Superheroes Suck

Chapter 12: You Said You Were a Damsel Earlier

Holy shit, I have been going back and forth with a psychopath. Everything was suddenly really, really, real.

I talk a big talk but my words are no match for Stromer's powers. I am a normal, average, everyday human being. I can't even pull a Batman and use high-tech gadgets to fight against the superpower-inclined. I'm essentially powerless, sticks and stones may break your bones but words can never hurt you so I am definitely powerless because words are all I have.

And a camera.

And a hard as hell camera.

Here goes nothing.

With all the strength I could muster, I smashed the camera right into Stromer's face.

His second response was to cry out in pain.

His first response was to drop me.

"Mother-"

Unfortunately, he had enough sense to catch me. His grip on me was a little tighter than before, a tad too tight for comfort. His smile was wide and jarring while his crimson eyes were just plain wild. If I had been in trouble when he had those Joker eyes, I didn't stand a chance now that I had angered him.

"You just made the mistake of your life you little bitch." Stromer growled, baring his teeth at me. He squeezed me harder, eliciting a loud yelp from me. "Good thing your miserable little existence will be ending shortly."

"Stromer." I was left breathless as I attempted to plead for my life. "You don't want to do this Stromer, please."

"I don't want to do this?" He laughed, although there was no amusement in that laugh. "I definitely want to you little whore."

Everyone around was watching us, including Spitfire.

You could feel the fury that emanated off him. "Let her go."

"You want me to let her go?" He laughed again. "I plan to. I think I'll drop her off the very place she escaped death once before."

"Do you expect me not to save her again?"

"I'd imagine you would if you could." There was an explosion that echoed through the ballroom.

The people below us screamed as the ballroom shook and debris and dust fell all around them. A particularly large piece of debris found its way above Spitfire's head.

I imagine that when he did to it everything he wanted to do to Stromer in this moment.

"You just need to save all these fine citizens and all the poor sickos in Belhurst Gen first."

"Nova!" I heard Mary's voice ring out among the cries.

At least I know that she is alright. I can't say the same about Penn and Murphy, I haven't seen either of them all night. Maybe that means the two of them decided to ditch and get drunk at Murphy's while their parents attended here. Could they have gone to see a movie? I hope so.

None of this is distracted me from the fact that Spitfire wouldn't be saving me this time.

"I imagine it'll be a bit before you can save this little whore and by then, she'll be splat on the ground."

I'm going splat.

And like that, we were outside, flying over the skies of Belhurst.

"Don't worry," Stromer's voice sounded lighter, almost child-like. His eyes showed just how unhinged he was. "You'll suffer this time. I'm going to make your death very, very painful."

Painful?

We landed on top of the very building that Stromer once dropped me off of. Though the streetlights and buildings illuminated the night, it was still much darker than it had been the last time I found myself up here. My breathing grew shallow as it became more and more apparent that I was going to die tonight. I'd be dead before I could hit the ground but, the idea of going splat was not the more attractive.

"Why do you want to kill me?" I asked, "I mean really, I'm just some little intern at the Advocate. Seriously, there were so many people that were way more important than me that you could have taken."

"Like who?" My idea intrigued him enough to falter whatever plan he had for me.

Good, stalling means Spitfire has more time to save people. Maybe I won't going splat after all.

"The mayor...the mayor's son...some rich old dude...a sick kid...none of those are very original but that's because they're so effective. Come on, what do you gain dropping me off the top of this building? I'm nobody."

"Au contraire, you're forgetting one person."

"What?" Who was I forgetting? I covered pretty much everyone interesting that Stromer could have taken. "Who am I forgetting?"

"You're forgetting the one person who trumps all else when it comes to superheroes." He doesn't mean... "His weak spot. That one civilian who has nothing important to offer other than being the one person a hero can't bear to see be killed because of them. Not only has Spitfire revealed that in flaunting you around, he's also given all the villains out here a hint about who he is under that emerald mask."

"Do you know who he is?"

Stromer scoffed, "Of course not, and I really don't care. I drop you off here, he blames himself for not being able to save the one person who means the world to him," insert mocking laughter, "and he hangs up his cape for good because what's the use of being a hero when you can't save the people you care about."

"Spitfire doesn't..." I trailed off, seeing the sense in his words.

Spitfire had saved me from falling last time which in of itself isn't all that unique. That's not where our encounters ended, no there's the tree house, that night Penn and I fought, and then tonight. He asked me to be his date the first time he met, that's not really normal superhero behavior. Not unless he knew me.

Why the hell is he so interested in me? Like I told Stromer, I am nobody. There is no reason that Spitfire would be so concerned about me.

I think Stromer is right, I think Spitfire knows me. If that's true, I can't imagine who he could be. The only person that would make sense is...no. I already asked him and he told me no. He would have told me, right? He wouldn't have asked if he Spitfire, right?

Could Penn be Spitfire?