A Couple of Superhero stories

[Freya Baggins]

These are segments from a larger work that I am doing. I utilized the characters for a couple of creative writing assignments. Unfortuantely, I was limited to 2 pages, so they get a bit hurried towards the end. I might go back and rework them later... but for now they suffice.

 

Homicidal Bank Robbers

 

All was quiet in the secret base under the Victorian mansion. Penelope and Percy were in the control room, while the rest of the Power Kids were scattered throughout the building.

 

However, this peace was shattered when raised voices started to issue from the control room and Alli, the computer’s AI, sighed with annoyance. “They’re at it again.”

 

“Penelope Hendrickson! I said no!” said the young man with a scowl on his face. “It’s too dangerous for you to take this mission. If even the police are afraid of these guys, we need to be careful! Send someone older and more experienced.”

 

The girl sitting across from him, eyes flashing with rage, stood up. “Experience? Is that it then? You think that I, the founder of the Power Kids, am not experienced enough to take on a couple of homicidal bank robbers? Percy, I was tracking down counterfeit money rings before you even got your superpowers!”

 

“I’m older than you, and with your father still missing that makes me in charge.” Percy stood up as well and stepped toward his friend.

 

“Oh, if you want to go by age, put Kat in charge!” The girl’s sarcastic tone sliced through the air like a knife. “She’s seventeen, five years older than you, but she doesn’t have PhDs in nanophysics and computer technology, or the know-how on the inner workings of this team. Oh, yeah, you don’t either, because that’s me!”

 

Percy started to open his mouth, but Penelope cut him off, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some criminals to catch.” She angrily jabbed at a button on her watch, causing her grey nano-suit to slid up her arm and encase her, head to toe, in bulletproof material, while the watch itself became her gauntlet-shaped communicator.

 

She was just reaching for her hooded cloak hanging on a wall hook, when strong fingers grabbed her arm and Percy’s voice grated by her ear. “Let me simplify this. You. Go. Nowhere.”

 

The girl, now Mask, swung around, breaking from Percy’s grasp and glaring at him through the fabric covering her face. “Why? Why are you so bone-headed about this? It’s nothing I haven’t faced before. Do you want to come with me?”

 

“No, I just don’t want you getting hurt,” grumbled the boy sullenly.

 

“Good, now I’m leaving.” Mask stepped into the waiting elevator. Percy let out an exasperated sigh, then got in beside his friend. “Where do you think you are going, Mr. Your-not-experienced-enough?”

 

“With you. You’ll need backup.” The young man was already fiddling with his watch, and in a few seconds his green and black nano-suit had transformed him into Control.

 

“Fine, just don’t get in my way.” The girl strode across the garage to her waiting robotic car.

 

“What makes you think I’d do that?” her friend shouted after her, while he grabbed his hover-board from the rack on the wall.

 

“No reason, just that you’re standing in front of the exit,” laughed the girl as she started the car. Control gave an outraged cry and dodged out of the way as she sped past.

 

“Hey, not nice!” The technopathic superhero jumped onto his hover-board and raced after her, soon disappearing into the darkness of the exit tunnel.

 

 

A Bitter Betrayal

 

All was quiet in the mansion on the hill. Percy sat in the underground bunker tinkering with the computer systems while his best friend, Penelope, read a book in her room on the mansion’s third floor. Before she could turn another page, however, Alli, the resident AI, materialized next to her. “Incoming message from an unknown sender for Mask,” the figure intoned in a bored voice.

 

Penny snapped her book shut and punched the button on her wrist gauntlet that quickly covered her with a gray nano-suit. “This had better not be another eccentric fan trying to get into the Power Kids Organization. I know how much we’re revered, but this farce has to end soon or we’ll all go mad. Show me the message.”

 

Alli’s transparent form flickered and was replaced by a slightly fuzzy picture. A voice that Penelope had been longing to hear all day started to speak; it was the voice of her father. But soon, she was overcome with horror as the man’s words sank in and inflicted irrevocable emotional damage.

 

“Hello Mask,” he said in a slightly patronizing way, “I understand that you have been playing at being a superhero. Have you enjoyed tracking down the other heroes’ parents? You can thank me for that later. Yes, I was the mastermind behind that plot, and many others as well. As my scion, you should know and appreciate my cunning plans.

 

“Originally, I just wanted for you to have something to do while you were playing hero. Then I realized that being a super-villain is an entertaining and rewarding profession.” The figure brandished a green blob that Mask assumed must be money. “So goodbye, dear Penny. I look forward to our next meeting.” With the sound of maniacal laughter echoing in the girl’s ears, the video disappeared.

 

Mask stood in the middle of her room for only a second before she dashed out into the hall and bounded towards the elevator. Mind whirling, she scanned her palm and punched the button for the main control hub four floors below. I cannot sanction this behavior, even from my own father! It is a blight upon the integrity of the entire family. She fumed as the elevator sped downwards.

 

The doors swooshed open and the superhero stomped into the room. Percy rolled out from under the computers, “Pen… Mask, what’s going on?”

 

“Get your suit on, I found out who our enemy is.”

 

Percy slapped his arm and the green and black binary nano-suit slid on. Now Control, he stood up, arms crossed, and demanded an explanation.

 

“Dad just called to tell me that what started out as thoughtful provisions so I wouldn’t be bored, turned into a massive super-villain profession and an evil father, who wants me to follow him in the business. I need to devise a plan to…”

 

Control started grinning. “You forgot what today is, didn’t you?”

 

As his best friend looked at him blankly, he began to laugh. “You can come out now, sir!”

 

Mask whipped around to see her father, a mischievous grin plastered across his entire face, enter the room through the double doors leading to the emergency dorms. “April Fools!”