Fated

Chapter Uno

Chapter Uno

Fate: 'The development of events outside a person's control, regarded as predetermined by a supernatural power.'

That was the definition of the word - according to Google, anyway. A lot of people told me that destiny and fate had something in store for me - I just had to wait for it. I didn't believe any of that for a single second but it seemed to make them feel better and as if they'd managed to comfort me somehow, so I left them be. After all, why correct them when it made them feel better about my own situation?

Wait, maybe I'm getting a bit too ahead of myself here - I've skipped a few details. How did school always make you introduce yourself? Right.

My name is Dylan Beckett, I'm 18 years old and I like punching people in the face for doing bad things. Wait, that should probably come with an explanation too. I have powers - nothing special, unfortunately, - if you can even call them that. I have enhanced senses (could enhaced senses be enhanced? Because I swear they were), something of a sixth or seventh sense - whatever you prefer - and enhanced strength and speed. It's nothing much but it gets me by and I always hear people talking shit about me, so it works out. In whatever time I had, I could often be found on rooftops, wearing all black and a mask. I didn't have a personal suit or anything, just normal clothes. I didn't see the point of it, even though most supers nowadays had Suits. I suppose it's useful for protection but I didn't even know where to get one even if I wanted one. Okay, that's a bit of a lie - I sorta knew where I could get one. The Hero Agency. Most Superheroes signed up there, received training, help, advice, gear and suits, and whatever else you might for being a Hero. I, on the other hand, couldn't be bothered to sign up for such a thing. It wasn't a requirement - and even if it was, I still wouldn't - by law or anything anyway. It was more trouble than it was worth. For the most part, I kept to myself and avoided other people - heroes and villains alike unless absolutely necessary - hence my hero name 'Recluse'.

I was far from a social person - not an important detail but everyone around me seemed to think it was. I'm adopted by a family of five, after an, uh...incident in the woods three years ago. The "incident" including me trying to escape people by hanging out in the woods, a nearby family having a picnic gets attacked by a bear and me running towards them at full speed. I tried to help them get away but outrunning a bear goes about as well as you'd expect - you just can't do it. So, being a professional dumbass, I stopped and tried to distract the bear or something as the lady starts screaming at me to keep running. Taking on a bear - keep in mind my powers were still developing back then (not that it would have been much help, a bear is still a bear, no matter what powers you have) - also goes about as well as you'd expect. Needless to say, I don't win against said bear. No, I get clawed across the chest and almost die on the forest floor.

Don't fight bears, kids. There are no winners. (Except the bear.)

Anyway, there was a forest ranger nearby and apparently he was carrying a gun with him too because before the bear could really finish me, it was shot down. I do feel kinda bad about that part but honestly, it was us or the bear, I guess (eight-year-olds cannot run as fast as you'd hope). According to the Doctor, it was a miracle I was still alive and managed to survive. It probably was and I bet it had only been because of my powers that I'd managed to survive. The family adopted me a little while after I got out of the hospital and since we "got along so well", I was still here. Truth be told, I did like them. The mother - Scarlett - was just a bit too... well, she was very emotional when it came to her kids - I don't mean the angry type, I mean the "she'll cry in pride if you get an A" type - and subjected me to that affection. She was an absolute mother hen. I was more scared of her than any villain - not that I'd met many. She was one of the very few who dared to hug me.