I’m sorry, big sis. I’ve failed you already. If you knew I was using your inheritance like this…
“Big Cuzzy? Are you listening? I know you heard me the first time. Let’s go to Gremlins. The luxury department store.”
Remy pretended his cousin didn’t exist. He focused on the grey clouds, hoping for rain while Jay seized him by the shoulders, shaking him back and forth like a ragdoll. “Don’t ignore me!”
“Are you sure that’s where you want to go?”
“Yes.”
“You’re not even the type to wear that shit.”
“Maybe, but I need to know what it feels like. I need some diamond chains to celebrate my victory.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“I’m dead serious. It’s a one-time purchase and I’m not even paying for it. It’s common sense. You might as well get something too. Treat yourself.”
Remy raised a fist but quickly lowered it. “Ooh, I almost punched you in the mouth right now.”
“What?” Jay replied, laughing. “There’s nothing wrong with looking stylish.” He gestured at the many humming hovercars parked around them at the crystal fuel station. “Get one of those flying babies. It’s better than travelling around in some sweaty pod in a tube. Or at least get an electric.”
Remy only scoffed as he typed quickly on his phone, standing before one of the portal platforms in the station, a purple-painted square on the ground. Thanks to the descendants of the very first superhero, Psyche, Earth’s portal system was one of the most efficient in the universe. Their family bloodline had the S-rank ability to create thousands of portals simultaneously. All it took was a tap online to summon a portal… if you had the money of course.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Jay continued. “The tubing pod system is free while hovercar crystals are extremely expensive as a fuel. But just hear me out for a sec and this is a very important factor you may not have considered– you’re rich as hell.”
Remy tensed like his cousin had revealed a big secret despite the fact everyone knew how exorbitantly paid superheroes were, especially those who were ranked in the top one hundred. With Amelia’s inheritance alone, he could spend the rest of his life like Bruce Wayne without the clobbering of criminals in the dead of night. But, of course, he had other plans. In fact, his schemes were so grand that he wasn’t sure he had enough money to fund them.
An automated voice droned. “Standby. Portal to Downtown Lumina, Gremlins. Enjoy.” They walked through the portal and as soon as Remy laid eyes on the store’s interior he wanted to flee. Everything from the clothes to the shoes to the accessories was far too expensive, torturing his innocent frugal nature. Was he seriously going to be legally robbed?
He tried to keep a straight face as Jay inspected the jewellery section but winced whenever anything with a price tag was touched. This went on for a full three minutes until every nearby phone blared an all too familiar alarm. A few customers immediately ran out of the store.
Jay sighed, scrolling on his phone. “There’s a D-rank threat nearby. Superheroes and emergency portals are busy but SWAT teams are present. We’ll have to stay here until things are sorted out. And what the fuck are you smirking about?”
“Nothing,” Remy replied, glancing at the cashier leaving the register. “The store won’t be open for a while. Maybe this is a sign.”
“Nice try, Big Cuzzy. I don’t care if a horde of Solarians invade Earth. You’re buying me–”
Jay doubled over, both palms pressed against each temple.
Remy squeezed his cousin’s shoulder. “Are you good?”
“It’s my powers,” Jay grunted. “They’re not restricted anymore because superheroes should be operating in the area. I can hear everyone’s thoughts.”
Remy’s eyes lit up, seeing an opportunity. “Scope the area. Can you tell what’s going on?”
“Yeah. Don’t speak.”
Remy watched with slight amusement as Jay expressed seven facial expressions in under ten seconds.
“Alright, the SWAT team are fighting a group of aliens, twenty in total. There’s confusion about what species it is.
“What do they look like?” Remy asked.
“Um, people are saying they have a flower-like face? They’re using shields and high-tech guns.”
“They’re Petalgons, an intelligent plant-based species. Are there any casualties yet?”
“No. They’re holding them off pretty well. It seems to be a stalemate.”
Remy nodded, impressed by his cousin’s ability. Amelia had told him that intel gathering was a skill that could take decades for a telepath to master. It required the mental fortitude to not only read multiple human minds from a distance but to link each string of thought with a specific individual. Jay must have tirelessly practised the skill.
“Are there any civilians in the line of fire?” Remy asked.
Jay frowned. “I don’t know. Everyone just wants to escape the chaos but..”
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
“But?”
Jay shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
Remy’s eyes narrowed, noticing his cousin’s closed-off body language. “No, it’s not. Tell me.”
Silence lingered. Jay’s face hardened. “A building’s on fire. There’s a girl in the smoke. Top floor. ”
“Send her thoughts,” Remy said quickly. “Tell her to stay low.”
“I can’t do that yet,” Jay said, panic filling his voice. “She’s too far away.”
“No, she’s not,” Remy said calmly. “Focus. You can do this.” He waited patiently while Jay’s face tensed, veins bulging. Blood dripped from his nose. “I think I’ve done it.”
“Good,” Remy said. “Let’s go. We don’t have much time.”
“What?”
“The firefighters aren’t there and the Lumina superheroes are dealing with a gang-related incident. It’s being televised as we speak.”
“But we’re not superheroes. There’s nothing we can do. We should stay here and let the professionals do their job.”
“They’re not coming now!” Remy blurted. “You gave the kid hope and now we’re saving them.”
Jay stared at him blankly. His hands trembled. “I can’t…”
“You can! We can! Let me tell you what’s going to happen right now. In less than a minute, we’ll be rushing through chaos. You’ll read the Petalgon's minds and after two extremely quick failed attempts you’ll understand their image-like thoughts. We’ll communicate, and you’ll have my back because you’re the real Big Cuzzy.”
Remy turned and dashed out of the store, fighting the urge to look back. There was no time to argue. He raced down the evacuated street and turned a corner to witness the battle. The SWAT team had created a roadblock with their electric vehicles, using it as cover while the Petalgons huddled together behind transparent electrified shields. Like Jay described, the grotesque humanoid creatures had flower-like faces but also bared mouths filled with razor-sharp teeth. With elongated, wooden arms they held alien assault rifles. In the far distance, ahead of the battle, smoke billowed from a four-storey burning building.
Though refusing to reduce his quick pace, a scary thought entered Remy’s mind as he approached the battle– What if he’s not behind me? Mainly acting on impulse and trust, he had rushed to do what he thought was the right thing, but Jay had a mind of his own. If his cousin wasn’t behind him, then he would surely–
Charge! Jay boomed telepathically. I’ve got your back! Go, go, go!
Remy vaulted over a police vehicle and seconds later instructions flooded his mind. Without hesitation, he obeyed them, veering off to one side and ducking to avoid a hail of bullets. Jay sped past him and disarmed the closest Petalgon with a flying knee to the shoulder.
They sped through the horde of aliens, working in complete synergy. Remy’s hulking physique led the way as he threw wild hooks which shattered their wooden bodies while Jay covered his blind spots and told him the alien's exact thoughts, allowing him to cleanly slip away from their wild shield swings.
They burst out of the alien squadron, leaving nearly half of them injured.
“We don’t have time!” Jay yelled desperately, accelerating ahead.
He was right. There was no chance they could get to her in time and even if they could, the building was too dangerous to enter. The top two floors were completely ablaze and they were not wearing the appropriate protective clothing.
Tell her to jump! Remy thought.
Have you lost your mind?
Just do it!
Remy took a glistening cube out of his pocket and hurled it. Upon landing, it quickly expanded into a small circular launch pad. Jay jumped onto the device and shot through the air. The trajectory was perfect. He caught the falling girl, engulfing her in a protective hug before plummeting hard on the concrete.
Remy rushed towards them, dropping to a crouch. Jay stared back at him, eyes wide, still holding the little girl tight. “She’s breathing.”
“She’s breathing,” Remy repeated, letting the news sink in.
Jay frowned. “Did you get shot?.”
Remy looked down, finally noticing the blood soaking his right leg. “Maybe. Did you?”
“No… but…” Jay closed his eyes, falling unconscious.
Remy sighed. He collapsed and lay beside his cousin. As the SWAT team surrounded them and the adrenaline wore off, he couldn’t help but feel jealous, wishing for sleep to escape the stinging pain.
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Separated by a curtain, Jay and Remy rested on adjacent hospital beds. Despite being reprimanded by the police on the scene for their reckless acts, they were not charged with vigilantism because of the saved girl. Even one of the Lumina superheroes, Ethereal, ranked #423, partially healed their injuries.
The two cousins found themselves reminiscing on childhood memories until Remy’s voice lowered, coated in guilt. “Back at the Super Grounds, I’m sorry about what I said. I didn’t believe the words.”
“No. You were right to an extent,” Jay replied. “When Amelia died, the concept of mortality terrified me. I had constant nightmares of dying and then one day I simply…stopped training.”
WHACK.
Remy assumed Jay either slammed a fist into his palm or slapped himself.
“But things are different now, Big Cuzzy. I’m going to become a licensed superhero. Or I’ll at least give it a shot.”
Remy turned to look at the curtain. “Does that mean you’ll join me?”
“Sure. As long as you tell me what happened.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Cut the crap. You’re hiding a traumatic event and it’s linked to why you want to be a superhero.”
“Am I now?”
“Yes.”
Remy stared up at the ceiling as relief washed over him. “Fine, you got me.” He had kept the secret of Wide Awake’s demise to himself for four years, but now there was finally someone he felt comfortable confiding in. Instead of speaking, he simply released the mental barriers and closed his eyes, letting the traumatic memory flood his mind.
“I see,” Jay mumbled. He cried for a short while before speaking again. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“Because I know how much you love superheroes. I’ll never forget Amelia’s broken voice when she realised her idols were corrupt. When you realise the truth, the world around you darkens. I didn’t want to burden you with the knowledge.”
Jay sniffed loudly. “From now on, we hold that burden together.”
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Inside a hovercar dealership, Jay folded his arms, whistling at the sight of a sleek, stylish hovercar. It was painted with Wide Awake’s super suit colours, light blue and white, and according to experts, was the fastest yet quietest vehicle in the world– The Staress V20. It looked stunning.
Remy failed to mask a smile. “Are you sure this is what you want, Big Cuzzy?”
Jay grinned. “Yeah, but like I said, this isn’t for me. It’s yours.”
“Well, I guess I have no other option,” Remy replied, not a trace of disappointment in his voice. “You won the challenge after all. Curse you. You’ll pay for this…”
The cousins exchanged an expression, then shared a hearty laugh. Remy shook hands firmly with the car salesman and nodded curtly, passion filling his eyes.
Good. Now let’s get some damn superpowers.