Superhero Chapter 11
This was all my fault.
All my fault.
I feel this freeze in my heart. It's after the funeral and we are at the giant reception hall for Fem Fatale. Most people are drinking and dancing under the guise, "she wouldn't want us to be sad when she died". There is a homage to the superhero she was. A timeline of her life. Things that I didn't know. Things like how Fem Fatale was once considered a villain. She was this complicated seductress who saw the light and saw the error of her ways.
It was all so emotional. All so beautiful. All so happy compared to the Scanman's funeral. I turn to the right and I see White Frost and Sunbeam sitting at a table together apart from the other heroes. I know the truth. I know what Fem Fatale was to them.
And I can't do it anymore.
I get up and start to make my way over to the table.
"What the hell are you doing?" a voice states grabbing me at that moment.
I turn and see Motions staring back at me. There is this look in his eyes that tells me he knows exactly what I'm going to do. It's almost as though he can see right through my intentions. His hand is holding my hand.
I don't respond to his question. Tears are welling up in my eyes. I feel weak. I feel like this is all my fault. Fem Fatale was dead because of me. I loved Aaron and he was feeling all this pain because of me.
Motions grabs me and pulls me into the bathroom at that moment. He pushes me up against the wall and locks the door. Then he does something I don't understand. He slaps the hell out of me. The slap stings so bad and I'm so emotional at that point that I can hardly even react.
"Have you lost your mind?" he asks me, "You were going to tell him. Weren't you?"
"I can't hold something like this anymore. This is all getting out of hand."
"It's been out of hand," Motions tells me.
At that moment, I'm sure Motions has a point. I didn't just become the son of Vicious Vigor. The tension between Vicious Vigor and the heroes didn't start with me. It was only clear that now it was getting to a point of conflict.
"I feel like I have to choose between my family and the person I love."
Regardless of what Lady Liberty was, she was my mother. Regardless of what she had turned Vicious Vigor into, he was my father. I couldn't change that no matter how much I wanted my relationship with Aaron to be simpler.
"You already chose a side," Motions states.
"What?"
"You killed his mother," Motions explains, "I saw you do it. You became yourself. You already chose a side, Cam. You can't hide from your destiny."
He puts a hand on my shoulder at that moment and I just feel heavy. Heavy to say the least.
Maybe that's why I get up at the next moment. Maybe that's why I decide to leave.
"I can talk to Aaron. I can make things right..."
"If you tell him the truth...he'll kill you."
~
I take the long way home after the reception.
I just disappear. I don't tell a soul. I just walk. I walk across the bridges. Metropolis is beautiful at night. Back in the day, it used to be called Pittsburgh. It was a city full of bridges and beautiful lights. That was before the event known only as the Gift happened. That's before metahumans. Now things were changed not just in Metropolis but the rest of the world.
I just need to clear my head.
Who am I? What am I? Was I a hero or a villain? Did it all matter? As I walking I just find myself wandering. Before I know it I'm in a dark alley. I had chosen a side. I had killed Fem Fatale. Going home at that moment I just feel sick to my stomach. My entire life is in shambles and the worst part is that I can't talk to my friends about it. All my friends were heroes. None of them would understand. None of them would seriously even get it.
"HELP!"
The voice in the street is a boy. He's clearly an effeminate boy. He has long braided hair that goes all the way down to his back. It looks like he's being robbed or something. I can see him on the floor with a bag as a group of boys struggle to take him over.
"Give it up, faggot," one of the guys is saying.
That's when they hit him. They hit the boy clear on his face. I can't take it anymore. I run down the dark alley. I have no mask. I don't have anything, but right now I'm pissed and I refuse to just sit around and let this happen.
"Leave him alone," I growl.
The boys are bigger than me. All of them. They all have this intimidating look about them. Not too long ago I would have been terrified of them but not today. It doesn't phase me when they start laughing. It doesn't bother me when they give me this look that tells me they don't find me threatening at all.
"Is this kid serious?" one of the guys asks.
"It's probably his boyfriend," another one argues with laughter.
"This is your last warning," is my only reply.
It seems like this pisses them off. Maybe that's why they come at me. They come at me fast too. As fast as they are though, I'm faster. I zoom down the alley with the speed of a cheetah but use the thrust of a grasshopper to spring into the air when two of them leap out towards me. I fall to the ground pinning one underneath my feat! WHAM! I hit him in his face with the back of my hand. The baboon's strength is immense in me as I pummel two assailants to the wall. My heart is beating fast but my body is moving faster. The biggest guy comes at me and I slide right between his legs like a snake on my stomach before kicking his balls as I'm halfway through.
He squirms in pain!
They are all down except for one. He takes a look at me.
"Fuck this," he states before turning and running away leaving his friends behind.
His friends are all on the ground at that moment. Some are unconscious and some are just still in pain trying to get the best of the situation.
"You OK?" I ask the victim.
He looks up at me.
"What are you?" he asks me.
It's a strange question. It's the same question I had asked Mary when she had changed into that beast. It's different though. He's not afraid. Matter of fact, the gay man has a smile on his face. It's welcoming. It's warm. It is lit up with happiness that I just so happened to be walking past and seeing what was happening to him.
"I don't know," I respond.
"Sure you do. You're a hero."
I look at the kid. He reminds me of me. Sure I wasn't as feminine. Sure I never was in the position I got robbed, but for some reason, he just reminds me of myself. Maybe it's the way he looks up at me. How many times have I looked at my own father in that way?
I always thought my father was my hero. Until I found out he wasn't.
I am reaching out to help him up when he says that and I just stop. I feel so uncomfortable. The kid has it all wrong. He has it all wrong what I am.
"Have a good day."
With that, I take off running.
~
I get home and go straight to my room. I have my suit in a backpack and place it on the bed. I keep thinking about everything that happened today and maybe that's why I don't notice the voices in the living room. I'm laying on my bed. It's the same bed I've always had since I was a kid. A twin size bed that is way too small for me. My room still smells like an athletes room no matter how much I try to use plugins to get the scent out. It isn't until I hear a sound of laughter that I lift my head. There is a smell of something cooking in the house. Normally I wouldn't think anything of it, but today was different. I remember what happened in this house not too long ago so this is very weird.
I know it's Mary. I can hear her. I can hear her talking to my father. She's wrapping him around his finger.
Was I a villain?
Or was I a hero?
Regardless of what I was. I wasn't going to be Mary's puppet. Now was the time to end this once and for all.
I get up and go to the living room.
"Cam, we were hoping you'd show up," the voice states.
It's Mary.
When I walk in I notice Mary and my father sitting at the table. The house looks so much better than it did before. Everything has been replaced and cleaned up. If there was anything that stood out I don't think my father noticed it. Motions did a good job of cleaning up. That was clear. When I walk in it's so weird though knowing what just happened in this house and feeling like that was all being ignored.
You would think this was a normal family. You would think everything was great.
"Where have you been all day?" my father asks me.
I look over at him. I look over at Mary.
"Dad I have to tell you something," I state.
"Can it wait?" Mary asks at that moment, "I just made this amazing meal for all of us."
"No it can't fucking wait," I interrupt.
My father gives me a stern eye, "You won't be talking like this at my table little boy."
My father doesn't have to stand up. He doesn't have to physically threaten me for me to be afraid of him. I've always been afraid of him. Even now with him sitting down all he does is gives me a stare and I feel like that kid all over again. I stand still though putting on a brave face. I know I'm being rude but I can't take this anymore.
"Dad, I need you to know the truth," I state.
"What truth?"
Mary gives me a hard look, "I'm sure it's nothing. I was just going to give you guys some news about how Tristan is enjoying his little vacation with his grandparents."
Mary looks at me when she mentions Tristan. I hate this woman. I know she's doing it on purpose. It's not random that she brings up my little brother at a time like this. She was using him as a pawn. She must know what is going on. She must see the look in my eyes right now and know that I feel some type of way about all of this.
"It can wait, Mary," my father states, "Cam, what's the issue?"
Mary doesn't speak back to my father. There is this level of respect still there for him. I look over at my father. I don't know what to do. I'm so afraid for Tristan but at the same time, I'm so sick of living under the same roof as this thing parading as my stepmother.
Just at that moment as I'm about to say what it is there is a knock on the door. It surprises all of us. I stand there cold and still.
My father gets up to answer the door.
When he leaves Mary and I just eye each other. It's thick as the pie crust she fixed. Her eyes have an animal behind her. It's threatening and daring. It's warning me not to say anything. I should be afraid. I should wonder about that animal in Mary's eyes but I don't.
Silence between us.
Nothing at all.
Just at that moment my father comes back. He's not alone. I'm shocked when I find out who is with him.
Aaron!
"What are you doing here?" I ask.
Aaron has this look on his face, "I was worried about you. You left the funeral without saying much of anything."
"You went to a funeral?" my dad asks.
"My mother."
My dad looks at Aaron. I wonder if he knows if Fem Fatale is Aaron's mother. The way he looks over at him at that moment is different than I expect my dad to act with him. My dad almost seems...human at that moment.
"Would you like to join us for dinner?" my father asks.
Aaron is just as confused as I am. The last time he was around my dad wasn't the best situation. I knew Fem Fatale was a friend of my father's at one point. My father offering what he was offering at this moment was most likely because of that fact. Or maybe it was something else. Maybe it was something nefarious. I wonder if it is the latter as Aaron walks forward into the kitchen.
"I'd be glad to."
No, Aaron. No.
He has no idea what he's walking into. Aaron has a huge smile on his face. He even smiles at me. He's so warm. He's so friendly. He looks nervous though. It's not as nervous as he needs to be. Not even close. He probably has nerves thinking this is his boyfriend's family that he is meeting for the first time. He doesn't understand that he's sitting at a table with his enemies.
Mary has a smile on her face. It is perfect timing for her now that Aaron is here and we both know it. She has this triumphant look on her face when she says, "So handsome. You must be the boy stealing all of Cam's time. What's your name?"
Aaron pauses as he stares at Mary.
"Aaron. You look really familiar, ma'am. Have I seen you before?"
I look at Mary. Mary looks at me. Mary looks at Aaron, "No. You haven't."
We both know where he's seen her before. The night that Scanman died. It was just for a second. Just for a quick second but maybe Aaron recognized her. I wasn't sure. I can see how he looks at her. He's trying to put together the mental pieces but there is something odd about Mary as well. She keeps looking at Aaron.
"You have never seen me. You have never seen me. You have never..."
"Enough. He gets it," I interrupt.
I don't know what Mary is doing but I don't trust her. He is staring at her and I swear I see her eyes change at that moment. His gaze is still as though he's turned into a stone at that moment. My father is busy drinking. He doesn't see it but I do. I haven't taken my eyes off of Mary. I press my hand on Aaron and he seems so solid. Almost like he's hypnotized. I give him a good shake. I don't trust any of this. I don't want him here. I don't want her messing with my mind.
"Everything OK?" Aaron asks.
He smiles over at me. If he was concerned about Mary a second ago, it seems as though all concern is gone. Now his entire focus is on me as usual. Aaron completely abandons the idea of recognizing Mary. Is this how her power worked? Did she feed ideas into people's head through repetition? My eyes look over at the Chimera. I see how her eyes glance at Aaron. She's interested in him. She's interested a little bit more than I would like her to be.
"Everything's fine," I state.
"Was there something you wanted to share?" Mary asks, "With all of us."
She strains the idea of all of us. The idea that Aaron is there as well makes it clear that nothing is going to be going down tonight.
"I'm fine."
We begin to eat in silence. Everyone is silent. Everyone except Aaron. He can't stop talking. I can see him struggling to find something in common with my dad. First, he starts talking about sports. He starts talking about his favorite football teams and starts asking my dad what he gets into. When my dad shows no interest in that he jumps straight into politics and then into music. My dad just stares at his place as though not interested at all.
That's when Aaron says something that I wish he didn't.
"Everyone's talking about the new superhero team. I think it's great that some fresh blood is coming out there. Don't you think?" he asks randomly across the table.
He has a huge smile on his face. Mary takes a sip of her wine. My father lifts his eyes up and stares over at Aaron. My father looks like a lion at that moment. Aaron doesn't even notice it. He doesn't even notice he's prey right now. He's giving me this sly smile rubbing my knee underneath the table and giving me a wink as though this is some secret just the two of us share in the world.
"You into heroes?" my father asks him.
Aaron smiles enthusiastically, "Of course. Isn't everyone?"
"Rumor has it Vicious Vigor is returning. I don't know. I feel a little nervous for your favorite cape crusaders," my father responds.
"They'll be alright."
"Well, I'm sure things are going to get a little bit dangerous. Hopefully, you kids stay away from the danger," my father responds.
"Don't worry, if there's any danger, I'll keep him safe," Aaron states, clearly looking at my father in a way that lets me know that he's serious about telling my father what his intentions are with me, "I really like your son, sir."
It's awkward. I don't know what Aaron is expecting when he says that. Whatever he is expecting he doesn't exactly work out. My father takes a low long awkward sip of his drinks and turns dramatically to him.
"Well hopefully you can keep him distracted. There are some personal things I've been meaning to discuss with my son and hopefully he has someone there for moral support."
I'm confused.
"Personal things?"
"Mary and I are splitting," my father states, "We've come to terms that our relationship just isn't what it used to be and have decided to part ways."
I look over at Mary. She doesn't have a reaction. What the fuck was happening right now?
"You're OK with this?" I ask Mary.
Mary looks over at me with feigning shock, "Why wouldn't I be?"
This was a woman who was obsessed with my father and right now when he had decided to split from her, she was acting like everything was OK.
"What about Tristan?" I ask.
"He'll be back in the morning," Mary states, "I decided I'm going to take some time for myself and your father is going to take full custody of Tristan."
It all seemed too good to be true. It all seemed way too good to be true.
All I can think of is that maybe Mary finally came to her senses. Maybe she gave up the chase. Maybe she realized that this was becoming way too hard and Fem Fatale's death had some sort of effect on her.
~
The night ends with me walking Aaron out of the house. Mary leaves earlier. She says she's going to stay at a hotel or something. I have this feeling that maybe things are turning out right. Tristan was going to be back in the morning and Mary was going to be out of my life. My father and her were separating.
Maybe this was over.
Maybe the threat is gone.
Could it have just been that easy though?
"I wanted to say sorry," Aaron stated.
"Sorry?" I ask, "I should be apologizing. What are you sorry for?"
He gives me a half blocked smile, "Nothing I did. Me being perfect of course."
"You think so huh?" I ask.
He leans in and kisses me. It's a soft kiss. It's quick. One eye is still on the house. Probably nervous about my father I think. I'm not sure. All I know is he's the only man in the world that can send shivers up my spine just by kissing me. His kiss lingers even after he's done. I want more. I want to go further. It's taking everything to hold me back.
"In all seriousness, I'm sorry about your father's separation."
Aaron had no idea. This was the best news I'd gotten. Whatever spell Mary had on my father had worn off. I'd seen it wear off throughout the years. I'd seen her hold on him start to wane. It was only a matter of time before he wasn't interested in her at all.
"I'll survive. I have my own apology to give. I'm sorry I left the funeral like that," I tell Aaron.
He looks over at me, "It's cool, just been hoping all this weird behavior wasn't a sign you were getting cold feet."
"Cold feet?" I ask.
He shrugs, "You know. About us? About this relationship."
It's amazing. Here is a man who had the ability to glide on ice particles. He could face countless foes with the Host of Heroes and somehow I made him nervous. Me, of all people. He looks over at me and I can see the effect I have on him. It's kind of cute. He's licking his lips. He's trying to maintain eye contact but I can hear that he's holding his breath waiting for my reply.
"Trust me, the way I feel about you hasn't changed," I assure him, "At least not in the negative."
He smiles, "Great. I was hoping the pressure wasn't getting to you. I know we had a lot of detractors in our lives when it comes to this relationship. Which is why I wanted to come here and talk to your dad. I don't know. I think he's warming up to me."
I laugh a little bit. I didn't think it was possible for my dad to warm up to anyone but it was a nice thought.
"You should just stop caring what people think."
He smiles back, "I guess you're right. I just wish everyone could see the fireworks between us like I do. I just want to turn everyone into believers. Because this thing here man...it's special."
"You say all the right things, you know that?"
"I'm glad you think so. Now we just have to work on Motions."
"Motions?"
"Yeah. He hates us together."
"He is your ex, after all."
"That's the weird thing. Motions left me. He had no feelings towards me when he left. I'm not convinced he has feelings for me now. His reasoning for not wanting us together seems to have more to do with you."
That's a weird thing for him to say.
"What makes you think that?"
"He told me at the funeral he didn't think I was good enough for you," Aaron explains to me, "It was really blunt."
"What the fuck does Motions know about me?" I ask.
"Right," Aaron laughs, "It was weird. He was kind of acting like. I don't know. Like he's been in your life forever. He was just being really protective. Truth is it doesn't make sense why Motions returned. He said he was done with this life. I swore he ran off and was never coming back. Him returning now, at the same time that you came into my life. It just seems...I don't know..."
"Odd?" I ask.
He nods, "Yeah. Odd. Maybe just one weird coincidence. I don't need to worry you about it. I'm sure he'll come around to accepting us together one day."
"Yeah. I'm sure."
With that, he gives me a kiss. I can't even fully kiss him back. I just keep thinking about what is happening with Motions. It's all weird. All too weird.
~
It's late that night and I can't get Motions out of my head. For some reason, things are just not adding up with Motions. He had joined the Host of Heroes the same time that I had. He was close to my father this entire time playing both sides. He had shown up so quickly after my fight with Fem Fatale.
I am so obsessed with Motions that night that I wake up hearing him.
Giggling.
It sounds just like him.
I get up. I'm not dreaming. I'm definitely hearing Motions. I clear the comforter off of my stomach. I'm shirtless as I make my way into the hallway. More laughter. It's late at night. Real late. What the fuck was going on?
I follow the trail of laughter into my father's bedroom.
That's when I see him.
My father is dripping sweat. His naked muscles are flexing as he's straining himself. I hear a deep, masculine grunt coming from my father. I look over and see what my father is doing. He is slamming his dick into someone. The person is bent over doggy style on my father's dresser. The person is bent over right next to where Mary used to put her perfumes. There is a level of comfort here. This level of comfort that tells me this person is used to being in this room.
It's Motions.
My father is fucking Motions.
My father looks at Motions with this interest that I've never seen my father use before. It's this level of interest as though he's hypnotized.
"I love you, baby," I hear Motions saying, grunting as my father fucks his ass. He lifts up a leg letting my father get even better access to him.
And I know exactly what is happening. Motions isn't Motions. Motions has never been Motions.
Motions is the Chimera.
"I love you too," my father responds.
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