Supes

Five: Company

Kyret and Luke were sitting and talking. Sitting and talking and drinking. The two sat on Kyret’s couch and talked as if they had known each other forever. They shared funny stories about Kyret’s father. Though they thoroughly enjoyed the light and airy atmosphere, deep inside they both knew they were avoiding the heavier subjects that needed to be covered.

Luke took another sip of the pungent liquid and coughed. "This is some strong stuff. Where'd you get this from again?"

Kyret shrugged, "My next door neighbor Monty. Makes his own moonshine. Gives me free bottles if I show him my boobs."

They laughed and sipped some more. Then Luke began to speak.

“Your father was an admirable man. He and I were great friends in the war. He was everybody’s friend. Always so hopeful and optimistic. Easy to be around, you know? I remember this one time where we were getting attacked by all sides. They just kept coming and coming, bullets everywhere and we were radioed to retreat. But a comrade of ours was pinned under debris from the roof, and your father risked his life to carry him all the way back to base. Soon after that, he left for some government deal.”

“Did he say much about this ‘deal’?” Kyret pressed.

“He couldn’t. Said it was strictly confidential but that he was chosen and was excited to ‘give it a try’. I told myself that if I found out he was ever harmed in any way, I would take care of his loved ones.”

“So you’re saying my dad had the Kronos and then it trickled down to me,”

Luke nodded.

“And you think there could be more of people like me?” Kyret persisted. Luke nodded again and Kyret smiled internally. The thought of others having abilities like her made her excited. She would finally have someone to understand her for what she really was. Super.

“Yeah I do. Back in the day, the Kronos claimed lives but I guess somehow your body is immune to its detrimental qualities. Either way, there must’ve been others who live with it as well.”

Kyret huffed. “So what the hell took you so long to find me?”

Luke beamed. “Excuse me, but I just found out about his death recently from a mutual friend. I tapped some connections and found out he had a daughter living in New York City.”

 “Well the daughter is doing just fine, thank you. What about your family?” She questioned.

“No family. Solo. Just plain ol’ Luke.” Luke affirmed, and Kyret’s heart skipped a beat. He was lonely. She decided to change the subject.

 “So the Kronos reacts to everyone differently.” She gathered. It was a dumb change of conversation but it did the trick.

“Yeah. I guess for some it takes a while to develop, for others instantly.” He answered. He paused and hesitated to ask the next question. Kyret knew where this was going.  

                “When did you first discover your power?” He questioned. Kyret took a sip of her custom concoction and frowned.

                “I had just turned sixteen and I wanted to throw this huge party to celebrate. I wanted to go all out. Thousand dollar decorations, expensive shoes, ridiculous dress and invite everyone at my school. But at that time, it was just my Mom and I. She was already working two jobs just to feed us and pay rent, and I had the nerve to ask for a huge party,” Kyret shook her head and began to talk slower, measuring  each word.

                “So I go and ask my Mom and of course, she said no. And she always said no and then broke down and said yes, so I thought ok I’ll just ask her again later. But when I asked her again, she still said no. And she kept saying it. No. No. And at that age, I just couldn’t take it. I got so mad. So angry at her. I felt like she didn’t want me to be happy,” Kyret continues to tell her story, restraining from crying.

                “I felt like she didn’t want me. So I yelled at the top of my lungs ‘Rot in hell’! And suddenly my entire body started to tingle, and my eyes felt like they were on fire. I was blinded by splashes of pink, then burgundy, then deep red. And far away I heard someone screaming for help. Begging and pleading. But I didn’t care because I was so livid. And when I could finally see, I saw what I did. I had to look at my mother’s burnt body and realize that I was a monster!” Kyret uttered, and then finally allowed herself to cry.

                Luke engulfs Kyret into his arms. He begins to speak in a sing-song voice to calm her. “Hey, hey. You’re not a monster. It wasn’t your fault.”

                Kyret disagreed. He pulls her away and gazes deep into her eyes. Kyret gazes back, searching for any kind of sarcasm or insincerity. To her delight, her search was unsuccessful. Their faces were close now, and Kyret could feel his steady breath upon her face.  

                “You didn’t do this to yourself. Some sick fuck did this to us. And we’re going to pay him a visit.” Luke said.

                Just as Luke finished his sentence, there was a loud pattern of knocks upon Kyret’s door.

                “Who could that be?” Luke whispered, in a tone she recognized as sarcasm.

                ”NYPD! Open up!” Said a voice from outside.

Kyret froze and internally slapped herself for leaving her cell phone at the crime scene.

Just keeps getting better. She thought.