Page 27 of The Not So Super Hero

Gripping Bailey’s hand, Zane tugged them out of the room. The door swung open. Students filled the halls. Normally the kids were slow, uncaring, since most alarms were fake. However, this one was definitely real, especially when an explosive blast rippled through the air.

People screamed and ran. The only reason Bailey didn’t find himself trampled was because Zane had the boy in front of him.

Zane shielded him from those running past them in the hall.

They had shut the elevators off. Everyone ran to the emergency stairs.

Bailey’s room was fairly close to the back exit, meaning fewer people took that path.

The two of them reached the exit. Zane kept Bailey by the railing.

He didn’t release Bailey’s hand either. His thumb brushed Bailey’s wrist, feeling the rapidly beating pulse beneath.

While Bailey panicked, Zane remained calm, almost frighteningly so.

It reminded Bailey of the last time they were together with Boomer.

Zane knew what to do then, like he knew now.

Outside, the wind blew so hard that it was difficult to stand.

Bailey slipped his fingers between Zane’s, squeezing tight.

The wind bit at Bailey’s skin, like pinpricks.

His eyes squinted, though it was already hard to see with all the dirt on his glass.

They barely clung to his face. However, it wasn’t just the air they felt.

There was a pulse, a sudden sensation that rippled through the air that caused a drastic wind. Bailey felt it go right through him.

Whatever wasn’t heavy enough soared through the air, hitting unsuspecting kids or shattering windows.

Zane forced the both of them to the ground before a chair went whizzing over their heads.

It smashed into someone’s windshield. The car's horn blared after the driver inside slammed on their brakes, though still collided with another vehicle.

Zane jumped up, pulling Bailey towards his car.

An abrupt surge of pure energy burst through the parking lot, flipping an entire line of cars.

Zane’s vehicle was smashed. Windows shattered, horns blared, and people screamed.

The entire campus was in pure anarchy, even with officers and ambulances attempting to help with evacuation.

It didn’t matter how many drills they had for an attack. The real deal always ended in tragedy.

Bailey struggled to breathe. The rapid beating of his heart set his lungs ablaze. His mind wouldn’t work the way it should. He went blank, no idea where to go, what to say, or what to do.

Zane remained vigilant. He moved them towards the nearest police blockade.

Even with Zane’s vigilance, he didn’t quite catch what, or rather, who, came their way.

A woman that Bailey vaguely recognized from the news dropped gracefully from above, blocking their path.

Within a second she had her hand up, pointed at the two in front of her before her lips twitched back into a sickly smile.

Bailey’s eyes widened when that same energy from earlier surged around her. With a flick of her wrist, that energy shot at them.

Except nothing hit Bailey. The air, once alive, died to nothing more than a simple breeze.

An eerie silence encased him, invoking a shiver.

He was too terrified to open his eyes to discover what had happened.

The tight grip Zane kept on him was sign enough that he hadn’t died, so that was good. How, though? Where did the wind go?

Bailey opened his eyes. A darkness swallowed him so dense that he couldn’t even see his body, as if he was nothing more than a floating mass. He attempted moving his fingers, half expecting not to feel them, but they flexed and the darkness had an almost cool sensation to it.

Then the darkness caved, opening from above to reveal blinding sunlight. Bit by bit he could see, hear, feel, then saw the very woman who tried to hurt them. He finally recognized her as Sasha, a villain he had seen on TV with the power to create power surges that started a lot more shit.

Bailey’s eyes drifted back to the darkness, though. The black, almost mist-like thing had a mind of its own, sinking lower to the earth, then retreating under his feet. He followed the mist, turning his head to find where the darkness had originated; Zane.

Zane’s eyes had gone black, devoid of pupils, and his skin paled to an almost ghostly white. Shadows lurked beneath his skin, veins moving like parasites. His reaction remained calm, collected, not a single ounce of fear in his eyes that somehow took in nothing and everything.

“I’m shocked you defended yourself, Zane. Isn’t it a pain to do that?” Sasha asked, annoyed yet stern.

Zane didn’t reply.

“Maybe it has to do with that boy you’ve got in your hands?” Sasha pointed a long nail in Bailey’s direction, continuing to smile. “Found something precious, have we?”

Bailey’s legs jiggled like jello. He was too busy trying to force himself to breathe to do anything other than lean into Zane’s chest. His hands gripped Zane’s arms wrapped around his waist, fingers trembling and palms sweating.

“Let us pass, Sasha, and you can continue your fun,” Zane spoke with an icy voice that sounded nothing like him.

Bailey stared wide-eyed at Zane, shocked to have heard him give Sasha permission to continue harming others. Zane kept his gaze locked on Sasha. However, she wouldn’t look directly at him. She either focused on Bailey, the ground, or something around Zane.

“No can do,” Sasha replied with an almost gleeful tone. “Though my main objective here isn’t you, I’m sure Law will reward me for bringing you back.”

Zane flinched.

“I’m sure he’s missed you,” Sasha added, then sent a burst of ferocious energy that cracked the ground in its path.

The darkness returned, erupting as a shield.

Bailey heard the energy break apart on the shield, hissing wind and shattering glass.

Wisps of smoke brushed against Bailey’s cheeks.

Then Zane brushed him aside. He stood defensively in front of Bailey, making a whip-like motion.

The mist curled around his arm, extending like a portion of his own body that came hurtling down towards Sasha.

She dodged to the left, to the right, back and forward. Zane swung his arm, forcing the shadows to chase her. Each time his hand came down, the ground rocked. Bailey’s legs gave out. He dropped to his knees, hands gripping his glasses that couldn’t decide whether to fall off or stay on his face.

“I’m surprised you still remember how to do that!” Sasha called from above, the pulsating energy carrying her as if she weighed nothing. She didn’t even take a breath before sending her power down with enough force to crush the surrounding cars.

Zane shielded them; the mist coiled around his legs, digging into the very earth to keep him steady.

His arms rose, hands shaking when a cloud of darkness circled above them, quivering from the strength of Sasha’s strength but never caving.

Gunshots rang through the air, but they were useless against Sasha, who simply detoured their path.

One went beneath the shield, flying past Bailey. He screamed.

Zane glanced back at Bailey. Groaning, he returned his attention to Sasha.

With one push of his legs, Zane lurched into the sky with his fist pulled back and heading in Sasha’s direction.

His fist buried in her gut. Screaming, she was sent back, nearly dropping from her lack of concentration.

Zane fell back to the ground. He retreated to Bailey’s side, retaking a defensive position.

Sasha screamed in anger, sending sickles of pulsing lightning that Zane destroyed with a flick of his wrist. The battle raged on.

Sasha threw everything she had at Zane, whatever could be lifted from the ground it was almost like it was a battle of stamina.

Not once did a single thing hit Zane or Bailey.

Sasha screamed again. That scream caused a massive power surge to twist and swirl until the sky went dark.

Tornadoes formed, one after the other, demolishing building after building as cars were picked up and thrown like toys.

The darkness crept up Bailey’s arms and legs, keeping him in place.

The wind whipped the glasses from his face, yet another pair ruined.

Groaning, he rubbed his eyes that barely made out blurred figures all around.

Zane, however, remained perfectly in view.

His shadow grew darker, veins pitch black.

The surrounding shadows darkened. Everything bent towards Zane.

The shadows erupted like water towards the sky, reaching for Sasha.

She cried out before it wrapped around her like sticky tar, keeping her in place even when she slashed at it.

Shadows circled around her like a python, pulling at her, further and further down until she couldn’t do a damn thing to stop it.

The powerful swing hurled her downward. The impact of her body against the dirt stunned her.

Zane took slow steps towards the woman, the mist circling around him much like the electrifying energy was doing to Sasha earlier.

He wasn’t frightened. He wasn’t hesitating.

Zane seemed to know exactly what he was doing and was more than willing to do it.

“Wait!” Bailey called. “The heroes have to be on their way, so…so just leave her be.”

Zane didn’t even acknowledge he heard Bailey.

Biting his lip, Bailey called at once more, but it was too late.

Zane stood above Sasha. Suddenly, she released a hysterical scream.

Zane hadn’t done anything, and yet Sasha practically clawed out her hair.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. She kicked and withered on the ground.