The Creative Process

Chapter Five: The Aftermath

I felt the wind pick up around me, swirling and pushing up against the building. My powers were almost a visible force, like the wind in a cartoon. I got one foot under me, then the other. I pushed back against the weight of the building and slowly, it started to lean upright again.

"Stop him!" Damien shouted, I was acutely aware of his minions trying to get at me. The bubble around me was impenetrable; but I was so tired. I set the building back on its base and stabilized it. Then I let my hands fall and a breeze washed through the street. I turned to face Damien and his few reimagining soldiers that hadn't run for the hills yet. He gasped and took a few steps away from me. I glanced sideways and caught a glimpse of my reflection in the windows of a building across the street. My eyes were glowing golden and blindingly bright. I raised a hand and knocked him to the ground easily. Then I faced the other direction and raised a hand towards Kate, she had managed to take down most of the soldiers but she was still bobbing and weaving around two pairs of fists, mostly just evading their blasts. I levitated them a few feet in the air, they kicked against me but did no good for themselves. The police, who had retired to taking care of the crowds in the street and let me do my work with Damien, now came flooding back, quickly taking into custody the two soldiers and Damien. They swerved around me as they collected the conscious and unconscious soldiers, leaving the dead where they lay.

"Arthur.." came a croak from behind me. Thomas was limping across the street towards me, holding his previously injured ribs and shoulders.

"You idiot," I sighed, running towards him, "What do you think you're doing?" I held both of his arms and looked into his eyes, checking him over quickly. He winced and blinked rapidly, leaning away.

"Arthur your eyes-" he whispered. I pulled back from him, blinking at the sky.

"Are they that bright? How do I make them stop?" I asked.

"You think I know?" He laughed then winced, wrapping his arm around his ribs.

"Careful," I warned.

"Excuse me sir, we're going to have to take you to the hospital," a nurse jumped in between us, avoiding me completely and shining a light into Thomas' eye. Two other doctors rolled out a stretcher and loaded him onto it, all while trying to stay as far away from me as possible.

"Wait, he's with me," Thomas protested before they closed the ambulance door, but they just shook their heads and closed the doors. I watched the truck disappear.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Kate, she jumped back when my gaze met hers.

"Jeez," she muttered, she was very beat up but not nearly as bad as thomas had been.

"Yea I don't know what to do," I sighed, closing my eyes and tilting my head back. I imagined a lightbulb glowing in my head and forcibly made the light flicker, I pushed a little harder and the bulb dimmed to off. I open my eyes and my head spun; I stumbled backwards and Kate caught my arm, steadying me.

"Easy, whatever you just did, it worked," she said.

"Sweet,"

A paramedic rushed over and pulled Kate away from me, looking her over and surveying her cuts and bruises.

"They're just some scrapes, I can drive myself to the hospital, my friend is there already anyway," she said, shooing away the woman who scowled at her and returned to surveying the crowd.

"Can I drive?" I asked. She laughed and nodded in the direction of the parking garage. There were crowds of civilians and reporters that the police were trying to keep at bay, we managed to make it to our car without being spotted.