Just a Pizza Guy

Curtain Call

Samuel awoke the next day to find Gideon sitting at the table. Anya was still asleep, so Samuel tip-toed over to his brother.

"Hey," he whispered. Gideon smiled wearily.

"Hey. You sleep?" Samuel shook his head.

"Not much. This whole mess has me on high alert." Gideon sighed.

"Me too. I didn't think he'd go after Anya and mom like that."

"I need to know about your powers," Samuel said as he leaned forward, his tone grave. "I know the needles were involved." Gideon glanced at him before staring at the table.

"I guess there's no point keeping it secret. When you were in the hospital from the bank that got blown up, I did some digging. I found a quiet little lab being privately funded to research super humans. They claimed they were working on awakening dormant genes in people that gave super powers or super charging awakened ones. In exchange for some DNA samples they let me test their latest serum via injection."

"Are they an evil lab or something? Why keep it secret?" Samuel frowned as he tried to understand. The corner of Gideon's mouth twitched.

"They're not evil. I was going to surprise you with it. However, a pleasant surprise wasn't going to happen thanks to Dr. Broccoli," his irritable tone made Samuel choose his next words carefully.

"Why did you try the serum if it's experimental? It could've messed you up real bad." Gideon raised his gaze and looked Samuel in the eye.

"Because I wanted to be like you. All my life I've had a super hero for a brother. But after dad died, you threw that away to be normal. All I've wanted was to be in your shoes and make a difference." Samuel took it all in. The two were silent for minutes.

"You know, when I was still in school," Samuel started softly, "I would always brag to my friends about how smart and talented my younger brother was. How he scored higher than me in exams when years behind me in schooling. Even after school I'd brag to coworkers about how you were already in good internships and job shadows despite not being in medical school yet. You've done more as an intern for hospitals than I could have ever done without powers. I've always wished I could be like you, to make a difference as a normal person." Gideon started at Samuel in disbelief. Another moment of silence passed before Gideon's phone rang. He glanced at his phone then Samuel. Samuel gestured to the phone and nodded. Gideon stood up and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"G-Gideon, we need your help! The other patients have gone out of control! We need-" the older man's voice was cut off as the phone call abruptly ended. Gideon gritted his teeth.

"They're in trouble, the guys at the lab," he told Samuel. "They need our help right now."

"Guess I'm having pizza for breakfast."

***

With Samuel's pizza and Gideon's spaghetti for breakfast, the two were blazing through the city towards the lab. Gideon made sure not to teleport too far ahead, but he noticed he was only a little faster than Samuel without teleportation. The thought made him grit his teeth and press forward harder.

Samuel worriedly mulled over their words from earlier and what threat was causing such havoc that the scientsits would call one of their patients in a desperate cry for help. This would not be an easy fight if they had to go through a lab full of super powered maniacs. It would likely be more difficult than the hodge podge of villains at the bridge.

"How close are we?" Samuel shouted to Gideon as the two ran, the city and people around them nothing but a blur.

"We're close. We need to get to the edge of the city," Gideon replied. After the longest minute ever, the two reached a more run down part of the city. Gideon stopped and raised a hand. Samuel stopped next to him. "It's down this way." The two walked through an alley filled with trash bags. Samuel put a hand over his nose.