The Anthem Force Chronicles

"Everything's Just Great."

“No,” Brian muttered angrily, an array of explosions went off all around him, “They got away again.”

Ricky offered me a hand up but I couldn’t make eye contact with any of them. This had been all my fault. We would have won if it wasn’t for me. It was always my fault and I was tired of holding my team back.

I didn’t say a word, I just turned around and started to walk away.

“Dante, where are you going?” Brian asked, his tone a mix of annoyance and curiosity.

I turned around, my face solemn, “I quit, Brian, I quit. I’m sorry, I just can’t do this to you guys anymore. You’d be better off without me.”

“What? Dante that’s stupid, you’re not honestly going to quit, are you?” Ricky interrupted.

“I’m sorry Ricky, I just-,” I paused, trying to find he right words, “-I just don’t want to do this anymore.”

“Dante,” Ricky groaned, “Come on, don’t be like this.”

“No,” Brian interrupted, “If she wants to quit, let her quit. Dante, you know you always have a place on this team but if you don’t want it anymore I won’t make you stay.”

I smiled slightly but it didn’t reach my core. Brian was a good guy, and although he’d never admit it I felt like he might be glad to get rid of me.

“Sorry Ricky,” I muttered, shrugging.

“It’s okay Dante,” Ricky pulled me into a hug, “I understand.”

I pulled away and looked at Luke, who remained had remained silent. His face was emotionless, not a single goodbye or plead for me to stay; not that he could have changed my mind but what it be too much to ask to know that he cared?

I turned around and started to walk away. “Bye guys.”

As I walked off the bridge I tore off my mask and let it flutter away in breeze.

…

“Hey Dante, are you just getting in?” My mom called out as I walked through the door.

“Yah, sorry I went over to Jenna’s,” I lied, too upset to even feel bad about it.

“Oh well do you want me to make you some lunch?” She called again. I walked over into the living room and kissed her on the cheek. It was about noon so she was probably just getting up.

“Nah that’s ok, I think I’m just going to go to my room,” I mumbled, trying to hide my disappointment.

“Ok, I’m going to run to the store, call if you need anything.”

I nodded and was ready to plop onto my bed and sleep for the next ten years but when I opened the door there was a surprise waiting for me.

“Luke?”

“Hey Dante.” Luke was sitting on my bed and… smiling. As much as I was ready to have my friend back, part of me was still angry.

“Oh so now you want to talk to me?’ I sneered, still standing in the doorway.

“Dante look, about that kiss,” Luke began, zooming over to me at super speed.

“No, Luke just save it,” I turned away from him, “I get it, the kiss was a mistake.”

Luke was silent for a while, “Dante-.”

“-Luke, forget it.” I didn’t want to hear it from him. Even if he said he liked me like that, probably out of pity, I was tired of holding people back.

Luke pressed his hands onto his head and let out a sigh. “Fine Dante, but just don’t quit the team, please.”

“Luke, I’ve already made up mind-.”

“-don’t you remember why you became a superhero in the first place?”

Ooh, that did it; if I was mildly upset before now I was livid. Luke knew that story and knew I didn’t like talking about it.

I started yelling out a few profanities and Luke’s eyes got wider; he must have realized he struck a nerve.

Luke reached out his hand and grabbed the doorway so that he was standing dangerously close to me; he looked down and if I looked up our noses would practically be touching. I chose to look at my shoes instead.

“I just figured that because of my parents, you know, we could talk about it,” Luke pleaded.

I shot of guilt went through me. Luke had gotten his powers in an explosion in his parent’s lab.

That same explosion had killed his parents.

That’s why he lived with his nervous, overprotective aunt, that’s why he lived across town, and that’s why he felt he could relate to me more then anyone else.

Maybe that’s why we had clicked so fast in the beginning, because we had something in common.

Yet as Luke tempted me into giving in and running back to the Anthem Force something inside me grew.

“No Luke, you can’t do this to me,” I practically screamed, “You can’t just kiss me, ignore me, and then break into my apartment with a big smile and expect me to take you back without even an apology. And how dare you bring my dad into this, you know how that makes me feel.”

Now Luke looked angry. “You know Dante, I came to apologize and you didn’t even give me a chance. Why do you always have to be so stubborn?” Luke practically spat the last line, his voice leaking with anger.

I heard something crack. “I think it’s time for you to leave Luke.” I said quietly.

Luke muttered something incomprehensible and then before I could even blink he was gone; the soft flutter of my curtains the only indication of his exit. 

I gripped my hair and let out a scream. I was just mad. I was mad at Vigor for almost killing me. I was mad at Luke for being a thoughtless jerk. And I was mad at myself for blowing up at Luke like that. He was right. I was stubborn. I was stubborn and defensive and always rushing into things without thinking them through.

I flopped onto my bed and drowned my face into my pillow.

I let out a growl and rolled over to stare at the doorframe. There was a giant crack on the side, from Luke no doubt.

“Great,” I muttered, “Everything’s just great.”