Page 100 of The Not So Super Hero
Then Zane learned to control the darkness around him.In the beginning, he summoned a heavy fog that wouldn’t listen.Then that mist transformed into what he wished.Next were the voices.Shouts of fear and horror that morphed.Now, during battle or being around others, Zane made out their thoughts and feelings.They were a radio he couldn’t turn out.Sometimes the static cut everything off, sometimes it was hard to hear, and others it was clear as day.He hadn’t a clue how to turn it off.Some days, it felt like the volume was on max.He could barely move thanks to the constant noise, others they were silent, and the silence was almost maddening.
Zane didn’t understand his powers.In the arenas or examination rooms, he’d stare at his hands like they held answers.What was he capable of, and how?It felt like his powers had a mind of their own growing inside him each day.That scared him, along with what Rebirth may have been learning from him.What would they do with this knowledge?He wished he never had a mutation at all.
After Law’s examinations, Zane traveled to the cafeteria.
“So, how’d it go?”Isaiah asked when Zane sat down with a tray of whatever the hell the institution fed them.Isaiah smiled, regardless of his bruised face.
Raiffel allowed some socialization, such as lunch.However, armed guards surrounded the area, watching them like prisoners, and reminding them what happened if they tried to make a move.
“As expected,” Zane answered.
“You cocky son of a bitch.”
He elbowed Isaiah playfully, causing the boy to laugh.He was about to curse him out too except a certain someone came sliding into the conversation.Literally.Nate slid across the bench of their table until he sat before Zane with a beaming smile.Natalia made a less grand entrance and sat like a normal person.
“Hey Mini,” Isaiah said to Nate, who didn’t at all care about the nickname, then looked to Natalia.“Natalia.”
Natalia nodded.Nate kept his attention on Zane, staring like he was the coolest thing in the world.That very look was why Zane didn’t cuss, because he discovered Nate copied everything he did.Isaiah thought it wasthe cutest damn thing.Zane felt this urge to keep himself as PG as possible because he was not going to be the cause of Nate having a potty mouth.
“Are you ok?”Natalia asked, gesturing to Isaiah’s bruised face.
“Oh, this?”Isaiah gestured towards his wounds.“I might have kneed one of the guards in the nuts.Let’s just say he wasn’t pleased about it.It shouldn’t have even hurt that bad.Judging by the hit, I think it’s safe to say there wasn’t much there.”
Natalia laughed.“Why did you do that?”
“I need a reason?”
Natalia snorted while Nate snickered.Then Nate saw Zane rolling his eyes and swiftly mimicked him.Isaiah elbowed Zane for it too, since everyone realized what Nate was doing.Some of their best memories at Raiffel happened in the cafeteria.It was one of the few times they associated outside of their roommates in a manner that lacked violence.Though the time was short, everyone appreciated that breath of fresh air.Unfortunately, they were often reminded, even during their time of peace, that they were never truly safe.
A loud cry echoed throughout the cafeteria.Everyone’s gaze landed on the young boy being kicked ruthlessly by one of the guards.An eerie silence fell over the room, save for the cries coming from the shivering child, but the silence didn’t last long.
Zane stormed across the room.He threw his weight at the guard, ramming him against the wall.The loud thunk awakened others from their trance.Then all hell broke loose.The guards’ guns went off, bombarding the room with pellets.Zane’s skin bumped and bruised, though that didn’t stop him from slamming his fists into the face of that bastard guard.Nate lunged to his feet, going after one guard heading for Zane.Isaiah and Natalia jumped the others.A riot had broken out that lasted all of a few seconds before an ear-splitting scream split the room.Everyone, save for the guards, dropped to the floor, clutching their pounding heads.The sound grew higher and higher in tone, then disappeared as fast as it appeared.
“Fear!”Benson, the owner of that annoying mutation and one of the absolute worst officers there, called.To say he had it out for Zane would be an understatement, but considering how much trouble Zane made, it wasn’t surprising.
Zane stood, head pounding thanks to the horrendous noise Benson made.Sound was his mutation, controlling the pitch whether it to be high or low, where it was, what he could hear, and it was a pain for a multitude of reasons.
“Getting into trouble again, are we?”Benson inquired, standing in front of Zane.He had no issue glaring at the scum of the earth.
“I wouldn’t be if your men didn’t start shit,” he replied, smirking.
Benson grabbed him by the collar, pulling him forward while he spoke in a low growl, “Just because you’re Antoine’s son and I can’t kill you, don’t think for a second that I won’t make you wish that I did.”
Being the mature man that he was, he spat on Benson.
That wasn’t his best idea.He was hauled off to be taken to solitary, which was another thing that wasn’t unusual.
Isaiah chuckled because, after so many years, Zane never let someone believe he had given up hope.Not once did he let the guards think they controlled him.He always got back up, no matter what they did.Even Isaiah, who others often saw as pure sunshine, had his moments where he gave up, when he awoke at night screaming how much he wanted to go home, for someone to kill him.Each time it happened, Zane was right there.After all they went through, Zane had the courage to say, “We’re going to get out of here, I promise.”
And each time, Isaiah believed him because it was Zane who said it.He had six, no, seven failed escapes already, but got closer each time.Even when he was beaten afterwards, even when Benson or Law put him through hell, Zane would come back to their dorm with even more determination.
But all that was about to change.
“We’ve already tried that,” Isaiah argued after Zane explained another escape plan mere days after the cafeteria incident.
“Yeah, when we had actual threats here,” Zane countered in a low voice.His attention shifted to the door.The guards walked by, then their steps faded.“Benson, Leona, Law, none of them are here right now.That’s why we haven’t been let out of our rooms.It’s why they’ve been keeping our mutations in check.The biggest threats are gone.This is our best shot.”
“Trust me, I want to get out too, but we just had that shit with Benson.If we try a scheme like this and fail again, who knows what he’ll do to everyone?”
