Elm had a busy day ahead. It was the day after he'd gotten home from the hospital, with only 3 more days until he had to start attending school again, during this time he planed to start his hero career. Today he planned to get the required materials for a basic superhero costume. He also needed to get to a bank and take out the money he needed, so he could afford the materials he had in mind.
Doing some quick online searching he found the location of another bank close to a hardware store. Elm grabbed his wallet and headed out the door. As Elm was about to cross the threshold he stopped. Looking back, he easily spotted the towering skeleton holding a skeletal cat following just behind him. "Umm",'wishbone, stay inside and guard the house... also don't let the cat leave." Wishbone nodded as the still unnamed cat struggled to escape. Closing and locking the door on the odd pair Elm continued on his way.
Elm smiled, it was a pleasant thought that at least he wouldn't be coming home to an empty house anymore. Even if the occupants were all dead things. He sped up his limping gait as he neared the bus stop. If he missed this one, he'd have to wait an hour for the next bus. As he rounded the corner he could see the bus careening down the nearby hill, mere moments from his stop. Luckily someone was already there, a massively muscled man with blond hair, who held up the bus when he saw Elm hobbling to get to the bus stop. Elm shyly thanked the heavily muscled man as entered the bus, the man didn't seem to be taking this bus and just waved the driver off.
Elm settled himself into a seat near the back of the bus. He pulled a out a small pocket notebook he'd been jotting ideas in all morning, most of them related to his power and being a hero. He added a note to the bottom, of his still rather short, list of superhero activities.
Spoiler: List of superhero activities:
catch muggers
fight super villains
become famous
????
Profit
Help people catch the bus
During the bus ride Elm went over his plans for the suit he would make for Wishbone. He'd wanted to make an armored suit, but the materials he'd first checked out like, poli-carbonite and nanite weave, were either government restricted or prohibitively expensive. So, Elms solution was to buy high gauge, casehardened, steel sheet metal and some cheaper industrial fabrics and use them to make a sort of medieval style hauberk and embed the steel plates in key areas. He also planed to make a full steel helmet though that might take a bit longer to finish. He doubted he had the cash to buy tools to make anymore complicated armor. He'd probably be never able to make even this if he didn't have a very strong untiring worker who followed instructions extremely well, so cheap manual tools could be used to great effect.
He also wanted to give Wishbone a cape, the hero at the hospital had inspired Elm, and convinced him he had to give his alter ego an impressive cape. But that would all depend on elms available funds. He was sure the cost of the surgery and subsequent stay in the hospital had effected his fathers finances. The insurance was unlikely to have covered all the costs, and there was the distinct possibility that Elm would be stuck high and dry for a month.
Elm disembarked the bus and walked to the entrance of the bank. As he stood in front of the doors a sense of trepidation washed over him, scenes of people in a crowd screaming as bodies and blood hit the floor. He remembered the face of the man whose skeleton was now at his house. The man whose skeleton was wretched from his still warm corpse so that Elm could play at superhero.
Elm realized he was being shaken, he wasn't sure when it started, but the jerky motion drew his attention to the fact people were screaming. Wait, no, not people just one person.
"Hey kid! Can't you read! No loitering!"
Elm looked up into the eyes of the bank guard. He had blue eyes.
"Uhh, s-sorry, I just need to go in, to withdraw some... money?" The words felt weird in Elms mouth, they came out on their own, though his conscious mind didn't seem to be able to make sense of why. Elm completely missed the incredulous look the guard gave him.
"Do you have a bank card and ID?"
"..."
"Kid?"
"Uhh, Yeah. I do." Elm handed his whole wallet over to the guard, who took it with an odd look.
Elms mind buzzed with static, it slowed his thinking to a crawl. His thoughts floated around ''̶̢̋I̴̺͑.̵̙͂.̴̳̾.̸̬͛ ̴̪̽W̶͔͐ä̶͖n̴̟͑t̷̫̃ ̵͙͒ ̶̊͜ ̴̺̕ ̴͎̇t̷̮͝o̸̡̒ ̵̠͝, ̵̟̄ ̴͔̑b̶̪̔e̸̦͆'̷̫̽?' whenever a string of his thoughts came together into a cohesive whole, he would remember some detail from that day, and it would throw him back into disarray. He remembered the day he broke.
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'̶̦̤̳̙͎̟͂͜ ̶̡̣͎͈̯̫͍͖̪̙̮̭͈́̓̐̒͂̈́͊͒M̸͉͍̫̘͖̘͇̠̤̟͍̬͒̎́̍̀̑̅͊̒̒́̒́͋͘͜͝͝͝͝ͅō̸͉̜̤̌̈́̓͋̒̀̿̀͊͌͑͌͋̉͊̄͝m̷̧̝̫̼͍̠̙̖̟̠͉͕̘̥̼͈̞̺̫͉̈̊͒͊͋̊̅̚͝ͅ'̷̺̼̗̬̅̌̈́̓͊͋͂͗́̀͋͑̀͘̚͝ ̶̓
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"Alright checks out, go on in ya little freak."
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'̷̡̡̣͛̊̉̆͒͂̀̊͗͘͜T̸͇̪͍̭̭͔̫̔̈̈́̎̇̀̕͠h̴̢̨̧̧̧̨͎̖̯̤̳̝̦̦̱͕̫̠͙̳̠̬̮̫͔̜̟̼̻̼̞̉̆i̸͓̪̘̖͈̜̯͎̣̜̥̻̒̋̽͒̔͋̈̅̚̕͜ͅs̶̨̛̥̟̯̯̖̣̫̘̰̹̱͎̼̗͇̑́̈́͐̄̉̓̈́̋͗͐̏̉̏̈́̾̏̅̑̄̈̈́̔̐̉͗͗̀̈́͌͑̕̚̕̚͜͠͝ ̶̧̡̧̧̧̛͍̬͈͚̮̺̗͈̼͎̖̖̻͎͖̹̭̱̪͙͖̠̙͓͙̬̟͓͓̣̣̼̈́̏̆̋͌͑̆̋̓̃͐͜͜ͅͅm̸̢̧͇̞͙̯͉͇͙͈̖̯̼̩̝̰̱͕̬̘̪͚̲̺̦̬͉̩͌̑͌͆̀̐̇̉͋̄̐͊͋̾͐́̎́̀̅̔́̕̕͜͜͝ą̸͍̫̫͉̝̰̜̠͇̙̳̱̰̱̖͔͍̗̮̝̯̱̖̟̮̬̳̦̭̂̆͋͛̇̄̋̀͆̋̈́́̈̕̕͜͜͜͝n̴̢͍̺͕̮̱̥̘͈͓͇̬̣̫͗̿̏͆̉͆̽̎̒͆͝͝ ̴̧̡̛͚̤͍̗̬̩͈̣̫̙̺̖̪̺̜̜̦̱̘̝̗͈͚̒̿̐͆̐͆̾̀̽̒̌̍͐͑̅̑͋̆̍̑̄̒̃͂̑̈̋̅̈́̏͗̔̕͜͝ͅh̵̨̨̨̛͔̘̩̜̻̮͕͍͙̹̯̼̮͈̫͉̥̖̗͕̲̙͎͇̲͎̖͔̐̏̽̈́̓́̉̽̊͐͗͑̎́̃͛̒͗̐̂͋̈́̇̓̎̄͋̿̔̈́̆͘͜͜͝͠͝͠͝͠a̸̼̤͙̮͇͇̥͕̱̓͑̂͛͑́̕͜ş̴̢̢̧̢̧̧̝̼̖̤͎̺͎̺̹̗̠̝̼̦͕̗̬̦̙͙͒́̉̐̇̃̍́͋̈́̒͊̿̉͊̑̑͊͘͜ͅͅ ̴̨̛̪͕̼̼̗͙̬̹̯̯̘̖͇̤͈̙̹̝͕̦̪̜̜̟̰͗̓́̒͋̈͛̋͜͜͝ͅą̸̛͚̪̜̫̠̜̭͚̦̜͍͉̜̜̘̣̗͒̈̇̏͒͗̂̊͊̆͊͗̔́̇̅̆̎̍́̀͌̐̑̈̕̕̚͝͠ ̶̢̧͓̤͈͙̻̘͉͔̬͕̮͈̦̹̟̪̗̝͋͑́̐͊̎͌̀̂͆͐͆s̶̢̡͈͉̭̻͓̹̜̹̱̩̦̝̗̞̜̮̫͖̮̹͚̱͂̓̃͆͗̃̈̔͐̑̃͛͐̓̌̇͘͝ͅķ̷̧̧̛͖̤̳͎̲͚͉͔̮̘̝̝͕̯̭̲̺̮͎̝͕̹̥̹̺̱͔̖͎͕̗͓̮̳̭͊̓̃̿̌̋͗̃̐͆͐̔͜͝͝e̴̢̧̡͉͚͔̣̼̦̰̞̞̥̬͍̘̲̞̖̱̞̞̪̺̜̬̼͖̣̭̘͔̭͋͋ĺ̵̨̧̧̢͍̻̭̗̝̠͓̣͔̩͍̮̣̫̳̉̓̇̄ȩ̶̧̡̡̡̛̼͚̦̱̠̱̥̪͖̪͖͓͍̗̺̙͎̥̞̼͔̳̫̣͔͔̟̻͈̰͎͕̘̣̉̽̅̉̅̂̈́̂̈́̾̓̀͋̌͒͐̂̀͂̈̈̈̕͝͝t̵̢̧̨̲̙̬̩͍̖̯̘̥̟͚͉̬̩̼͖̖̫̖͉̼̹͚̗͚̆̆͛͛́̈́̊͌̈́͋̋̉̽͊̽̀̓̆ơ̸̧̢̼͎̰͈͓͍͕̤̖͉͚̭͙̤̦̈́͗̇́̐̽̀͗͋̋̔̓̚ņ̴̗̰͔͇̬̣̲̠̞͓̩̺̺̘̗̞̤͔̘̳͖̠̠̳̱͖̘̬̮͈̟̳͓̬̯̭̝̣̓̇͆͐̾̑̈̇͆̐̓̐́͊̓̆͐̾͛̄̆́͘͘͠͠͝͠͝ ̶̡̼͉̬̹͓͚̾̀̒̾́̾í̴̢̡̛̙̝͕̮̞͍̣͍͕͈̬͕̳͔͈̬̗͉̯͗͛͑̒̋̇͐̓̈́͒̈́̃̇̍́̀̈́̿̌̚͠͝ ̷̢̢̦̭͙̫̻̯͇̜̥̫̩̣̦̬̹͙̏̐̌͂̐̽̊̔̀̎̑̓̀̇̑͐̒̑͋̚͘͜͝͝ͅç̶̩̖͙̙͈̦̹̻̩̞͎̫̟̖̺͈͚̬̼̥̗̝̯͉͖̦̭̠̗̙͚̣̺̙̺̲̉̑̋̉̑̇̋̍̆͌̽͐̐͒̇̽̈́͂͛͊̔͐͗͒̎̽̚͜͜͝͝͝ͅǫ̴͙̫͓̳̹̘̝̙͈͍̘͖̝̘̗͕̹̦̪̩̥͕͙̠̞͖́̇̋̉̇̓̈̄͆̇̐́̐̏̍̍̊̓̄̽̇̏̐̾͑̉̔̅̎̍̍̚̕͘͜͝ṳ̸̧̮̬̞̩̮̼̤͎͔̳̥̙̹̺̮̲̥̠̳̫̖͓̻̼͇͚̳̳̏̂̋̈́̏̋̀͐̈́͆̏͌̊͜l̸̨̡̨̧̢̞͎̙̟̦̖̣̪̺̤̯̜̩̘̫̖͉̘͕̼̜̲͇͉̜̩͎̩̯̹͇̱̎̅ͅͅd̵̰̼̞̞́̉́͌̈͒̓̒̎̏̚ ̵̡̨̢̢̡̛̹̥̹̘͉̲̼̭̱͍̙͙̠͖̱̠̥̦̹̹͓̮͍̹͉̯̬̩̰̏̊̏̃̈̇̔͂̿̈́̏̄̒̕͜͝͠͝ͅų̶̡͔͎̣̖̥͍̰͖͍̦̗͈̬̠͉̼͓͎̥̣͎̣̜̗͍͂̀̄̒̀͌̂̈́̄͒̈̈͌̔̔̄͐͋̆͘̚͝͠͠͝ş̵̨̧̙̪̣̟̺̗̫̪̥̳͇͈͉̫͈̮͇͙̲͎̱̩̥̠͉̭̪̤͙̳̰͆̓̊̇̉͊̿͆̆̊͛̓̈́́͛̎͗͘̕̚͜͠ͅͅȩ̸̢̛͍͉̳̮̘̰͉̥̫̲̞̗͂͋̌̍̉̄̑͛̈́̎͊̂͑͊̂̐̈͗͑̒͛̍͘͘͘͝'̴̧̧̛͚̯̩͎͍̱͈̳̱̼̘͖̙̬̣̙̬̙̳̮̗̦͔̗̩̣͚͉̙̭̹̪͓̩͎̰̤̍͒̈̊
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Elm walked into the building. There were several people lined up at the ATM's. As he approached an old woman had just finished with the ATM, so he silently took the machine she just left.
"HAY?! Didn't you see the line punk?"
Elm took out his card and placed it in the machine.
"OIE! I KNOW YOU HEARD ME!"
Elm put in his 6 digit pin code.
A heavy hand landed on Elms shoulder and roughly turned him.
"DON't IGNORE ME YOU LITTLE SHIT!"
A fat man in a business suit griped Elm by the shoulder, the mans face was red, sweat pored off of him in thick droplets. Looking behind the man, Elm could see the crowd of people who had gathered to watch the spectacle. Most of the people in the crowd were much older than Elm, though he could see a few kids with their parents. It didn't seem any of the crowd would be willing to step in to help him, if anything several people seemed to want to join the fat mans side.
"LOOK AT ME DAMMIT! Who do you think you are? Did anyone ever teach you any manners!"
He could see the security guard in the crowd. He was just standing there. I suppose good help's hard to find.
"Ha... HA... HAHAHAHAHA" Elm started laughing.
The fat man recoiled at the unexpected response, dropping Elm, who proceeded to keep laughing as he turned around and hit some more buttons on the ATM.
"WTF, Are you high? STOP LAUGHING!" The fat man reeled back for a punch and delivered it to the back of Elms head.
Elms head shot forward, impacting the faux gold trim above the screen. The man however, realizing he just assaulted a minor in front of a crowd of people ran away while covering his face.
The boy didn't move. The guard, finally forced to do his job, approached the boy. As he got close however he heard a werring sound and stopped in his tracks. The werring stopped and the boy stood up. He turned around, blood was dripping down his face, and he had a small handful of 20 dollar bills. He then proceeded to walk past the guard and out the door. The guard looked back the ATM. The "gold" trim looked slightly bent, but besides that and some blood smeared on it, there didn't seem to be any real damage. Not wanting anymore paperwork, the guard simply called in a repair and clean bot on his tablet placed an out-of-order sign of the ATM, and called the matter resolved.
...
Elm headed down to the hardware store. His forehead felt wet. Bringing a hand up to check what the wetness was Elm stopped when he spotted the Tell tail gold of Paradise currency. He looked down at the fistful of money. He didn't remember going to the bank, had he done that? He remembered needing too. A little confused, he put the money away in his wallet. Then dabbed a couple fingers against his forehead, then brought them back in front of his face covered in blood.
Elm looked at his hand now covered in red, that was quite a bit of blood. He looked in a nearby shops window only to see his entire face covered in blood. Did he fall and hit his head? That could be quite serious if he hit his head hard enough to lose memory of it. He should probably visit the hospital. Elm did an about turn and instead headed to a nearby bus stop that had a bus that drove hospital.
20 minutes later Elm arrived in front of the hospital, he walked into the emergency ward, grabbed a ticket and waited in a seat. He was called up fairly quickly, where he explained he thinks he fell and hit his head but could't remember it. The nurse bot thanked him and sent him to wait until his name was called. Almost exactly three hours later he had just received a x-ray and EEG. The doctor gave him clean bill of health, a wet cloth, and a bandaid then set him off.
Walking out into the dimming light, Elm decided he would pick up some if the materials on his way home, though he probably wouldn't have time to actually build the costume. At some point he'd also have to find the time to research the other heroes in cytokine as well. There were a lot of things a new hero had to do to get started, Elm was realizing. It was a lot more work then he expected.
Though he did come up with a good idea for a temporary disguise for Wishbone during the plentiful time he had to think wile sitting in the waiting room. Elm decided he needed to give this hero thing a good test, to find out if he liked it.
Tonight, he thought, would be a good night to dip his toe in the crime fighting business.