Sun and Shadow

Chapter 9 - First Flight

Connor steps off the transport pad in his house and heads inside from the garage. He walks into the kitchen and grabs a bottle of water and looks for something to eat even though he isn't really hungry. 'It's really weird that I don't need to actually eat or drink' he thinks. The tests at Sky High showed that he basically generated his own energy like a star does so he doesn't actually need to eat and when he does it just...well vaporizes inside him. But he does like the taste of food so he still eats sometimes when he forgets that he doesn't need to or he just wants to feel normal.

His mother is at work and won't be back for another few hours and knowing the Adams-Fosters, Jude is currently being grilled by his family for details of his day. He is sure his mom will want to know when she gets home but for now it's just Connor. He walks into his room and flops on the bed trying to decide whether to play video games or do something. The biggest problem is that all of the stuff he used to do for fun like running, working out, and sports are all useless now. His home gym is worthless with how strong he is, cardio is pretty pointless and skateboarding doesn't really do it for him now that he can fly.

Connor thought back to that day shortly after the end of summer school. He had been in his house after going for a run to exercise but he didn't really feel like he had accomplished something like he usually did. He had sweated, but not like usual so he decided to go work out with his dad's weights. He set them up with his normal weights but after a few reps he was confused as it was like he was lifting the empty bar. He decided he had just gotten stronger and added another 20 lbs (10 kg) to the bar but that didn't feel any heavier. He had kept adding weights till he ran out of weights and was benching over 440 lbs (200 kg) without any effort which freaked him out. But what was unreal was when he grabbed it with one hand and did a bicep curl like it was a 5 lb (2 kg). He did 20 reps and felt nothing and was totally freaked out.

After putting everything back like it was, Connor went up and showered and tried to decide what to do. His parents used to read him stories about supers so he wondered if he could be one. He suddenly was super strong and didn't know why or how.

That night his dad came in and Connor had intended to talk to him but his dad was in one of his moods so he avoided talking to him. He begged off seeing Jude, apologizing for it, but he was nervous about his strength. He needed to test himself and so that night he snuck out after his dad was asleep and stepping up to his dad's car he was able to lift it off the ground. Okay, definitely super strength Connor thought and he snuck back in to his room.

The next morning he decided to talk to his dad.

"Dad" Connor said when his dad walked into the kitchen "can I ask you something."

Adam grunted as he reached for his coffee. "Give me a minute Connor" he muttered. Adam was not a morning person nowadays though he used to be. He sat down and sipped his coffee for a few minutes before looking up. "Okay...what's up?" he asked.

"You know those stories you used to tell me about supers?" Connor asked carefully.

Adam blinked. "Yeah...the stories we told you to get you to go to bed?" Adam clarified.

"Yes...I can't remember if you ever said how people became supers. I mean how did someone get super powers?" Connor asked.

Adam straightened up. "Well, there are two ways" Adam explained. "You can be born with the super gene because your parent had the gene or you can get it by some incident like radiation or super stress or something...but typically those who get it from an outside source have a genetic sensitivity that allows the person to turn a deadly situation into something that changes them instead of killing them. Why the sudden interest in supers?"

"Some kids at school were talking and I thought about your stories" Connor said quickly. "So you can get them from your parent if you parent has super powers?" he asks.

"Not exactly" Adam says slowly. "I said that if your parent has the super gene. Some people have the gene but don't have powers. Not every kid of a super is a super themselves. Sometimes a super will have kids and they won't have powers but they can pass on the gene to their own kids who will become a super."

"So it can skip a generation?" Connor asks suddenly.

"Basically. Or several generations even. There have been supers for over 200 years now so no one is really sure how many people have the gene and when two people who have it have a kid, that kid can develop powers" Adam told him.

Adam looks at his son carefully and sees him processing this information. "Connor" he says softly and Connor looks up. "Are you sure there isn't any other reason you are asking?"

Connor thinks about telling him for a minute before deciding not to. After the whole gay conversation he isn't ready for another one with his dad. "No...just curious" Connor says with a smile. "I'm going to go skateboarding if that's okay" he asks. Adam just nods and he heads out grabbing his board.

Connor gets to the park and there are only a few guys and girls there. The skies do not look very good for today, they might even get some rain but he doesn't care. He skates and tunes out the world for a while as he moves, jumps, and twists. He is so focused that the sudden crash of thunder and flash of lightning come as a total surprise. He looks around and realizes that he is alone at the park when the rain comes down. Connor, at the top of the half pipe decides to ride his board down and head for the exit when he feels the board shift on the rain slick surface.

It's like time slows to a crawl as he watches it happen. He feels his feet slip as the board slides sideways on the water as Connor shifts opposite the direction of the board. He sees the board flying away from him as his body moves over the edge of the ramp as he twists and sees the pavement rushing towards him as his body flies into the air knowing that he is going to be hurt...badly.

Connor sees the pavement suddenly pause, keeping it's distance from him but the rain is still coming down like normal. He freaks...he is hovering!! Trying to sit up, his body shifts so that he is standing straight up...but hovering in the air, his feet off the ground. The fear and adrenaline puts a smile on his face as he looks up and wonders for second before his body follows and Connor finds himself shooting up into the air and he finds himself high above the skate park before he knows it.

"I'm Flying!" he yells, only to be drowned out by another peal of thunder. Connor laughs with glee as he shoots forwards, towards his house getting faster and faster when he realizes that he has flown past his house and finds himself passing over the school and crossing the beach to fly over the ocean. Smirking he thinks 'faster' and feels a sudden rush of energy and he takes off. Angling up he is tearing through the sky and he punches through the clouds. He is amazed by the wind currents blowing the rain up, down, and sideways. He laughs as he tumbles through the clouds feeling exhilarated from a feeling like he has never known. Turning around he sees a series of flashes and then all of a sudden there is an arc of lighting head right towards him, that strikes him in the center of the chest. But it only tickles. He laughs out loud and speeds down again flying through the clouds before heading over the sprawl of San Diego.

Drenched with water Connor doesn't feel cold but he doesn't like being wet so he looks down and seeing Anchor Beach, he orients himself and heads home. The rain is still coming down so he aims for his backyard and comes down harder than he plans smashing into the ground. Sitting up he is wet, covered in mud, and laughing in pure joy.

He stands up and moves around the house and opens the door to the garage.

"Connor?" his dad's voice freezes him as he steps inside. "What happened to you?"

Connor looks over and sees his dad at the weight bench in the garage. Connor looks down and sees the mud and water dripping off him and knows he must look crazy. "I...uh...got caught in the rain" he stammers. He feels his wet clothes, plastered to him, and starts to feel uncomfortable wishing he was dry and warm and he suddenly feels a rush of warmth.

Connor looks at his dad who is staring at him wide-eyed. He notices that the light in the garage is getting brighter but he doesn't know why when he sees steam coming off of him as he realizes that his clothes are somehow drying and the mud, now dried, starts breaking off and falling to the ground. He feels the warmth and heat pushing out of him and he is suddenly dry. Looking at his father he expects to see him freak out but instead he is smiling this huge smile.

"Dad?" Connor asks nervously.

"Well..." Adam takes a deep breath "I guess I should tell you about your grandfathers."