Silverfish (Excerpt, Chapters 9 and 10)

A scene from my 2013 NaNoWriMo novel. I hope to one day work on and improve this story, but for now there are plot holes so huge I could drive a tractor through them. It's here mainly as a progress reference.

Summary: When Timothy's older brother - one of the city's superheroes-in-training - dies in action, Timothy secretly takes it upon himself to continue his brother's legacy. As the days become weeks and the weeks become months, Timothy realizes that being a superhero isn't as easy as his brother always let on. While struggling with his new responsibilities, his former hobbies, his schoolwork, a kleptomaniac sidekick, his brother's self-proclaimed girlfriend, and his own conscience, Timothy wonders if the people dressed in flashy costumes are really the city's heroes at all.