Beyond the Stars

A Cruel Twist of Fate | superhero: shadows of twilight

I used prompt 2 for the superhero August writing contest, Shadows of Twilight! I hope you enjoy!

It was moments like these that made me wonder what in all of Crisis City I had done to deserve this.

The rumors of something dangerous thriving in the nearest subway station had been spreading like wildfire for almost a week. Although the gossip was quickly laughed upon and ignored in the beginning, people were beginning to feel the ground quake with tremors and the fear of something huge and dangerous lurking beneath our feet had become reality. I had hoped that the tougher supers like the Elites would deal with the threat, but they must have been too busy protecting Crisis City from seen threats.

So now the duty rested on my shoulders, and I felt obligated and excited to help out since I happened to have the perfect ability to counter this monster that was thriving below. I was a hero that was blessed with animal-centered powers, making me the perfect candidate for this mission. A hero who was—

"Gah!" I was snapped from my pleasant daydreaming when a flash of bright yellow and white lunged for one of my hands that swung at my sides, that movement catching its attention. I squeezed my eyes shut as panic swam through my body, using more of my energy to numb its senses, taming it. "Don't you dare bite off the hand that feeds you."

The albino python that was curled around my neck hissed faintly, a cloudy fog coating its crimson eyes as it hung limply from my neck. Working as a volunteer at the city zoo certainly had it's perks, and no one had tried to stop me when I had smuggled the python for this particular mission. To the zookeepers, I was just the quirky, teenage, animal lover girl named Kitt.

But down in this subway station, I was the adventurous and energetic Fauna, the superhero who would put an end to whatever deadly beast was loitering down here. With my trusty python by my side, I couldn't fail. Actually, that was a bit of a stretch, considering how much I hated snakes. I assumed the python somehow knew I was afraid of it, and if I didn't have my powers to help tame it, it would have given me the last bone-crushing hug of my life. Major emphasis on the bone-crushing part.

Unfortunately for me, this python was valuable and necessary for the success of my mission. Although I couldn't communicate with animals, I was able to temporarily tame them and I could absorb a trait that they possessed. Every animal offered me a different trait, and right now, the python's infrared vision would come in handy to help me maneuver the twisting tunnels of the abandoned subway station and locate the creature.

I gently placed my palms against the python's angular head, a warm glow of yellow radiating from my fingers and spreading across its scales, the light glowing brighter as it collected around its eyes. As the infrared vision began to transfer to me, I blinked a few times until I got used to it.

I swiveled my head as I surveyed my surroundings with infrared eyesight, trying to pinpoint any source of heat that would indicate another being. I frowned when I didn't pick up any sources, figuring that the creature was cold-blooded since I couldn't detect enough heat for my vision to pick up on.

Since I still wasn't fully adjusted to my temporary eyesight, I used my fingers to grope around, pressing my fingertips against the grimy walls as I rounded a corner. I sloshed through a puddle, not wanting to look down and identify what liquid it was that drenched my felted moccasins. I hiked my tribal skirt up to my thighs so it wouldn't get soiled, forcing a gag when I kicked up some of the foul fluid, splashing it against my white leggings.

I didn't have to trek much further before I heard a malicious hiss, and I could practically hear the venom oozing through it. It definitely was too ferocious to be the python knotted around my neck, and I shivered when I saw a looming shadow cast against the wall, the hiss growing louder as the source slithered around the corner that had previously concealed it.