giant nerd, reading comics and playing video games. And my dating life was ruined because if I ever brought a girl home, my mom would always rant on and on about how I used to run around the house in superhero costumes, and sometimes I would cosplay video game characters. Sometimes even as my favorite girl character. I mean I obviously dont do that now... but I used to. So I guess you could say I never got that second date, and especially never got to second base.

I was a pretty good student. I was in some AP classes, and a major in art, drawing comics and cartoons and anime. I didnt have a lot of friends. I usually sat alone at lunch. But I didnt mind. I didnt need friends to make me feel okay.

I never actually thought that I carried so much power inside me. It wasn't until one day.. A day that changed my life forever. A day that ruined me.

It was around lunch time at my school, and everyone was sitting outside. As usual, I sat at a  table alone, doodling and sketching. One of my fellow classmates, that wasnt particularly fond of me, came over, and sat beside me.

"Whatcha drawing there, nerd?"
I continued to draw.
"I asked you a question, Clifford. Now answer."
I stayed silent.
"Youre such a queer, Clifford. Always having your head in Gotham City." He laughed.

"Gimme that," He said, ripping my drawing out of my book, and ripping it in half in the process.
I sighed, and looked down at my plate of food.
"Youre such a dick, Ronny."

He stopped laughing, and squinted at the back of my head.
"What did you just call me, Clifford?"
"A dick. I called you a dick, dickhead."

Suddenly, he grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, and threw me to the ground.
"Call me that one more time, Clifford. I swear to god."
"Youre a dick." I said, kicking him in the balls, and making a run for it. I heard him squeal, as I ran to the other side of the school. I looked back, and there he was, sprinting after me.

In that moment, as he tackled me from behind, and practically threw me into the walls of the school, I wished I was faster.

He then picked me up, and pressured my shoulders into the wall.
"You messed with the wrong guy, Clifford."

He kneed my chest, and I groaned loudly, wanting to crawl into a ball, and fall to the floor, but he didnt let me. He punched me in the face, and I expected a huge black eye the next day.

Each kick, each punch, each attack he threw upon my body started to feel numb. And then, something ignited in my chest. Literally.

A sense of confidence struck throughout me, and suddenly, although covered in bruises and blood, I felt invincible. I grabbed his arms, which were pinning me to the wall, and then threw his back to the wall. His eyes went wide, and his mouth was wide open.

"I think you were mistaken. Youve messed with the wrong guy." I said, and warmth spread throughout me, and suddenly, Ronny was screaming. I looked down from his face, and to his arms. My hands were ablaze, and his shirt was on fire. In shock, I let go, and backed away.

He quickly fell to the ground, patting his shirt rapidly, and rolling around until the fire went out. He stayed down, and I looked at him with a confused look on my face, and a scared look on his. His arms were covered in burns and blisters; my hands were unscathed.

"What are you?" He said with a terrified edge to it. "Some kinda freak?"

I just stood there, staring at him for a while. He went blabbering on about the cops, and his parents, him intent on getting me expelled, and jail. I tuned him out, and my world was blurry.

How did I conjure such a power? Did I really do that? What was wrong with me?

And then, for some reason, I ran for it. I ran like my life depended on it.

"Yeah you better run, freak!" Ronny yelled after me, but I ignored it.

I ran all the way home. I quickly opened the front door, making a b-line for my room. I sped past my mom, and locked the door behind me.

"Michael?" She said, knocking. "Whats wrong? Why are you home so early? What happened?"

I could ask myself the same thing. What did just happen? Was I some kinda villain like in the comics?

"Mikey... please open the door..." She said. I sensed her reaching for the doorknob, and she squealed, drawing her hand back.

"Mom?" I said, worried.
"Michael?" She said in an extremely worried tone. "Michael is something on fire in there? Are you okay? Oh my god, Michael! The doorknob is too hot to touch.. Michael are you okay?"

"Mom, I'm fine. Just trouble at school. Dont worry about it."

"Baby, let me in."

I started panicking. She would throw a fit when she saw my face. She would call the school, then she'd find out about my fight with Ronny, and then theyd put me in a correctional facility.

"N..no.."
"Michael, please! Im worried!"
"Mom, no. Please.."

I heard another voice.

"Michael, let your mother in."

Great. Now both of my parents were begging to come in. I was starting to get aggravated.

"No, dad! Im not letting anyone in!"
"Dont use that tone of voice with me, Michael! Let us in!"

I started breathing heavy, and that same warmth was spreading throughout me. I tried to keep it down, but I couldnt. The bed caught on fire, and I jumped off. I looked down at my hands, and focused for a moment.

I shut my eyes, and opened them. Flamed erupted from my palms. I then closed them, and the fire ceased. I put my arm through the flames, and they had no effect of my body, or anything on my body. Not even my clothes. I forgot about my parents outside my room.

"Michael open this door right this minute!" My dad screamed.
I heard my mom scream. "Michael I smell fire!"

My parents were now panicking. My mom went rushing for the phone, and my dad was still knocking at the door.

"J..Just go away!" I yelled.
"Open this door now!"
"No!"

I didnt notice that the fire had spread to the walls, and my room was completely on fire. The fire was closing in on me, and the door. Right when it had gotten to the door, and I was inside the flames, my dad broke open the door, and everything after that was a blur.

The only thing I remember after that, was a pair of hands taking me from the rubble, and into a car.
When I woke up, I was where I was now. To everyone normal in the world, it seemed like "St. Jude's School for Special Kids"

To me, it was home. It was sort of a coven for up and coming heroes. It was my own little world. My own Gotham, my own Metropolis.

My own comic book.