Average Joe (2018)

50

The hutch remained quiet. The sky outside was burning from black to dark blue. The morning was coming.

"I have to warn my family and friends. They don't know what Mathew is planning."

"Even if they did, they wouldn't stand a chance against him. Not only does Mathew have an extraordinary ability, but he's murderous, psychotic, and has unlimited resources at his fingertips. Nobody stands a chance."

I looked at my uncle. I wondered when he had started to lose hope. I stood. I felt remarkably better. I knew my abilities affected my healing factor somewhat, but I wondered if I had some magical healing power.

"You don't have to help me. But I'm leaving. I have responsibilities back in New York."

"'Responsibilities'." Uncle Norman stood. "Do you even know what that means? You're going to put your life on the hook to save people who are probably dancing on your grave."

"Yeah, whatever. I'm getting out of here."

Uncle Norman stared at me for a moment, as if he was going to try and stop me.

"Do not tell your father I am alive. He will come looking for me. Not to mention my enemies and the authorities."

I paused.

"I have to tell my Dad. He deserves to know."

"Norman..."

"You abandoned him. Your death crushed him. He deserves to know the truth."

A soft click came from outside. I recognized the sound. Uncle Norman recognized the sound as well. My uncle dove, tackling me to the ground. Not a second after, the hutch wall facing us blew open, several rounds of ammunition flaring through the air. Uncle Norman rolled, pulling me with him. We ended up behind a lockbox and Uncle Norman pulled out a grenade (Where the hell had that come from?) and through it outside, the chorus of several men screaming followed shortly after.

"Who are they?" I demanded.

"The Enforcers! Run!"

I ran to the back of the hutch, Uncle Norman stopping behind me. I looked behind me and saw the Enforcers regathering at the bullet-tattered wall. Uncle Norman thrust his arms in front of him, golden light shining. Most of the guards dropped below the beam before it could hit them, but two were evaporated in the bright flame. My uncle and I reached the back wall and he opened a small door. He shoved me from the hutch.

"Go," he said. "Get out of here."

"What about you?" I asked.

"This is my base. I'm not going to let Mathew Everdale intimidate me."

"They'll kill you!"

"Norman Knight is already dead. But I'm not. Not as long as you're alive. You've got a strong heart, and it will be a weapon one-hundred times more powerful than any superpower. So, go. Save my brother."

I nodded and turned, running through the large forest, its shadows enveloping me. I continually heard gunshots and eventually, I knew the original Norman Knight was dead. I ran and ran. My chest and throat were burning, my lungs were dry and airless. My legs felt like they were going to fling off and at one point I couldn't run anymore. I dropped to the leaf-littered ground, my hands and knees screaming as they met the moist dirt.

Everything was dead silent. I could see my breath in the cold air. A feeling prickled my neck. I ran immensely far, very fast. I knew even if the Enforcers knew where I was, they wouldn't find me for a while.

If I still had my abilities I could fly back to New York and be there within the hour.

"Well, well, well..." I jumped and spun around, landing on my feet. Three guards in black armor and masks approached. All of them had machine guns trained on me.

"Norman Knight...," sang the middle enforcer. "You're supposed to be dead."

"Sorry to disappoint."

"Everdale really wanted you dead. I think it'll just depress him to learn you didn't die... so maybe I'll just put you out of your misery here."

My chest tightened with fear. I've been shot before. I wasn't looking forward to reliving the experience. The middle enforcer pointed his machine gun at my head. This was it. I was going to die. As he squeezed the trigger, I instinctively flung my arms in front of me. Giant blue arcs lit up the atmosphere, and suddenly the enforcer who pointed his gun at me, flew backward, his back slamming into the ground twenty feet back.

The other two enforcers panicked, firing their guns at me. As bullets spiraled towards me, I took to the air, quickly landing behind the two. I grabbed one guard by the neck, flipping us around, as the other one fired at us. I used the enforcer as a shield, his body jumping with impact as every bullet hit. I sent out an electrical pulse, and the Enforcer's dead body flew away from me and slammed into the other enforcer.

I sighed as I looked at the two unconscious men and one dead man. The sun rose, its light shining on my face. I huffed out a breath.

"Time to save the city."