Hidden Darkness

Chapter 7

              In the next few weeks, we trained on the roof of the same building with the same ways. I pulled up some videos on different counter techniques with your hands. Eric shouldn't rely too much on his tendrils. Eventually, his timing became perfect enough to counter any attack. He figured out how to react just as a threat came up, or in this case a tennis ball, a rock, a stick, and some punches.
After what happened at the football field, Eric stayed away from school for some reason. He was late to training and wasn't really focused. Which is a shame because the very next day to when it happened, people were looking all over for him. People would walk up to me and ask if Eric was around, but I wasn't sure. I was also attacked with the curious questions of Bobby when he had finished his busy schedule and found out I had made friends with Eric.
Giving me more examples of him being a possible threat to me due to his apparent mental health. I get the warning, but he's just scared of Eric even after what had happened. One morning, he walked through the doors right before I entered my classroom and he was suddenly swarmed. Students smacked his back and hugged him and told him how much of a hero was. It was funny.
He was a bit red faced afterwards, not used to the attention. When lunch came around I sat at his table again. "So," I say while sitting down. "How do you like the attention?"
"I hate it." The response shocked me. "You do? I thought you would enjoy it a bit." He bit into a sandwich and started chewing. "Yeah, the praise was ok, but I don't like being looked at by a lot of people."
"Oh, ok," I say, noticing some girls at another table, glancing at Eric and talking. "So why were you out of school for a couple weeks?"
"Things came up, I had to stay home for a bit. I'd rather not talk about it, if you don't mind." I nodded. "So I got someone to make that costume I drew up." He cringed a little. "What?"
"I don't know it's just...it's weird to think of me as some superhero and sounds embarrassing."
"No one will know who you are."
"True, but still."
"We will meet after school, have you try it on and see where it goes from there." He looked very unsure. "Agh, fine. I won't like it though."
"Alright. See you after school." I say, standing up. "Where are you going?"
"Amelia has her class in the library and my class's teacher isn't here and they didn't schedule a sub, so I'm gonna hang with her."
"Ah alright. See ya, Matt." I waved and walked off.

After school, I climbed up the fire escape of the building we trained on and waited for Eric with a black bag at my side. The sun was setting when he appeared over the edge of the building being lifted up with his tendrils. The tendrils disappeared into his back as he walked towards me. "Let's get this over with." I open the bag and pull out folded pants, long sleeve shirt, gloves, a mask, and combat boots.
He took the pile and the boots and started taking his jacket off. I turned around to give him some privacy and waited. After about a minute and a half, he said, "I'm good." I turn back around to see Eric in the costume, fitting quite well. The sleeves shaped around his muscles, making him look even tougher than before.
The baggy pants weren't as baggy as I feared it would be. They actually fit him well. The combat boots really completed the outfit. He hadn't put the mask on. "Turn around real quick."
Eric turned around, revealing the raven with the hourglass on its back. His new insignia. "So I have that symbol on my back, and I'm supposed to be a hero, what should my name be?" I think for a moment. "I don't know. Maybe just fight crime and the media will give you a name."
"I'm still unsure about this. This is embarrassing."
"Well, let's just try it today and see what happens."
"Ugh, alright," Eric said as he sat down cross legged. He sat there for some time. I almost dozed off. But he finally moved and stood up. "A mugging a few blocks from here," Eric said while putting on the mask.
I was glad to see that the mask fit him as well, although some improvements would help. His tendrils shot from his back and morphed into the wings. He flapped them once and was airborne. I had lost sight of him until I felt two arms wrap around my shoulders and lift me off the roof really quickly. I couldn't help releasing a shocked yelp.
We flew so fast, my eyes were freezing from the wind. Suddenly, I was dropped off onto another building. After I regained my momentum, I quickly looked for Eric. I saw him just when he landed onto the sidewalk before the alleyway. In the alley, I saw two men.
One with a gun and another up against the brick wall of the building opposite to the one I stood on. I just sat and watched.

After landing on the sidewalk, I peeked into the alley. Just like my vision. I looked away, breathed for a bit and walked into the alley. "Excuse me." What a time to be polite.
The man with the gun turned toward me, then focused the barrel to me. "Back away, man, this doesn't concern you," said the man with the gun. "No it doesn't, but I don't care. So how about this, you drop the gun and leave and I won't kick your ass." The man with the gun then laughed. "I have a gun. All you have is that gay costume. Now back off."
I felt angry and mortified to wear this stupid suit. I brushed my embarrassment aside and shrugged my shoulders. I then began to slowly walk towards the guy. The closer I got the more annoyed or freaked out he seemed. "Stay back, man. I'm warning you, I'll shoot."
"Then shoot." The closer I got, the more he shook and backed away. "I warned you!" said the man while pulling the trigger. The bullet exploded from the barrel and in response, I will my tendrils to shoot out and form the shield. The bullet collided with it and sailed off upwards into the air.
Both men watched in horror as my tendrils retracted into their original state. I turned to the other man. "Run. Call the police." He stared at me, still scared. Then he slowly walked away and that walk then turned into a run.
I turned back to the man with the gun. He was obviously scared for his life. The gun had slipped out of his hand and onto the concrete. I got real close to him and stared into his eyes. "P-Please don't kill me."
"It's your lucky day," I say, slamming my fist into the side of his head. I had knocked him out. "Hey, Eric!" I heard Matt call from above me. I look up. "Draw your insignia next to the body."
"What? Why? And with what?" I yell back. I see him drop something and caught it with my hand. It was a marker. I obliged and kneeled down to draw the symbol near the guy's unconscious body. I heard sirens and used my tendrils to pull myself to the roof of the building I had dropped Matt off at.
I grab hold of him, change my tendrils to wings and then take flight. Matt was yelling and laughing as we flew, either from the flight or what I had done just now. We land back on the roof of the building we were on just six minutes ago. The moment Matt was on solid ground he started running around, cheering. "Why are you going crazy?" I ask while taking the mask off quickly.
"Because! You're a hero! I mean, you already were, but now you officially are a hero!"
"Yeah, so what? I saved one guy from being robbed"
"Not just that, you made a mark. That guy isn't gonna forget what happened, and he will remember you." Right after he said that, I felt a giant migraine hit me. I was about to start blindly running again when I felt a hand grab my shoulder. I look back and see Matt pointing at the mask in my hand. "Remember. Try to control yourself. Don't kill, just apprehend or knock them out. Don't take their life."
I nod, put the mask back on, formed my wings and took off.