The Superhero

Chapter 4

Eight years have passed and there were already debates about the mysterious superhero who never showed himself. He has been on the the all over the news. Interviews from citizens, celebraties and even politicians telling stories of the superhero rescuing them, then disappearing, while also describing him. Even law enforcement, both local and state, came across some severly injured criminals lying on the ground all tied up. They didn't even think about going after the superhero, despite the president's urgent pleads. It has become a hot debate topic. Since then, Danielle and I have gone our separate ways when we entered high school. Danielle and her parents moved to Washington DC for a better life. We never even stayed in contact with each other. It was because, on the afternoon that Danielle was nearly killed, Danielle's parents made me and my mom swear that we would never have contact with her again as they believed we got in a fight while at Lake Anna State Park. It not was true at all, it definitely an accident, and Danielle knew it too. I wasn't even allowed to say goodbye to her.

But everything would change now. After high school grauation, neither my mom nor me had enough money for college. After discussing some options, including getting a job, I decided to join the US Marine Corps to receive money to enter college. An ordinary job, such as fast food or grocery store would have taken forever, and I wanted to go to college, so I could become a scientist. I wasn't sure which kind of one yet. My mom tried to make me change my mind as there was two problems: one, I was at risk of being overweight and two: I was only 5'5 feet tall.  But I was determined to fulfill my dreams and she came to a compromise: I would work for a few years, then when I have enough money, she would help me enter the US Marines bootcamp. After four years of working, shedding pounds, and getting ripped, I filled an application for training and it was accepted. In March, I was dressing up in my fresh clean cammies and tying up my boots for United States Marine Corp Recruit Training, I looked at my alarm clock. It was 5:40 pm and I needed to be at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, located in Parris Island, South Carolina in two days or else. I grabbed my gear and ran out the front door where my mom was beeping the car's horn. I  entered into the front passenger seat and my mom drove to the airport. My mom escorted me into the terminal where we hugged and kissed each other goodbye. And I walked into the line to have my passport and ticket scanned and my luggage checked by TSA. Then I waved goodbye as I walked to the waiting area to board. After flying for two hours and twenty-nine minutes, I arrived at Beaufort County Airport in South Carolina and checked into the Holiday Inn and Suites hotel.

Two days later, at 10:30pm, on Receiving Week, I arrived at the MCRD with other recruit members by bus.  The recruits including, me were greeted by a Ray, a company commander and then he lined us into formation, standing on yellow footprints, to learn how to stand at attention.  We received our utility and physical training uniforms and toiletries and also got our haircuts finished.  And me and the rest of the recruits completed everything that was required for Receiving Week. 

We were assigned to Company Alpha, 1st Recruit training Battlion. During training, there was some impressive and mediocre days for me but I was able to push through the weeks of chin-ups, squats, racing obstacle courses, and swimming. Even Commander Ray was impressed with all of us. Then something amazing happened on Week 7.  During Grass Week, while in Company Fox, 2nd Recruit Training Battllion shooting a M16 rifle at cardboard targets on a large fresh grassy field, it got jammed. I got up from the ground and reported it Wyatt, a tough talking commanding drill instructor with brown hair, in charge of the whole live round firing exercise. He instructed me to acquire a new weapon form the weapons' cache. While I grabbed a new M16 rifle and inspected it, I spotted something  flying through the sky. It was a dark figure that looked like a bird, or a plane, or Superman, similiar to what I saw when I was kid. "Private James!" yelled Officer Wyatt, "Quit daydreaming and back in the field!" I immediately dashed back with my rifle to the field. As I began firing again, I saw that flying figure up in the clouds again. Was this the same superhero from his childhood? But as I kept firing the targets, all of a sudden, a loud explosion went off, in the distance below a large hill. "Everyone cease fire!" cried Officer Wyatt. The guns stopped firing and the recruits gathered around each. "What the hell was that!?" Everyone was chattering what that sound was until Wyatt shouted, "ATTENTION!" Everybody, including me shut our mouths. "All right men, this whole program may not be over, but we're moving down there to find out what it was! This is what you trained for. Now MOVE OUT!" 

So me, Wyatt, and the recuits ran and rolled down the hill, armed with our M16 rifles. When we got to the bottom, our eyes and mouths popped out as they found a large, deep, smoking crater. "It wasn't there before, was it?" asked one recruit member. I took a look at the crater and he was starting to be agitated. He figured out who made the crater but refused to acknowledge it. "If I tell them who made the crater, they won't believe me," I thought. "Move closer men," Wyatt ordered. But as they did, a voice shouted out, "I wouldn't get any closer if I were you gentlemen."

The whole US marine squad turned their heads and pointed their weapons at two people, as they walked out of the trees. Ray said, "Who are you, Identify yourselves!"  One lady about 5'10 tall, dressed in a blue v-neck shirt, blue jacket coat, brown pants, and boots replied as she showed her ID card and FBI badge on her belt, "Danielle Camp, FBI, and this is Derek Haggar from Saviours of the World or S.O.W for short. They're a new group of society members here to help undo the damage and protect the USA."  Did I just hear that FBI agent say that his name is Danielle Camp? Was that my friend from my childhood? I wanted to speak up but I held myself together as not to humiliate myself or anyone else. Derek was the small dwarf about 4'6 tall with bushy hair and a beard, he wore a black suit with a label on the coat that read SOW. "State your business," said Wyatt. "We're here to investigate that crater that appeared near your training site, we assumed that all of you would be dead," said Daniel. "And believe or not, that's not the work of a meteor," Derek spoke. "No shit. Could this be like some kind of singal that someone is coming to kill us?" asked Wyatt. During all the chating, I stood up front, listening to the conversation. "We also believe this could some kind of alien or weird human being." Derek pulled out a piece of dirty green spandax from his blazer and showed it to Wyatt. "Whoever made that crater was wearing that." My eyes lit up, when I saw that spandax. Maybe that was the superhero that made that crater. 

Finally I decided to speak now. I shouted, "Excuse me, permission to speak, sir?" "Granted" "Could that piece of spandax come from some kind of cape?" I asked Derek. "Yes, you think you know about this?" "Yep." As I explained what was going on, Wyatt and other recuit members were confused as hell. Then Danielle interrupted, "Was it that superhero?" "Yes." "How do you know all of this?"she asked. I paused for a few seconds and answered, "Because we were there when we saw him together at Willow Valley Park, Lake Anna State Park and an alleyway back in Virginia...when were kids...Danielle." I lowered my head as everyone else, especially Danielle were confused. 

As she did not recognize me, I removed my cap. "I'm James Homer." Danielle's mouth hung open. "James?" I smiled and nodded. She walked to me and Danielle gave me a hug and I hugged her back. "Excuse me people," said Derek, "If you're finished, may we continue where we left off?" "Oh yeah, sorry. I also have some footage that might proof of the superhero's existence." "Well where is it?" It's at the Holiday Inn and Suites at Beaufort. It's where I stayed for two days before arriving here," I replied.

After much discussion, we heard a whistling sound, I looked above and I saw and object of what looked like a large board dropping from above. Then it blinked as if it was bomb. "WATCH OUT," I screamed as tackled Danielle and Derek out of the way. The unknown object crashed into us and Danielle, Derek, and I flew a few feet in the air and landed. Pushing myself up, my ears ringed fast and high, as I looked back. I was shocked to discover a pile of dismembered bodies. The marines, including Commander Wyatt were dead. They were a pile of bloody, red guts and gore. I was speechless of what happened. But Danielle grabbed and shook me, yelling words, that I couldn't understand as my ears were still ringing. When they stopped, I whispered, "What?" "GET UP, THERE'S MORE COMING!" 

Danielle pulled me up, and she placed her head and neck under my bleeding right arm, held my body and she moved me as we took evasive action into the trees avoiding as many falling containers as we could. We were finally out of the woods and we reached a Audi TT sports car "There's the fucking car, get in, I'll drive!" yelled Derek. He unlocked the doors with the autokeys, and Danielle helped me into the backseat. Then she hopped into the front passenger seat while Derek got behind the wheel, pressed the starter, and sped away.