True Sidekick - *Sequel to Hero by Day

Chapter 2 - Not a Damsel, but in Distress

"It tore me apart. But I learned an important lesson. You can't count on anyone, especially your heroes."

~ Buddy Pine (Syndrome)

:Oliver:

Great.

Just great.

As if the last couple of weeks couldn't get any worse.

I was just driving home with Ian, avoiding questions about last night and trying to diverge the conversation away from White Lightning, per usual, when the car stopped and four men in ski masks dragged us out.

Now, before you ask why I didn't go all out and use my powers on them, the answer is simple.

No one could know who I was. No one. That meant under most any circumstance, I was not allowed to tell Ian who I was, which included using my powers around him. Why wasn't being kidnapped by a bunch of guys in ski masks an acceptable exception to that rule? Well, for one, these guys were not amateurs. They waited until we were far enough away from Eldredge Academy to stop the car, and waited for us to drive down an abandoned street, so as there would be no witnesses. They wore masks, a sheer sign that they were planning on letting us go at some point. Once you knew a criminal's identity, they couldn't let you go. If you escaped and told the police their identity, then their whole plan falls to shit.

Plus, the big white van pulled up next to the limo was obviously their ride (always trust a man in a big white van, right?). Why go through the trouble of riding such a conspicuous vehicle without a good reason to use it?

When I shocked the one who was dragging me out of the limo, it wasn't intentional. It was a reaction to the rising levels of adrenaline and other hormones in my body. The same thing happened when I kissed someone or was in a fight. Whenever I felt levels of high emotion, sparks literally flew off of me.

I knew that I could get us out of a kidnapping. These guys probably just kidnapped Ian for ransom. He was the son of the Secretary of State after all. The United States officially 'didn't negotiate with terrorists,' but we all knew that 'Madame Secretary' would pay any price to get her dear children back.

I just couldn't wait to see the reactions of the kidnappers when they found out Ian's friend was not another rich kid at the Academy, but just a dirt poor scholarship kid from the other side of town that they couldn't get any money out of.

I wasn't worried too much about what they would do with me. I obviously was worth nothing to them except as the friend of a rich kid. If they tried killing me because I was worth nothing to them, then I would use my powers. I would only use them in life threatening situations for either me or someone I cared about. And, so far, this situation wasn't too life threatening – only Ian's money threatening.

So when I woke up next to Ian who knew how many hours later, I wasn't surprised to see us siting in a big empty factory with the kidnappers surrounding a table a couple yards away.

I heard a couple mentions of "ransom" and "drop off," so I guessed they were talking about when to pick up whatever ransom money that they had demanded from Ian's mom. I knew that the police would do anything in their power not to give the money to the kidnappers, but even all their precautions could be useless.

"So, why do you think they have us?" Ian asked.

I gave him a dumbfounded look. "You are the son of the Secretary of the State. They probably kidnapped you for ransom, or maybe even to stop your mother from doing some sort of political action. Maybe these men are Remedists who hate your mother's policy on the good treatment of supers. The only common denominator is your mother."