Average Joe (2018)

38

Ted awoke to the worst news he had heard all day. When he opened his eyes, his first thought was that he was dreaming, but alas, he wasn't.

The living room television (Left on by Norman) was blaring an emergency broadcast, the robotic voice laying down orders.

"Residents of the following areas - as far north as Midtown and as far south as East Village must evacuate immediately. Follow the police and FBI's instructions and stay away from any - and all - places of innovation." Ted suddenly remembered something horrific.

"Where's the movie theater you two are going to?" Ted had asked Norman.

"Down in Midtown, I think."

Oh no.

Ted rushed to his closet and placed the scarlet armor on his muscled form. Ted slipped on his eye mask before rushing from the apartment, out of the window, and into the streets of New York.

Ted leaped onto the next apartment building over, his heart palpitating with fear. If Ted was thinking clearly at that moment, he would've looked at the emergency broadcast a little more closely, to see what was wrong, but he already had a feeling, a scary one.

Red Flame leaped from building to building, jumped on cars, used his grappling hook several times, and eventually reached eerily quiet Midtown. Police were urging civilians out of their homes, forcing them into their cars or police transit vans and sending them either uptown to Hell's Kitchen and the Upper East Side or downtown to Lower Manhattan or even Brooklyn Heights.

The bridges were over-stuffed with cars and police transit vans, everyone honking their horns and yelling. Many civilians tried to go back into the red zone but were quickly urged away by police officers, SWAT teams, and even people who looked like the FBI. Most of the streets in the red zone were empty, though some were overstuffed with people trying to leave.

What could cause all of this panic? Ted certainly hoped it wasn't another nuclear war threat. Not again.

Ted stood on an apartment roof, staring at people four stories below rushing to different bridges, roads, and tunnels. Through the grumbles of complaints and the shouts of anger, Ted could hear something - a cold, mocking, laughter. Ted slowly turned to see someone he didn't expect.

"Sabrina? What the hell is this?"

"What does it look like? I'm just being the best villain I can be."

"What have you done?"

"Me? Nothing! What would I do?"

"Don't play games. Half of Manhattan is going nuts and you're saying you had nothing to do with it?"

"I guess... I made a little bomb threat to the city."

"They're evacuating the city because you made a bomb threat?"

"Well..."

___

Five FBI officials stood one block away from a large, black, object, the bomb, which was surrounded by bomb squad officers.

TV reporter, Natalie Felix, ran up the block, her cameraman following her.

"Sirs!" Natalie yelled. "Sirs, can I get a comment on the impending bomb threat gripping Manhattan?"

"Miss, you shouldn't be here," Agent Marshal warned. "How did you get in here?"

"I, uh, that's not important. Comment?"

"Yeah, I have a comment. Get back outside with the other civilians, or I'll throw you in a jail cell." Two officers took Miss Felix away. Agent Marshal spoke into his radio.

"Radan, what is our status?"

"I... can't cut the wires?"

"Why the hell not?"

"Because... they're not there."

"What?"

"The... bomb is empty?"

"Completely?"

"Well... no."

"Then what's inside?"

___

"Gummy bears?" Ted questioned. "You left a fake bomb full of gummy bears in the middle of Manhattan?"

"You have to admit, it was kind of funny."

"You give me such headaches. That's why you did all of this? Some sick joke?"

"Of course not. I did it to get you here."

"So... instead of calling me and asking me over, you... made a fake bomb, filled it with gummy worms..."

"Gummy bears," Sabrina corrected.

"Well, you did it. I'm here. What did you want?"

A pound of ice knocked against Ted's chest plate, the air being knocked from his lungs. Ted grunted as he fell from the building. The wind rushed past him and before he could grip his grappling hook, his body slammed into a car, shards of glass spraying the atmosphere.

Ted's vision blurred for a moment, and when it cleared, Sabrina was flying toward Ted with deadly speed. Sabrina gripped the straps of Ted's armor, lifting Ted into the air, and quickly dropping him again onto the asphalt. Ted backflipped onto his feet, and Sabrina swooped downwards again. Ted jumped to the side, Sabrina rushing past him. Sabrina flew to the edge of the long street, landing on her feet again.

"What the hell are you doing, Sabrina?"

"What I should've done a long time ago!"

Giant spheres of ice flew from Sabrina's hands, all of them flying at Ted. Ted dodged the first three, another one slamming into his knee with a cracking sound. Ted grunted as another three flew at him. Ted lit up with fire and let the flame burn the ice spheres. Ted downed the flame, two ice bolts slamming into his gut. Ted coughed ruggedly and dropped to the ground.

Something was wrong. Sabrina never fought this aggressively before.

"Get up and fight!" Sabrina screamed.

Ted lifted himself onto his knees and coughed. Sabrina's boots clicked against the pavement, as she stalked up the street. Ted stood and faced Sabrina, his back to a large garbage truck.

"Sabrina...," Ted sighed. "What's happening? I can help."

A blade of ice materialized in Sabrina's hand, as she lifted it above her head.

"No..." Sabrina flung the blade forward and she watched, as Ted's shoulder burst in a spray of blood. Ted grunted as he fell into the garbage compactor. "You can't."