Superhero

Chapter 138

It was the same nightmare again. His parents were fighting and Jeff took care of his younger siblings; five-year-old Kelly, and two-year-old Jeremy. It was the same as always, Jeff would hold them close, distract them as best as he could as their father went shouting at their sobbing mother smack in the middle of the living room.
But on that fine day, something changed. His mother screamed, and it wasn't in argument.
It was a plea to stop hurting her.
The screams sent chills down Jeff's spine. Without thinking twice, he warned his younger siblings to stay put and not make a sound. Then, he ran out of the room and closed the door behind him. Jeff was horror-stricken to see his father, this time not only attacking his mother with words, but with the wooden coat rack.
"Mom!" Jeff exclaimed as his stepped in front of his mother, putting himself between her and the evil coat rack.
The rest of the nightmare passed in a daze, but it always ended the same way.
Jeff was thrown straight into a window, bursting through shards of glass that left a permanent scar on his eyebrow.
And then, he was up.

The three of them were startled when Jeff woke up with a shout, then quickly rushed to his side in concern. Even Frida and Freesia were awake and pawing at his legs.
"Jeff. Jeff! Are you alright?" Jeff looked at Addison in shock when she spoke.
There was fear in his eyes, more fear than she had seen in them the night of the bank robbery.
"Man, it's okay," Jordan said next. "It's just us. We took you in last night."
"Yeah, and then you unmasked me without my permission!" Jeff exclaimed in horror. "I need to get out of here before anyone else knows."
"Jeff, come on," Jake groaned. "We're not going to hurt you. We ain't gonna tell anyone about this, okay?"
Jeff seemed to relax slightly, but even that was because of the two dogs whimpering at his feet. He ended up reaching down to pat their heads.
"Who... who else knows who I am?" Jeff asked.
"Well, just us," Addison shrugged. "Just whoever is in this house."
Jeff gulped. "You mean... all of your housemates?"
"And Mom," Jake added. "She knows about this as well."
"Why did you take my mask off?"
"It fell off and we wanted to make sure you got enough air so we took your hood off as well," Jordan sighed. "Jeff, come on. Your secret is safe with us, okay? You don't have to panic or hide from us."
Jeff sighed and looked at Addison in dismay. "Why did you take me inside? You could've just let me go home by myself."
"Dude, you collapsed while I was trying to bring you in," Addison countered. "It's a good thing these guys heard me and came to my aid."
"We brought you inside and rested you on the couch you're sitting on right now," Jake took over. "And we must've done a crappy job with it since you almost fell over."
"Galante managed to catch you, but your mask fell off somehow," Jordan added. "We were pondering on what to do, but we figured that your safety is more important than anything else."
Jeff was silent at that, and it was a good thing that Felicia appeared before them with a basket.
"I see that you're awake now, Jeff," Felicia smiled. "I suggest you freshen up while we prepare breakfast." She handed the basket to him. "Here are some things to get you started."
Jeff took the basket in surprise and scanned its contents. "Clothes, a bar of soap, a dental kit, and a towel?!"
"Your last shower was yesterday," Jordan smirked as he gave him a nudge. "And you're starting to marinate in whatever gunk you're in now."
Jeff couldn't help but smile slightly at his remark, then got up and regarded Felicia. "Thank you, Ms Kennedy."
Felicia smiled. "Come on, you're the Superhero. You've saved my son's life, you've saved Addie's life countless times too. You can count on us on keeping your secret safe. Besides, our door is always open in case you need a home-cooked meal."
"Thank you," Jeff said again.
Jake promptly led him towards the downstairs bathroom. Addison sighed and looked at Superhero's lifeless mask lying on the coffee table, the head strap that was supposed to hold it in place snapped in two.

Jeff was practically forced to join them for breakfast and quietly helped himself to the hearty meal of eggs, bacon, and baked beans. The rest hungrily ate as well, all quiet since they felt the need to give Jeff some space.
"Are you alright after last night?" Giuseppe asked when they were done and clearing up.
Jeff gulped as he looked at him. "Addie told you?"
"Yes," Addison sighed. "I had to. Because Fleurette..."
"Right," Jeff nodded. "I can't believe I ate the fruit you she brought for you guys right before all of this unfolded."
Felicia clicked her tongue. "Ignore all of that now. You guys dealt with it in the best way possible. She would come for you had you left her alive, and she knows exactly where Addison lives."
"Yeah, she justified that last night," Jeff sighed. "I was a little shocked at first, but realised that she was right. We doused the place different types of alcohol, and Addie filled the air with propane gas."
"And you know the scientific name for everything that was involved last night," Addison shook her head as she gathered a few platters.
Jeff couldn't help but smirk. "Organic chemistry."
They went to the kitchen to put the leftovers away and wash the dirty dishes. Jeff awkwardly stood there since all of them assigned themselves to a task and left him with none. Felicia even made a pot of tea and laid it down on a tray with dainty glass teacups.
"Let's talk in the living room," Felicia said as she led everyone back to the living room. She gracefully placed the tray down on the coffee table and poured everyone a spot before passing the cups around. "Why did you think we would allow you to suffer alone after everything you have done for us and this town?"
Jeff tried to take a sip, but it was too hot so he placed the cup down on the saucer and placed the whole thing on the coffee table. "Because I don't want anyone to know who I truly am. It is far too risky for my identity to be known to the world."
"Yeah, I kinda get that," Addison sighed. "But don't worry, we are not gonna tell anyone about you, okay?"
"Thank you," Jeff nodded. "For helping me last night and for your hospitality today."
"Do you want us to drop you home?" Giuseppe asked.
Jeff shook his head. "It's alright. No one saw me leave last night, but everyone saw me arrive home. I'll leave by myself." He finished his much cooler tea and got up, then sighed. "I've never done this without my mask in front of a bunch of people before."
Jeff's hands started glowing and he soon disappeared into blinding white light.
"Are you guys going to class today?" Felicia asked everyone.
Addison pursed her lips. "I'm not sure."
"I know I should," Giuseppe sighed, looking at the time. "But it's still early and I don't have to stop for breakfast."
"All of this is happening so fast," Jordan groaned, then turned to Addison. "You coming?"
Addison shrugged. "I guess school would be a good distraction from whatever that happened last night."
Everyone quietly dispersed from the living room and went back to their rooms to get ready to go to their respective places.