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Chapter 1: The worst day of a hero

Chapter 1: The worst day of a hero

February 10th, 1994 St. Louis

I felt my heart stop and my chest seize as I saw my love being held under knifepoint by one of the most dangerous men in the world. The protectorate seemed to have the same reaction as the sounds of protest and yelling ceased near instantly and we were covered in anxiety-inducing silence.

“What do you mean?” Minx asked, breaking the standoff.

“What I just said my fine furry friend, you are the police you obviously have justice and morals on your side so you get to choose which cape leaves my embrace.” Jack said as if explaining a simple math equation to a fourth grader, the ever growing grin on his face turning vicious. “You have about a minute to decide before both cease to exist in this world”

I looked at the protectorate heroes with a gaze of abject fear, my mind filled with possible ways to save my partner. I sensed dozens of pieces of debris around all slightly too far from Jack to hit him before he could kill Holly. I looked at Minx, his eyes looking hollow as he was thinking how to stop this. The seconds ticked by as we silently planned the glass still swirling around us like a pool of sharks ready to devour us. I opened my mouth to say something when MInx interrupted me.

“Give us Sindri.” He said not an ounce of emotion in his tone as he did.

“What?” I did not process what he said.

“Of course officer.” Jack said with a smug grin as he pulled his arm away from Sindri, shoving him towards us in the meantime.

My brain stuttered not believing that the PRT and my colleagues just killed my wife. I launched every bit of telekinetic energy I had left at jack dozens of pieces of wood and car parts launching towards him but it was in vain.

Jack’s knife entered my wife's throat, severing it completely, simply letting her fall to the ground as he laughed at me. “Well you're a shitty hero aren't you?” He said as my assault hit him. A barrier of glass seemed to envelope him as he stood and I saw the assault do nothing to the mass murdered.

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I lunged forward catching Holly as she fell. I gazed into her eyes seeing the fear and acceptance in them. Her mouth moved as she tried to say something to me but only horrific gurgles as I held her.

I felt life creep out of her as I tried to hold her and stop her from leaving, but nothing could stop the tide of crimson from falling to the ground. I tried and failed to use my telekinesis but as always couldn't use it on the organic things. I felt her breath slow to a crawl and her eyes dim as I began to cry.

“No NO! HOLLY!” I cried not wanting to lose the only family I had left. I saw her give a small smile as she gave me a look of love. It was the last thing I got to see her do, the light went from her eyes as she went limp in my arms, the world went dark.

I saw great shapes in the sky and heard nothing as images of great beasts filled my mind. The incomprehensible voice of something perforated my ears as I awoke. My body felt foreign and I could feel myself having changed somehow. As I opened my eyes again I saw the corpse of Holly before me and further down the street the image of the protectorate running away with Sindri in their arms filled my vision.

“Huh, not very heroic of them don’t you think?” I heard the voice of Jack Slash behind me, rage filled my mind as I gently let down Holly’s body and turned to meet her killer.

“I’m going to kill you.” I said my voice bereft of anything but rage. It was then that I noticed music coming seemingly from the air around me. The tune of Stairway to heaven playing for some reason. Jack gave me an amused look.

“And what of the cowards that just decided your wife was worth less than them shouldn't they die too?” He said calculating eyes meeting my rage filled ones. “You're Not strong enough to kill me anyway, telekinesis is so yesterday for powers.” He said mockingly.

I said nothing as I stared at him, the glass of Shatterbird having left momentarily as she let Jack talk. I saw him start to say something else, probably an unimportant joke at my emotion. That’s when I felt my new instinct of power finally light up, the very air around Jack seemed to shiver for a moment before I Made the very molecules come together and the density shifted as it went from gas to solid in seconds before impaling his eye.

A look of disbelief swam across his face for a moment before his jaw slackened and he collapsed in a heap. I heard the cry of Shatterbird and turned to the lingering civilians around the area covering them with concrete ripped from the street protecting them from the whirlwind. She was screaming something inconsequential at me as I felt my mind focus on my body. I felt my muscles and bones harden as I walked over to her. She threw every shard of glass she had at me, all turning to dust as it neared my body. I simply punched once and felt the glass faceplate shatter on her causing pieces to embed in her as Shatterbird’s cry was cut off with the whimpering of pain. I let her fall then collapsed in a heap.

As the whirlwind fell silent I could still hear the music playing like a mocking concerto to my life, I uncovered the civilians and applied basic first aid after I secured Shatterbird with an asphalt cage. Sound of emergency vehicles arriving indicated the trouble had passed as I saw the news and various PRT vans and police showed up to the scene. Dozens of reporters surrounded me as I lifted the body of my wife and I turned to them ready to confront the world after mine was broken.