This chapter is dedicated to Avicii
RIP ❤
~~~
It's like the day that would never end.
A green tornado? Are you kidding me, universe? This better just be my eyes playing tricks on me. Can I blame my concussion on this?
As I approach main street, I see other people running around, screaming for their lives.
Okay, so it's not in my head. Great. Just. Great.
I look down the street to see if I can find a source of the green tornado. This is biazzare. As I continue down the street, people shove me out of the way. I quickly place my current mask into my bag and pull out my Orage mask. This has villain written all over it. I don't want to be targeted as a hero.
Perception comes running up to me, sweating and out of breath. He bends over, panting. "It's... human!" He grips onto my shoulder and falls to the ground.
Really? Did he just collapse at my feet? I shake his shoulders and pull him up.
"You said it's human, what does that mean?" I look into Perception's mocha brown eyes. He looks down the street at the tornado barreling towards us.
"There's a boy controlling the tornado. He's in the center of it."
"Okay," I release Perception and continue moving forward with or without him. I put one foot in front of the other, hoping to convey invincible posture, but I probably just look drunk.
This is going to be nearly impossible to stop.
Perception trails along by my side. "Do you know how to stop a tornado?" He asks incredulously.
I continue walking. "That would be a no."
To my surprise, he doesn't stop in his tracks or run in the other direction. He keeps up with my pace. "So we're going in without a plan?" I nod my head curtly.
Perception looks straight ahead. "Bring it on."
With every step I take closer to the tornado, the closer it inches towards us. We're going to be swept up and spit out like debris before we can even come up with a plan. Not only do I not know how to stop a tornado, but I really don't know how to stop a human made tornado.
"How did you recognize me?" I ask Perception. Maybe it was just a coincidence that he came running up to me, or maybe he knew my super identity. My mind starts to race with the possibilities of who's under that mask.
He shrugs, "Not too many people have white hair."
I mentally sigh. I should just get Della Abram tattooed on my forehead.
"Watch out!" Perception grabs my arm as a bright red convertible comes barreling towards our heads. My eyes grow wide as I run us in the opposite direction. Perception and I catch our breath as we lean against a brick wall. The car crashes into the place on the sidewalk we were just on. We look at each other with evident terror filling our eyes.
"I remember reading somewhere that a tornado forms when warm, moist air and cold, dry air meet and create instability." Perception offers this information, his panting interrupting every other word.
I roll my eyes, "I may have fallen asleep in science every day but I think I know how tornadoes form."
He huffs, "I also learned they are able to die off when they move over colder ground or when the storm clouds break up."
Ah, now that's the information I want to hear. I can do that, I have that capability. Except, I can only control the weather when my emotions are out of control. A little ice shooting out of my hand to freeze a security camera is no big deal, but this is much greater than that.
I turn to face Perception, "I need you to make me angry."
"What?" His face contorts in bewilderment.
I grab his shirt collar, pulling hin close to my face. "Make. Me. Mad."
He throws his hands up, "I don't even know who you are! How should I know what makes you upset?"
My blood boils. "Yeah right! Following me around, happening to be in the hotel where The Undergrounds are. It all adds up to you, Owen!" My sudden outburst startled me just as much as it shocked him.
Perception stumbles back a few steps, looking dazed. "I - I'm not Owen."
My anger should be built up enough now that I can stop the storm. I'll deal with Owen later. While he's out playing super hero, I'm the one that actually has to do the work. There goes my villain image.
With all of my stored anger, I step out into the street, looking the boy in the eyes. My heart is beating a million times a minute. His eyes lock with mine and I get a good look at the 15 year old boy in front of me.
Gavin.
He looks terrified of what's happening around him. What if I hurt Gavin in the process? Keep a hold of your anger, Della.
I hold my hands up to the sky. I can feel the cool breeze shooting up from my arms and the temperature drastically drops. A street lamp comes flying towards my head, and I see it just in time to duck. I try not to lose my focus on the task at hand, but it's rather difficult when every car in the city is raining down on you. When the tornado doesn't cease in its spot, I feel doomed. If that didn't work, I have to try the complete opposite. I have to break up the storm clouds.
If only there were something about this situation that could make me happy.
My heart begins to race again, and I clench my chest in pain. I don't know what it feels like to have a heart attack, but this seems like the symptoms leading up to one. My eyes wander over to find Perception, frantically watching this whole scene. I wish I hadn't yelled at him now, I may need his help. There's a possibility I'm going to crash any second.
Suddenly the tornado begins to vanish. The storm clouds break up. Slowly, then altogether. I let out a sigh of relief. Gavin's face starts to become clearer to me as the dust settles.
I feel completely exhausted, and I want to drop to my knees. Although, I don't think I can rest with ease yet. I'm a villain in this suit, and I don't need the news anchors catching me on live television. That would be a hot mess. I'd rather not have Blacklight after me right now.
Gavin looks down at his orange prison suit. All color has drained from his face. His eyes are wide with horror. He never meant for this to happen. But what made this tornado occur?
Police sirens begin to fill the silence. I run up and grab Gavin's wrist. He pulls back from me. "What're you doing?" The cops are already jogging up to the two of us. I have to get him out of here. More importantly, I have to get him back to my uncle.
"You have to come with me." I tug on his arm again, but he's not budging.
"Why? Who are you? What's happening?" He sees the chaos of the news crews and police cars behind me and his eyes grow wide.
"I'll answer all of your questions if you come with me right now. We have to go." I think of how I'm going to get him out of street without more questions arising. If I use my super speed or invisibility, the public will know where Rapid Glare went. She went rogue.
Without an answer from Gavin, I take his hand and run off between the alleys, without using my super speed. When the police are out of sight, I let my speed kick in. My legs give out underneath me and I find myself looking up at Gavin.
"What are - what's happening?" He motions for me to pick myself back up. I physically can't run anymore with my super speed. How do I get Gavin out of here if I can't continue?
"You have to go home, Gavin." The words just barely leave my mouth. My breathing is heavier by the second. What is this? What's slowing me down?
"How do you know me?" He backs into the brick wall behind him.
I wince as my chest begins to cramp. "I'm your cousin?"
Gavin looks at me, perplexed. "You don't sound too confident."
"Yeah, well, it's complicated and I'm slowly dying, so give me a break."
Perception appears in front of us, panting from running. "There you are. You're needed out there, mister." Perception grabs Gavin in a hostile manner and drags him along despite Gavin's protests.
"No, stop!" I feel as weak as a baby kitten. "He doesn't know what's going on. Let him go." Perception rushes to my side as I begin to slip away from reality. Am I dying?
"What's going on?" Perception asks in a panic.
My mind jumbles up with words. "Get us out of here."
The last thing I hear are the police sirens.
***
It's not comforting to wake up in an unknown vehicle and not know who the masked driver is. My money is still on Owen for the role of Perception, but that was a discussion for another time.
"We're almost there, Gavin." I silently observe the two of them from the backseat. Who's car is this?
"She said she was going to tell me what's going on. Is she going to be okay?" Gavin's concern for me is evident. How could this kid even have the same genes as the rest of his villainous family?
"I sure hope so." Perception sighs as he runs his left hand through his hair and keeps his right hand on the steering wheel.
"How do you know each other?" My ears perk up and I try my best to keep my eyes closed. There's no way he's actually going to tell him.
"It's a long story."
"We've got another 30 minutes before we get to my house."
Gavin is starting to grow on me.
"Well, we're friends. Kind of. Maybe not anymore," He lets out a frustrated sigh, "I've made some mistakes and I don't think they're forgivable."
My bets are still on Owen.
"All you have to do is apologize." Gavin responds bluntly.
Perception snorts, "Not that easy."
Gavin scoffs, "Must have been a pretty big mistake then."
Perception sighs again, "Yes, it was. I'm afraid I'll never get her back."
Just when the conversation is getting interesting, I find my nose beginning to itch. I have to stay still. Don't you dare sneeze, Della.
"It sounds to me like you were more than friends."
Perception chuckles, "Maybe for a moment," A moment? How much time is a 'moment'? Why would he phrase it like that? "But that's enough about my love life. I want to know how you became a human tornado."
Just like that, the eavesdropping comes to an end. Do boys seriously never talk about their feelings? My eyes flutter open and I sit up straight in my seat.
"I really don't know how it happened. I got in a fight with one of the other prisoners and then my whole being just became destructive. The next thing I knew, I was barreling down main street and I couldn't see anything through the smog."
"I'm sure your parents can tell you more about what's happening." Perception assures.
My sneeze interrupts their conversation and I mentally scold myself.
"Oh, hey, you're awake." Gavin turns around in the passenger seat.
Perception speaks up, keeping his eyes on the road. "I was just interrogating our new associate. He says he was in jail because he vandalized property at the camp he was staying at." Gavin slumps back into his seat.
"I think it's pretty clear I haven't been able to control my destructive nature lately."
What kind of freak power does this kid have?
"Speaking of that scene back there... Orage, what happened to you?" Perception asks.
I'm as confused as everyone else. "I... I don't know. I just couldn't run anymore."
"I have to tell you, something odd happened to your appearance while you were passed out." Perception continues.
"My appearance?" I hate that I don't have a mirror around.
Gavin spins back around to face me, "It's still happening, actually." He stares at me with wide eyes.
Slamming my fists into the seat, I yell out, "Will you stop beating around the bush and tell me?!"
Perception interjects, "Your hair went from white to brown!"
I immediately pull out my phone and stare at my reflection. No. What is this? I dyed my hair. This isn't normal.
If my new powers gave me white hair, what the heck is making me go back to normal?
A/N
I'm just going to say sorry for any grammatical errors, I haven't been able to edit and proofread as much as I'd like. Also, please forgive the slow updates! As I sent out to my followers, I was just in my school's production of Les Misérables and I played the role of Eponine. With tech week and the actual musical, I've had a crazy schedule. And with end of the year activities coming up, it might get even more hectic. Please bare with me, as many of you already do and I appreciate that.
So what do y'all think is happening with Della?
Who do you think is Perception?
Questions, comments, or theories?
Thanks for reading!
Always, Sunny