Acceleration

Chapter 22: When Lightning First Struck

Erin left the dodgeball game utterly defeated. Charlie had once again targeted him, getting him out within the first three minutes of the game. He never had a chance to play dodgeball.

Tom tried to catch up to him, but Erin brushed him off. He didn't care about his friends much anymore. All they did was try to cheer him up, and he ended up bringing them down. His dad's disappearance weighed on him like a truck, and Erin just wanted something in his life to go right. He brushed by Elizabeth and was ignored. His day remained the same as it always was.

Wake up late, get to school late because Mom is working, Sit through six hours of ridicule from Charles and his gang, walk home, and sleep through all of it. His aunt barely visited anymore, and she was one of the only good things that remained in his life.

Erin passed the parking lot, rubbing his deep brown hair. He'd go through the park today, that would help cheer him up. The thought was optimistic, but Erin knew that he'd still feel horrible after the trip. He heard voices behind him, those of Charlie and half the football team. He picked up the pace.

The rain had started to pour when he made it to the park. Erin pulled his hood up in an attempt to stay dry. Dark shapes danced in the deep gray cloud that mourned something he couldn't comprehend.

The voices behind him picked up, and he found himself within the grasp of football players. Erin struggled against their pull. Charlie laughed as he ripped Erin's bag from him and dumped it on the ground.

His papers were instantly soaked by the muddy grass. Erin tried to throw a punch, but his weak arms weren't able to do any damage. He was pushed into the ground, splattering brown all over his face and shorts. He was next to the sidewalk now, almost hitting his head on it. The bullies rolled him over, allowing rain to pour into his eyes. He stared into the sky, asking whatever deity was watching why he deserved this.

The black shapes in the sky shifted, and something broke through the clouds. Something as dark as what Erin believed his soul had been. It was aimed directly at him...

There was a flash of light. The sound that enveloped him was enough to shatter his eardrums. He felt the center of his chest explode in pain, a fiery agony crept through his nervous system. The next sensation was worse.

The splitting feeling. It started at the top of his head and made its way down to his toes. It was worse than any burning pain the lightning strike had caused. Erin felt as if his body was torn in two. Two pieces emerged as he screamed in pain.

The bright light faded and Erin lay on the sidewalk smoking, his clothes burned and charred. The football players were horrified, trying to figure out what had happened. Erin looked around, his vision blurry. A kid with black hair was on the ground next to him, clearly injured almost as much as he was. Charles was being helped up by the group, and they all sprinted away. Erin grabbed his bag and pulled himself away from the other kid. It served him right for what he'd been doing to him.

Erin walked home. The pain from the day had begun to cease. The lightning strike had somehow made him feel better. When he made it to the apartment, he stared at himself in the mirror. His build had grown slightly, and his hair was a brighter brown. On his chest was a massive lightning scar that ran up to his neck and down to his legs. His attention was drawn to his hand, which was vibrating at an abnormal speed.

"I gotta tell Jess about this..."

***

"Every bit of depression I'd developed had just... vanished," he finished, "The world became brighter. I started seeing you guys more."

"You were happy."

"I didn't want to tell you. There's a huge company trying to capture speedsters, I didn't want them to use you to get to me."

They were in Dan's car, driving back to Erin's house.

"Does Tommy know?" Marlin asked. Erin nodded to Lisa's dismay.

"He figured it out a month after the fact. Liz doesn't know."

"You know you have to tell her right?" Lisa whispered. Erin shook his head.

"We aren't dating, I shouldn't put her in any more danger than she already is in..."

His theories finally re-entered his head, spurred on by a re-telling of his past.

"Charlie."

"You know how mad we are at you right?" Lisa said, hurt coating her words. Erin nodded.

"You can be mad at me later, I think I know who Revnid is..."

***

The group sprinted into the lab. Jess met them with a worried tone.

"Are you okay? What happened at the parade? It's all over the news."

"Don't worry I practically paralyzed the shooter."

"Wh-" Jess was shocked, glancing at the couple that stood a few feet away, "How did you do that?"

"They know Auntie," He said, hopping onto her desktop. He pulled up public medical records from six months prior.

"Yeah he had to save our lives with superspeed," Lisa explained while Erin worked, "He's kinda a dick for not telling us."

"That was my idea, I'm very sorry," Jessica said, her voice falling.

Erin felt a jolt of adrenaline pump through his veins. There was only one person on the city's medical records who was struck by lightning. His file was private, as Jessica had been the one to ensure he was okay. The only other person who had been struck by lightning in the last year was...

"Charles Filori. Charlie is Revnid."

"What!" Lisa shouted, sitting next to him.

"He's been trying to get closer to me. He's been crap-talking Hypersonic, about how I'm the reason supervillains are showing up."

"But you're the one stopping them," Marlin said, staring at the screen with them.

"Not to him. To him, I'm the catalyst."

Erin started typing into the computer, jumping into the police reports from supervillains he'd fought. Turns out, he was right.

"Three months ago, Overgrowth attacked the building Charlie's mother worked at. She was paralyzed from the waist down in the attack."

"And he has a crush on Liz," Lisa butted in. Erin could see the gears turning in her head.

"Not only does he hate Hypersonic because he blames me for causing his Mom damage..."

"But he hates Erin Evidrone because Elizabeth likes you," Lisa finished.

Marlin and Erin both snapped their heads at her.

"She likes me?"

"She likes him?"

"Shush, you didn't hear that from me."

Jess jumped in, "Erin if he finds out you're Hypersonic..."

"He's gonna do anything he can to hurt me."