unOrdinary: An Old Friend Returns

The Great Dragon?

Opening the bedroom window and scooting the flowerpots onto the floor, I extend my hand and call upon the pine tree sapling. It grows, first making its way past the first-floor windows, then the second, before finally reaching mine on the third. A large branch pokes through my window and I climb upon it. As it retracts, I move closer to the tree's rough-hewn trunk. Sliding down the tough, bumpy bark is not the most pleasant experience, and I decide that next time I will go with a birch tree.

Once on the ground, I scan my surroundings but find no one outside. I sprint out of campus and make my way to the storage units on Hill Avenue, about a five-minute run from campus. I jump and swing over the tall metal chain fence, avoid the cameras, and make my way to my unit in the very back, number 77. It should be a lucky unit, but all I need is it to be fortunate enough not to be found by any who can tie Eloise and Poison Ivy as the same person.

Unlocking the metal chain is just for show, I had installed a motion detector and an eye retinal scanner set to notify me if anyone stepped inside, tripping a security system that would destroy everything inside in two minutes. Maybe that was overdoing the security on a storage unit, but the things inside were sensitive if not irreplaceable. I remove the tarp keeping the dust of my bike and walk the bike out of the storage unit's second, back-facing "exit".

The unit only came with one entrance that also served as the exit, but I had lasered a second a few days ahead of my official move to Wellston. This is the exit I now used, which served me well to leave the compound without attracting notice.

Once on the side road, I started the ignition and sped away. My phone had already shown me a map from here to Lincoln View that I had memorized, so I had no trouble finding my way.

As I approached the city limits, I saw the smoke billowing out from two buildings at the edge. It looked like the culprit had started there and proceeded to move towards downtown. I zoomed past the smoldering buildings, already attended by two firefighting teams.

The closer I got, the more screams, hacking coughs, and crackling of the fire were heard. I wanted to stop and help the wounded but seeing that there were already some good Samaritans at work, I continued. Then, I saw him.

The fire-powered high tier that was causing all this. He was a tall, lanky tattooed young man wearing a red motorcycle jacket with a skull and crossbones insignia. I dismounted my ride and left it in an abandoned alley. Hopefully, it would not get roasted, hidden away as it was.

Then I began my approach. As Poison Ivy, I had been identified by all the media as a shorter male, possibly a boy, with no description for age or hair color and no identifying features like tattoos or piercings, that wielded vines in capturing criminals. My moniker had come from the bruising left behind on my victims and the vines that I used to hang them on walls.

"Stop right there!" I yelled.

"Who do you think you are to tell me to stop. I will burn this place to the ground for how they've treated me!" he shouted back.

"I won't let you continue burning down buildings and hurting the people inside."

"Go away, boy! Before the great Dragon burns you to ashes!"

Talking about himself in the third person was a sign of crazy. He needed to be stopped before his delusions of grandeur and power destroyed everything in Lincoln.

Calling upon my abilities, I drew up yards and yards of vines that I rapidly coiled around my arm and draped over my shoulder.

My movements had drawn Dragon's attention and he stopped shooting flames at the neighboring buildings and market stalls. He raised his palms readying to douse me in hot flames. I evaded to the right and used an uncoiled bit of vine as a whip, redirecting Dragon's arm even as the flames rushed forward.

I would have to act fast since flames and vines do not mix, and I did not want to continuously draw upon new vines, nor did I want to showcase any additional powers if I could help it.

Becoming a vigilante had always come with conditions; albeit conditions that I had placed on myself. I had sworn to defend the weak, but I could only do so as long I protected myself. That first and foremost meant my identity which I concealed behind a fake persona, a male with an ability to grow and wield vines and nothing else. The more I drew attention to myself, the more my mission to discover EMBER would become operation for them to find me.