From Hero to Villain

Prologue

When she left it should have been a beautiful day. It was summertime in Aimsville; the sun was shining brightly through the clear blue sky. Birds sang songs filled with cheerful happiness from their warm cozy nests in the trees. Colorful flowers sprout up from the ground to greet the warm summer air. Children play, and adults look on, content to watch their little lambs enjoy the warm summer day. While everyone else in the city enjoyed a perfect day, a war zone could be found in the Sallow household.

"We have the most powerful weapon in the universe, Jaz," Wendigo exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air, "why shouldn't we utilize it?"

"It's done far too much damage as it is, you of all people know that," he said with a pointed look toward some of the feathers scattered across the floor. Of course he had to bring that up again. Wendigo, isn't exactly a human, in fact she's quite lucky to be alive after that monster gave her a pair of wings, wings so blue they were almost black.

"Even so," she countered, stepping a bit closer to her not quite brother, "just think of what it would accomplish." Both young heroes glanced thoughtfully toward the crystal as it sparkled on its pedestal.

Jasper lifted her chin up to gaze into her dark eyes, "No," he gently finalized, "We just can't risk it. It's already cursed so much. Wendi, just look at yourself." That was not a good choice in wording.

"Have ever entertained the thought that my wings are, in fact not a curse?" Wendigo growled, recoiling away from his touch, "Look at how useful they been to us" She paced back toward the blue orb, "We would never have been able to accomplish this much without them, without it." Gingerly, she stretched out her fingers to stroke the beautifully smooth glass.

Wendigo and Jaz had always been the dynamic duo. They fought crime, and they almost always won. Except, in this case they barely made it out with their prize alive. This orb was the most powerful object in the universe, and it had been in the hands of the man who had attached wings to Wendi, Morfraun. Without those wings they would have never made it out of his lair alive.

"Stop it," Jasper snapped, mentally shoving her across the room into the wall, "I told you, no!"

"And exactly who put you in charge," Wendigo seethed, her hands clenched into small fists in a futile attempt to control her temper.

"Father," he shouted back, "because he said to never, ever trust a villain!" In reality, neither his father nor his mother would say anything like that. Although the Sallow's weren't her biological parents, they had custody of her since she was six years old. They had rescued Wendigo from Morfraun's lab when she was a child. See, the Sallow's are superheroes, and they raised Wendi to be a hero as well, but they both died only a year ago.

"I am not a villain," Wendigo snarled. Her steel-blue eyes grew darker with anger, and frustration quickly filled her head, bringing with it the voice she had been shoving down for so long. The voice of her former captor.

"Oh yeah?" he spat, "And who had you under his control for a year? Ah, yes, Morfraun the most vile villain in the history of villains!"

What did I tell you about these people, Wendi? They're no good. You were always better on your own.

"You don't mean that, Jasper," she said, as she looked into his eyes. They had been so close. Never had he ever treated her like this, like an enemy.

"But I do" he growled, advancing toward the heroine, "I think you know it deep down too. You're a villain; you always have been."He couldn't mean it, he couldn't.

I think we both know it's time to go, love. He can't talk to you like this.

"You know what?" she shouted, "I'm leaving."

"Good! Maybe I can finally rid this house of the stench of villainy!"

She stormed up the stairs to her room, slamming the door behind her."I'll leave," she thought, "I won't be treated like this."

And leave was exactly what Wendigo did. She finally gave into what the voice had been trying to get her to do for months. Away she flew, away to anywhere besides Aimsville.