The Fabric of Reality

Chapter Nine - Sidekick

My boots click against the concrete ground as I chase after the glinting light. My heavy breaths fog up the front of my helmet, obscuring my vision. Sometimes super suits can be very impractical.

I'm gaining on it, whatever it is. Suddenly, it comes to an abrupt stop and I skid on my heels to halt beside it. 

I find myself standing beside a shiny new bike, glistening in the rain. Atop it sits a very confused-looking Cobalt.

Of course. How did I not figure this out earlier? Obviously the metallic glint was the metal-themed superhero. I'm tempted to smack myself, but I have a reputation to maintain.

"Were you... following me?" Cobalt asks, and I suddenly realize how this must look. One of the city's most respected superheroes, out of breath and chasing after a newbie on a bike.

"Actually, um..." I catch myself and resist the urge to clamp my hands over my mouth. I'm not supposed to let anyone hear my real voice, as it could be used as a clue towards finding my real identity. But rule number one of being a respected superhero is to pretend you never make mistakes. Any slip-ups are to be covered up or declared intentional.

"Hey, wait a minute. You aren't using your mind voice anymore!" Cobalt exclaims.

I straighten my posture and try to appear more respectable. "It's not a mind voice, it's telepathy. And I'm only using my real voice because... I decided I trust you."

"Oh! Well in that case, I trust you too!" Cobalt hops off his bike, stumbling as he does so. He wobbles for a moment before crashing to the ground. He quickly springs back up and offer his hand in an awkward handshake as he lets out a small, embarrassed chuckle.

"I guess that means we're a team now," I say, giving him a tight smile. Seeing him brighten almost immediately, I say, "Don't get too excited, I'm the one in charge here. You are most definitely the sidekick."

"Well, of course! I'm honored!" Cobalt even started bouncing up and down, so I decide I should get things rolling before he explodes.

Without hesitation, I hop onto Cobalt's bike. Rule number two of being a respected hero is to always be confident. The general public loves confidence.

"Thanks for letting me use your bike. Now hop on." Cobalt does as he is told, although he still looks like he's on top of the world. I begin to pedal, and even though I am in an unfamiliar part of town, my instincts are telling me exactly where to go.

After a half hour, Cobalt's good mood seems to have worn down. He shifts uncomfortably from where he perches above the back wheel and shivers as the cold raindrops spatter onto his visor. "Where exactly are we going, anyway?" He speaks up, and a strike of lightning illuminates the worry in his eyes. "You're not lost, are you?"

"I thought you said you trusted me," I turn, trying my best to convey an icy glare through my helmet, although he can't see my eyes. It seems to work, because it shuts him up right away. "Although, to answer your question, I'm not lost. There's this place I know."

"What kind of place?"

"Well, you know how Batman had his Bat cave? We're going to my Bat cave."

"Sweet!" Cobalt throws his arms up in the air and nearly falls off the back of the bike in the process. 

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. If a week ago someone had told me that I, Ethereal, had a clumsy and inexperienced sidekick, I would have scoffed. Ethereal was not the type to work with others, especially not people typically considered annoying.

I turn onto a familiar dirt road. However, with the excessive amount of rainwater the usually dusty dirt road has become nothing but a pit of mud. The wheel of the bike slow, and with one final effort, sink into the sticky mud. 

"Aw, Come on!" Cobalt shouted, "I got that bike for my birthday!"

"We'll come back for it," I say, definitely not in the mood to deal with a whiny Cobalt. "Get up. We're walking."

Together, we trudge down the muddy street, often sinking ankle-deep into the mud. The rain continues to fall in heavy torrents, lashing against my numb skin and sending shivers down my spine.

At long last, we finally arrive at the place I consider to be my one safe haven, where I feel I could be myself without hiding anything. I can't believe I was sharing my one safe place with a glorified fanboy.

"What is this? Some sort of barn?"

I shoot Cobalt another pointless glare. "This isn't just any barn, it's my barn."

Standing above us, strong despite its age and the violent storm, is the barn I have considered to be mine ever since I discovered it one fateful night, the night I followed my first dream.

I reach back and grab Cobalt's arm. "Come on. I have something I want to show you."

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Hey what's up it's me again

Another week goes by, another update comes late... you know how it goes

So anyway I'm hoping to really propel the plot coming up here really soon (stuff's gonna go down)

As always if there are any errors let me know

I hope you enjoyed this! I sorta enjoyed writing it

Thanks for reading and sticking with me!

Until next time,

-B