The Fifth-Grade Superhero

Chapter 3

The amount of sleep I was able to get last night was little, but I am definitely not prepared when the sounds of crashes and beeping wake me up. So being the superhero that I am, I quickly change into my suit and walk over to the sound that so rudely decided to disturb my slumber. Of course, it's just Dragon Boy. I still don't really accept the fact that I'm here. Last night, all I could think was that maybe if I tried hard enough, I would wake up, and everything would be normal.

I would be in a normal body, and my parents would wake me up with a happy birthday and breakfast in bed. Then, on my way to school, they would surprise me with a car and I would pick up my friends and drive them around. But I'm never going to get that normal.

"Are you just going to stand there, Night Kid?" Dragon Boy says, spatula in his mouth and burnt pancake plate in his hand.  I shrug.

"Have you ever made pancakes before?" 

"Well, you'd think five years of living alone I would, you know, learn to cook, but I've been pretty busy. I thought that I would try it now that I have guests."

"Well, hopefully, we'll be out of your hair soon...something's burning."

"Yeah, the pancakes, duh." He scoffs.

"No-you're on fire, Dragon Boy." The top of his black, curly mess of hair is now aflame and it's spreading down to his viridescent wings. He shrugs and brushes it off.

"It's a good thing I'm fireproof then. Sorry, sometimes that happens when I get stressed out."

"I'm surprised you haven't burnt down your house."

"Oh, I have."

Okay then.  Maybe I don't have it that bad after all. I decide not to tell Dragon Boy about my birthday since I want our main focus to be on finding this cure. Also, I don't think he knows about my confusing age thing, so it's best just to put it aside. 

After we clean up the mess in the kitchen, we head over to Denner's Diner for some real food. Mr. Denner treats us on the house "because we're superheroes," no matter how much we insist on paying for it. We give up and take the substance because we're hungry. 

And then there's the rumbles, the shakes, and then the screams.

I didn't think that Cooties would show up today, considering she had already attacked, but then again I don't know her plans. Other than the fact that she wants to infect every last adult on the earth. 

"Everyone get down, we'll take care of this!" Dragon Boy says as he grabs my hand and pulls me out of the diner.

We?

"I'm not a kid, you don't have to hold my hand." He lets go.

"Oh-sorry...w-we were just in a hurry so-"

"It's fine." We walk out to the same intersection most of our fights take place, which is where I saw Dragon Boy yesterday. As suspected, cooties is there in the middle of it. But she's just standing there, waiting. She's just watching the people scream, and run away from her, and for a second...

"Are we just standing here? She's out in the open, we can attack her and find out where the cure is." Dragon Boy says.

"She's not doing anything, though. Why isn't she doing anything?" I wait for a response, but I don't get any. I look back at Dragon Boy but he's on the floor unconscious. And then I see Cooties.

"Makes for a perfect distraction, huh? Did you forget I can make illusions?"

"You haven't made an illusion in a long time...what are you doing? And what did you do to Dragon Boy?"

"Oh he's just knocked out," She laughs. "But me, I'm ready. I'm finally moving forward with my plan. I'm waking up the world soon. Now you just have to wait until the time's right." She teleports away before I can attack her.

I lean over Dragon Boy's limp body and sigh. I am not carrying this guy all the way back to his car. Spotting a nearby take-out soda cup from Denner's Diner, I take it and dump it on him. He jumps up, like a cat that's been pushed into the bathtub.

"Why did you do that?!"

"Well, I assumed a half fire-breathing dragon's only weakness was water, and I needed to wake you up." He rolls his eyes, and I help him back over to his car. It's an all-black minivan, so even while having the super sleek color, it looks like a mom's car.

"Are you sure you can drive?" I ask. He is new to the roads, since he's only sixteen, and the ride here was bumpy enough without a possible concussion. 

"Sure, but I didn't think dying was on your agenda tonight."

"You're right. What do you suggest we do?" 

"Teleport?"

"But that doesn't make sense, only I would get back...wait, are saying you think I should teleport both of us?"

"You think you can?" He asks.

"I would try, but ever since the incident of where I ended up in your house, I'm lowkey scared I'm going to teleport to the moon on accident."

"You didn't teleport to me by accident."

"What's that supposed to mean?" 

"Nothing, whatever. Can you try at least?" 

I sigh. I'm not sure if I can do this. But I close my eyes anyway, grab Dragon Boy's hand, and focus. When I open them we're at my house. 

"You did it!"

'No, I didn't. Ugh, we're at my house, not yours. Here-" I close my eyes again, but every single time we teleport, we don't get there. We always end up back at my house.

"Night Kid! I think ten times is enough. We're obviously not going anywhere." Dragon Boy pulls his hand away from mine and places them on my shoulders...like I'm a kid.

I don't want to stay here, is what I want to say.

"Fine." Is what I do.