MPJS Chap 3: Violet's Past Fragrance(James E Boston IV) Despite this massive wave of reality, I didn’t give up because I had nothing to lose. As the tsunami came, I continued to toss and turn like a child having a nightmare. Once the sound of the rustling leaves stopped, I closed my eyes and screamed. The eerie silence had my heart beating at a tempo that the finest orchestra couldn’t keep up with.

“Dysnomia, what in the world is going on?” asked Husky.

“I was kidnapped, and I am being held for ransom. Can you pay him, please?” I begged before a familiar-looking vehicle approached us.

“My gun is ready and loaded,” said the kidnapper as he stepped out of his vehicle.

“Hey! Josh! What are you doing?!” asked Husky, as the kidnapper froze.

“So, you really do know, Husky. You were telling the truth.” he said.

“Yes, she was telling the truth and as your boss, I demand you to let her go. She is with me.” said Husky as he grabbed the front of the kidnapper’s shirt and pinned him against a tree. “I’m your boss. You listen to me, Josh,”

“Yes, boss. She is free to go. She is free to go.” he said.

“I never want to see you do that again,” said Husky as he let go of his shirt.

“I’m sorry, boss. I didn’t know she was with you.” said Josh. 

“Are you talking back to me?” said Husky as he snatched the gun from Josh and pointed at his chest. “I’m demoting you down to the dishwasher. Your kidnapping days are over. Go before I pull the trigger!”

Josh quickly ran to his car. As soon as he went inside, he took off, leaving a trail of dust behind.

“You okay?” asked Husky as he helped me up.

“Yeah, how did you find me?” I asked.

“I saw a rabbit with your scrunchie. I thought it was strange, so I followed it and it took me to you.” he said.

“Really?” I asked as I peaked behind him at the sound of something moving. I saw the scarred bunny looking into my eyes. I gave her a smile from the corner of my mouth before she hopped into the woods.

“I’m going to be real with you. The truth is that in the poor parts of the Royal Castle nation, the knights don’t care about us. They only protect the rich. If you want to survive in these parts, you have to join a gang for protection. Do you want to join my gang?” he asked.
Does the smell of two candles mix? Would the aromas hold hands like a newlywed couple on the most exquisite honeymoon? Would they have a quarrel like a couple that has a comfortable inn for their finest guest, divorce papers? The thought of joining Husky’s group hung above my head like an umbrella shading me from the rest of the world. The sounds of cars, citizens of the kingdom, and bikes that roamed the streets were like distant music emanating from a party blocks away.

Even though I was in the present, all I could smell was the potent cologne of the future. I lived in my thoughts while the scenery around was a mere dream. I was chained to the thought of Husky’s question. Should I join his gang? Would we mix like flowers in a boutique? Would we mix like the sweet taste of fruit juice and the sour tang of vinegar? Such questions were hidden behind the doors of the future that I didn’t have the key to at the moment.

The heavy weight of thoughts sitting on top of my head gave me a headache, but luckily, I walked past a store that had the medicine I desperately needed. Once I stepped upon the wooden floor, I made my way to the comic book section. The sight of comedy comics swiftly left my view. The sound of horror comics calling my name was met with the response of a no thank you. The one for me was the superhero comics.

I purchased a bulk of superhero comics, a portable cd player, headphones, and a few punk rock CDs with my first paycheck. Though I adore my protégé, I have to admit that I take great joy in treating myself. I headed back to the apartment and laid on my bed. I put on my headphones, listened to one of my punk rock CDs, and gave my eyes the taste of the juicy story of my comic book. I couldn’t think of a better way to enjoy my day off.

“Super Snake, please don’t fall for his evil plan! You are smarter than that! You are smarter than that! Please don’t!” I said before turning the page to be met with utter disappointment.

“To be continued,” I sighed. “I need to get the next issue,”

I grabbed my roller skates and skated out the door. I skated into the store and went straight to the comic book section like I was a piece of metal being attracted by a magnet. Unfortunately, the next issue was nowhere to be found. I skated to the cashier.

“Have you seen the next issue of the Super Snake comics?” I asked.

“The next issue hasn’t come out yet, sorry,” he said.

“Really? Fine.” I sighed before skating out of the store.

I laid on the bench as arguing, fights, and robberies happened around me. I felt as if I were color blind because I no longer saw the vibrant color palette of the city. Everything looked gray. The trees, citizens, and even the clouds that I stared at as I laid on the bench were all gray. I felt as if the pink melted off of me and I joined the gray painting of the city.

As the days passed, the walls of the apartment became more gray and were closing in on me. Bryce and Husky were always working, so my days off consisted of me and superhero comics. Such comics were the only things that weren’t affected by the gray that I despise so much. I purchased bright and vibrant clothes that made me feel like the prettiest cloudy fée at the ball. This brought me the colorful feeling that I was searching for, but eventually, even the clothes faded.

I never felt this gray feeling in Mother Fée’s world. What was there that I can’t get over here? Could it be that Mother Fée was right? I can’t make it on my own. Wait, I can’t admit that. No matter what happens.

Why is Super Snake always so optimistic? It seems like no matter what obstacles are in his way and what super villains are trying to defeat him, he always has his head held high with an attitude that radiates optimism. What does Super Snake have that I don’t? I have everything that one needs in the human world. A job, a place to live, entertainment, friendships, and a comfortable bed to sleep in, but something is missing.

I skated on the sidewalk while reading my Super Snake comic. I treated myself with a t-shirt that had an electric guitar design on it and a baseball bat. After switching into my new shirt, I hoped I was finally given the paint brush I needed to paint pretty bright colors over the gray canvas. I painted my canvas as elegant as the most profound artist. My paint was of the most luxurious brand. My craftsmanship technique was unmatched. The pessimistic words of critics couldn’t touch me with the longest pole.

I sighed as I stepped back to view the dull colors of my painting. The colors were so dull that I knew the colors would eventually turn to gray. I skated out of the store while wearing my new shirt and holding my baseball bat. I hoped that the warm sunlight would kiss my cheek like the luscious lips of a fine date. Unfortunately, I was greeted with the cold shoulder of the gray clouds that dominated the sky.

As I skated, I heard a man yelling and cursing at someone. I stopped skating and took a peek at the scene. A young man with ripped jeans and a white t-shirt with a few holes in was yelling at an elder.

“Give me the wallet, old man,” he said.

“Please, don’t do this. You need to make a smart decision and leave everyone alone. You might do something that you regret.” said the old man.

“I don’t need your life lessons, old man. I just need your wallet.” he said.

“Don’t do something you’ll regret, son,” said the elder.

All I desired was to be the director because this was a scene that I wanted to cut. I was about to head back to the apartment, but for some reason, my legs wouldn’t budge. The words were fighting to come out of my mouth, but my fear was the weight that held them back. I didn’t know a thing about this robber and what he was capable of. Once the robber shoved the elderly man, the words broke free of the weight’s grasp.

“Hey, it’s not nice to treat anyone like that,” I said as I turned around to look at him.

“Yeah, you’re right, it’s not nice.” he said before kicking the poor man.

“Well, aren’t you going to stop?” I asked.

“I’ll only stop if you make me stop, you freak,” he said as the elderly man laid on the concrete, struggling to catch his breath.

“I’ll stop you with the power of the cloudy code! Rule number one. Always treat others with respect, peace, and love.” I said.

“Yeah, and why should I do that?” asked the robber.

“Because the cloudy code is the only code of conduct that leads to the perfect civilization written by the one and only great Mother Fée. You should give it a read. If you do, your life will be so much better.” I said.

“Yeah, like you know so much about my life. I’ll chew you up like pink gum and spit you onto the pavement.” He said as he stepped up to me.

“Don’t do that. It is against the cloudy code.” I said as I took a few steps back as he approached me. I felt like I was being backed into a corner by a starving dog with rabies. Fear had me by the neck, so I couldn’t run. As I slowly drowned in the growing flood of fear, I noticed the elderly man running for his life. Within a second, he went from a sick old man to a track star. Fortunately, he won the race and won the trophy of keeping his life.

“Look what you did! He got away! Usually, I don’t hit girls, but since you interfered with what I was doing, I don’t have a choice.” he said before he spit on my shirt.

“No, not my shirt. This shirt wasn’t cheap.” I said.

“The same way that you feel about your shirt is how I feel about you interrupting me from what I was doing. You just spat on it. I had to do this. I’m a soldier. A warrior!” he said.

“No, you’re not. You’re just a smelly jerk.” I said.

I felt the sting of a powerful slap to the face. I fell to the ground before feeling the strike of a kick to my ribs. I began crawling away from him because I was crippled with pain.

“You made a mistake messing with me,” he said before laughing as he stood over me.

“Mother Fée, what do I do? Please, save me. I need help.” I cried.

“Yeah, cry to mommy. You know what? You are pretty fun to bully. I’m actually glad I got you instead of that old man. Perhaps we should do this every day. My name is spike. Nice to meet you. What’s yours?” he said before laughing.

“My name is, you owe me a new shirt.” I said.

“Shut up! Don’t get smart with me!” he said.

“Knights! Please arrest this guy. He is trying to rob me!” I shouted.

“Oh, no! It’s the knights!” he said as he looked back. “Wait, what are you talking about? There are no knights here.” he said as he looked at me to discover that I was roller skating down the street.

“I won’t let you get away too,” he said as he jogged.

I laughed as the sound of his cries of anger became more faint as I cruised upon the sidewalk. Once I arrived at a street, a traffic jam almost became the glass wall blocking me from freedom. Luckily, I discovered a little crack in the glass wall that I could slip through. As Spike gained a little more traction on me, I took a leap of faith and leaped onto the road. All I heard was the sound of beeps, horns, and insults as I skated around the cars.

As sparkles of the mist of happiness fluttered around me like butterflies fluttering over a garden, I continued to skate when I made it to the sidewalk. Eventually Spike was nowhere to be heard or seen. When I finally arrived at the comfort of my bed, I collapsed with exhaustion. I shivered as I felt cold and wet from the flood of fear that I managed to avoid drowning in. I panted as I laid on my bed and looked at the ceiling.

As I looked around, I realized I was no longer surrounded by a gray environment. The canvas was finally painted with colors as bright and vibrant as a meadow. No matter how much I inspected, I couldn’t find an ounce of gray. Not a speck.

I flipped through my Super Snake comics and I discovered the problem of my reality. I realized Super Snake had confidence as strong as a brick wall because he had a purpose. He knew what he wanted and went after it like a starving pack of wolves hunting for their next meal. He has a sense of direction and is dedicated to traveling down that road. He’ll never allow anyone or anything to distract him and cause him to veer off to another road. He is like a race car driver that is focused only on the road. Everything around him is nonexistent besides the finish line. Essentially, he has a purpose higher than himself.

“It seems like there is more reality in fiction and more fiction in my reality,” I said as I looked at a panel of Super Snake, smiling. I shot a smile right back at my hero before an idea hijacked my thoughts like a carjacker that saw his favorite car.

My idea drove me to go to a clothing store. As I looked around, I gave most of the outfits the gift of my attention. There was one outfit that I eventually pieced together that I believed would bring my character to life. I grabbed a dark purple leather jacket and purple skinny jeans with tears in them. The black masquerade mask was the cherry on top of the luxurious cake that I baked. I skated over to the cashier to cultivate my dream to fruition like I was growing the ripest fruit on a farm. 

“300 dollars,” said the cashier as my heart sank like a damaged ship. The price was so expensive that I couldn’t even afford to pay attention to the thought of wearing such fabric. I was basically a poor peasant that desired the dress of a princess. I began imagining myself wearing the outfit.

“Well, aren’t you gonna pay?” asked the cashier, breaking the chain of the thoughts that was locked to my wrist holding me back from reality.

“I don’t have the money. Unfortunately, I have to come back another time. Can you hold it for me?” I asked.

“Well, I typically don’t hold outfits for customers, but why not do it this one time? I’ll keep the outfit in the back room for a week. If you don’t purchase it by then, I’ll put it back up for sale.” He said.

“Yes, thank you,” I said before I skated out of the store.

I sat on a bench and watched animals and citizens roam the city like I was watching a movie at the theater that I worked at. I pondered on my future. I knew that as soon as I got my next paycheck, expenses would eat up a portion, causing me to fall short on the bill for my outfit. I should be thankful for the extra time that I was gifted, but sometimes gifts just aren’t enough.

The sight of Husky walking caught my eye. I swiftly got up and skated to him. Once I caught up to him, I circled around him like I was an ice skater, performing the most elegant routine. 

“What are you doing, Dysnomia? What do you want? Did you finally make up your mind about joining my gang?” he asked.

“Husky, Husky Husky, I need your help. It is important.” I said.

“What is it?” he said.

“There is this outfit that I want, but I don’t have enough money to buy it. Can you please give me some money so I can pay for it?” I begged.

“I would help you, but it seems like you don’t want to help me.” he said as he began to continue his journey through the city.

I skated back in front of him, blocking him from taking my dream away from me.

“What do you want, Husky? I promise I’ll help you if you help me.” I said.

“Alright, if you join my gang, I’ll give you the money for the clothes,” he said.

“Okay, I’ll join,” I said.

“So, you’re finally in. Follow me so you can meet your new partners.” he said as he continued to walk. “How was your day, anyway?”

“It was amazing. I found a new outfit. I read Super Snake comics. I even saved an old man from being robbed by some guy named Spike.” I said.

“Spike?!” said Husky.

“Yeah, stupid name isn’t it? Can you believe that his name is actually Spike? It sounds like the name of a pet dog or something.” I said, chuckling.

“Do you know who Spike is? He is the leader of the Death Hooks.” said Husky.

“Who are they?” I asked.

“They are a local rock band that makes music that sucks and can’t fill an arena even if their lives depended on it. They are also a street gang. Since you did that, I can guarantee that they will attack you for payback. The good news is that compared to my gang, they are not a threat. We can obliterate their little street gang with ease. Since you are part of my gang, you are protected.” He said.

“I am looking forward to meeting them. Do you think I’ll fit in with them?” I asked.

“All of my gang members are treated equally and with respect. When you are one of us, then you are officially part of the family.” he said.

Once we approached the steps of an old building, I felt the pace of my heartbeat increase like a music piece with an accelerando tempo. The cold thought of Cleanly Fée and goons made me shiver. The thought of my family was one that once made me feel the warm happiness of flowers in the spring. Now the thought of them makes me feel like a dead rose that once rose above all negativity being stuck in the midst of a blizzard. History is known to repeat itself. All I can do is hope for a second chance to become part of something bigger than myself. Is this feat possible without the great Mother Fée? The answer lies behind that door.

After the Husky knocked, the door opened, and I buried my emotions in a coffin that I hid in an unmarked location. I smiled at the man in the black jacket as he shook Husky’s hand. 

“This is an associate that I know. She wants to join the gang. She’s a pretty cool chick. She likes to talk. She likes to skate.” said Husky.

“Yeah, I’m Dysnomia,” I said.

“Call me, Bug. Welcome to the gang. I trust anyone that Husky recommends recruiting. Come on in. Have a drink and meet the crew.” he said before Husky and I followed him in.

“Husky brought a new member of the gang,” said Bug.

“Hey, I’m Bar.” said a man as he shook my hand.

“Glad to be a part of the gang,” I said as the nervous energy that consumed me began to fade.

All the greetings and handshakes filled a hole in my heart that caused me great pain. Tears were on the verge of touching my cheeks as everyone crowded around me. Images of my days with my sisters and Mother Fée flashed through my mind. Every morning I woke up to a new day with my sisters, the feeling of butterflies fluttered across my stomach. I couldn’t contain the excitement of the new adventures that I would have with Midnight and Sad Fée. Unfortunately, those butterflies have been forever laid to rest. Little did I know new butterflies would be born. 

“Wow, so we actually got another girl part of the gang. There aren’t many girls in this gang. Only Shelly and I. What is your name anyway?” asked a woman with curly blonde hair.

“Dysnomia!” I said as I skated towards her.
“So, you’re a skater chick, huh?” she said.

“Yeah, I barely walk,” I said.

“Isn’t that interesting? Call me Tootsie.” she said.

“It’s been so long since I had a family to be part of.” I said.

“At least you had a family before,” said Tootsie as she lit a cigarette. “So, what brings you to the gang?”

“Husky brought me here so that I could be part of a community again and for protection. I know he doesn’t want to admit it, but I’m his girl. He treats me well.” I said.

“Yeah, right, pink chick. He has a lot of options.” said Tootsie.

“What do you want to do in the future? Like, what are your goals and stuff? Is it financial? Romantic? Personal? Whatever it is, this gang can help you reach it.” She said.

“I want to be like Super Snake. I want to be a superhero.” I said.

The sparkle of her smile dwindled until she had a straight face, like we were in a business meeting. She swiftly scratched her scalp before blowing a puff of smoke. She took a sip of a red drink in a wine glass. 

“Honey, if you want to do that, I think you joined the wrong group. Just know we the opposite of that.” she explained.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Just know that most heroes get killed out here. Ya heard of that top knight that got put in a casket.” She said.

“I don’t care. If Super Snake can do it, then I could do it too.” I said.

“Ya got spunk, girl,” she said before she stood up and walked towards Husky.

As I looked at my best friends laughing, drinking, and dancing to music, I couldn’t help but smile. Such a sight was like witnessing the vibrant light of a rainbow after a storm that caused significant damage. Never again will I be alone. Never again will I be stuck outside under the gray clouds that rain nothing but depression upon me. Never again will I be the rock in the midst of diamonds. Perhaps I should say the diamond in the midst of rocks. I might be different, but different is a synonym for special. I peaked at a diamond design on my wing and smiled.

“Dysnomia,” said Husky, pulling me out of my ocean of thoughts and planting me on the ground of reality.

“Follow me outside. We have to talk.” said Husky.

“Sure, let’s go,” I said.

“What is wrong with you? Are you sure that you want to be a superhero? Do you want to die? Are you suicidal? No hero ever survived these parts. The royal’s best knight got killed. Why would you tell Tootsie that? You’re embarrassing me. I brought you to the gang. Now they think I brought someone here that is working for the knights.” he said.

“For the first time, I want to be loved for something that I accomplished. I want people to cheer my name. I want to be adored. Showered with compliments for a difference I made. Given a reward. A trophy. Something that I earned by making a difference. Is it too much to ask for? I’ve been working for these goals my whole life and it seems like I am destined not to reach it.” I said as I held my tears back like a dam struggling to handle the pressure of the water.

He looked at me with a face that showed that he was in an intense discussion of thoughts for several seconds.

“Actually, you know what. You are a genius. Dysnomia, you have the answer that I was searching for all along.” said Husky.

“What do you mean? Does that mean that I can become a superhero?” I asked.

“You wanna be a hero. We can make you a hero. We are the most powerful gang in the nation. With the protection of our gang, you won’t end up in a casket like those previous heroes. You’ll be untouchable.” said Husky.

“I’m ready,” I said as I smirked. “I need a superhero outfit that’ll make villains run home to their mothers.”

“Pick it out and I’ll buy it for you,” said Husky. 

As I saw myself in the outfit through the mirror, I knew I was the beacon of light in this world where it was always night. I was once walking down an abyss of nothing but pure darkness. There wasn’t a moon or star. As I stepped through the abyss with my outfit, a potent aura of light surrounded me. Fireflies stopped hiding and fluttered with me as we lit up the darkness. For the first time, I was able to see the light. I was able to see the abyss as the large beautiful canyon that it was.

“You look great, but even as a general I have to get permission from my superior.” said Husky.

The next thing I knew, I heard the sound of a middle-aged man in a suit slam his fist on top of his desk.

“What?! That idea is preposterous!”

“I know it sounds crazy, but Mr. Ice think about this. You got your master’s degree in marketing back in the day. Got an executive position as your first job out of school. Broke records there. Became known as the best in your field. You exposed the company for their corruption. Not only was your position terminated, but you were blackballed from the working world. That didn’t stop you, though. Eventually you founded the most powerful gang in the nation.” said Husky.

“Stop wasting time and going over my life story. Just get to the point.” He said.

“Okay, you are a risk taker. You’re not afraid to go against the odds. You’re a marketer, so you know that good publicity is important to winning support. Even though we are the most powerful gang in the nation, our reputation is horrible. There might be a time when our gang goes toe to toe with the new terrible government. If we created a hero. A hero that is actually successful. When that time comes, the citizens will side with us over the corrupt elites.” said Husky.

“Husky, I must admit that you run the most successful sect of my gang, but your idea is absolutely ridiculous.” said Mr. Ice.

“I know it sounds crazy, but it just might work. We create the first successful hero. Citizens get inspired. We gain the support of the public.” said Husky.

“I’ll admit that our reputation is in the toilet. The public would surely side with the elites over us. Tell you what. Even though I feel this could go wrong in so many ways, I trust you as my best general. I grant you permission.” said Mr. Ice.

“What did he say? Can I become a hero?” I asked.

“Yes, you can,” said Husky.

“Yes! Yes! Yes! Thank you, Husky!” I said as I almost skated around the room before Husky grabbed my arm with the grip of a leash around a dog’s neck.

“Welcome to the Ice Killer gang, Dysnomia. You are assigned to Husky’s sector of the gang.” said Mr. Ice as he shook my hand and I smiled.

“Husky, you better hope this plan works. You better rock my world.” said Mr. Ice as he looked into Husky’s eyes with an ice cold stare.

“You won’t be disappointed,” Husky responded before we stepped out of the office.

“This is amazing. Who is the first person that I have to defeat as a hero?” I asked.

“Whoever you want as long as it is not a member of the Ice Killer gang. Take down anyone in our opposing gangs, which are basically all of them. All the other gangs are constantly fighting to take our spot.” said Husky.

“Why not the Ice Killer gang?” I asked.

“We are the only good gang. All the other gangs are evil, vile, and deserve to be exterminated. The Ice Killer gang is the only gang full of righteous members. If you take down all the other gangs, then you will go down in history as the greatest superhero to ever live. They will make movies about you.” said Husky.

“Wow, just like Super Snake.” I said.

“Yeah, like Super Snake, except you will be a real life superhero.” said Husky.

Once the sun retired after a long day of work, I stood outside while wearing my new outfit. As I gazed upon the stars that the moon painted on the black canvas of the sky, I pondered on the topic of my first victory. I skated around the city like I was in a skating rink. I skated in circles but for some reason I couldn’t spot any criminals. After a series of events that would make the most boring scene in movie history, I took flight and gloss over five to six blocks.

“Who is that familiar-looking dude breaking that window?” I asked myself.

I landed about 10 feet behind him as he took the television out of the store and placed them in his van like he won a giveaway at a charity event. As soon as he turned around, I almost gasped because a name popped into my mind like the twinkle of a firefly once the sky was dark.

“Spike! Well, looks we like a little family reunion.” I said.

“Didn’t expect to see you so soon. What are you going to do? Run away back to mommy again?” He said.

“Nope, I’m going to stop you from committing this crime,” I said.

“How are you going to do that? By teaching me morals. Telling me that I should be a good boy.” he said, laughing before he turned around to pick up another television.

I snatched a rock off the ground with hands as quick as a thief. Just like a professional baseball pitcher, I threw the rock with a force that would make the greatest hitter miss a home run. As soon as the rock struck the back of Spike’s head, the television hit the ground and an ocean of glass splashed across the ground. His name finally made sense because a spike of glass got stuck in his leg. I truly became the robber because I snatched his laughter away from him. He looked at me with the anger of a raging dog as I laughed.

“I’m glad you came back because I was planning to get my revenge on you anyway!” he shouted as he ran towards me before throwing a punch at me.

His fists flew at the speed of a bullet, but his left hook merely grazed me. I accidentally backed up too far and my skates developed a mind of their own. I rolled back until I crashed into a garbage can, creating a mess that is a garbage man’s worst nightmare.

“Your skating skills are absolute trash,” he said before laughing.

As he laughed, his anger transferred to me like a parasite. As his laughter acted as a blindfold, blocking him from seeing my doorway to escape, I couldn’t get myself to leave. As tempting as it was to skate away to freedom, an image of Super Snake flashed in my mind. No matter what wall blocked him from reaching success, he would never give up. If the door was locked, he would find the key. If he couldn’t find the key, he would climb the wall. If he couldn’t climb the wall, he would knock it down.

“No matter what wall blocks me, I’ll always knock it down!” I shouted as I charged towards him with my skates.

“What?” he said before I pounded him in the face, causing him to step back and bump into the glass window.

“That’s it! You really done it now!” he shouted as he charged towards me like a bull that spotted a matador’s cape. 

The bull won that day because he rammed me onto the ground. He kicked me repeatedly like he was practicing for a soccer game. The more he struck me, the more intense the pain became. I kept my scream hidden behind the curtain of my pride as I kept the image of Super Snake hung up on the wall of my mind.

“Wow, I didn’t expect you to last this long,” he said. “I’ll admit that you’re a tough little pink chick because I thought you would have been folded.”

After what seemed like a lifetime of being brutalized, he walked back to the store to put more televisions in his van. When he reached down to pick it up, a man in a trucker hat approached him.

“Hey, don’t hit her like that. What are you trying to do, kill her?” he said.

“Maybe I was striking to kill and I’ll gladly do it again.” said Spike before running and pounding him in the jaw causing his hat fly off like a wounded bird.

As I laid on the ground, I gazed at the stars as they looked right back at me. It seems like they twinkle forever. Even when the star is long gone, somehow it continues to shine as if it never left. Even when it’s gone, they continue to shine. Even when I lose, I can still win.

As Spike stood over the man, he held a television and lifted it up, ready to drop it on top of his head. Before his tragic conclusion came to fruition, I pulled Husky’s phone out of my pocket and snapped a picture of the scene. The flash blinded him for a couple of seconds and a sucker punch to the eye from the man that laid on the ground probably blinded him longer. Once he was no longer disoriented, we were no were to be found. He looked around like a kid attempting to find a magician that disappeared. Little did he know that a good magician never reveals his tricks.

I skated into a knight station, hoping that Spike wouldn’t find his way to me. A man with a cigar in his mouth looked at me when I slammed the phone on his desk.

“What in the world is going on?” he asked.

“I have proof,” I said.

“Proof of what?” he asked.

“Proof of Spike committing robbery and assault,” I said, as I showed him a picture on the phone.

“You got that picture! How did you do that? We’ve been trying to nail this guy for months, but we couldn’t tie him to anything.” he said.

“I’m a superhero. That’s what I do.” I said as he stared at me in silence while blowing a cloud of smoke into the air.

Spike’s mugshot was in the newspaper at the speed of the flash that blinded him. Within a few days, the knights rewarded me with 500 dollars. The Ice Killers rejoiced at my triumph over Spike. As they cheered and drank, Husky pulled me to the side and handed me a 100 dollars.

“So, how did you do it?” asked Husky.

“It was nothing. He acted tough, but he was easy to beat up. It was like fighting a punching bag. It was so easy he didn’t even get to hit me one time.” I said.

“Really? He is known for being aggressive.” said Husky.

“You call that aggressive. He couldn’t even hit me one time. After I beat him up, I left him laying on the ground in an ocean of pain. Then some citizens discovered him and called the knights.” I said.

“Wow, really good for your first time,” he said as he lit a cigarette.

“This is just the beginning. This triumph is just a message to the kingdom that a new hero is in town. I’m the one that will drive crime into extinction. The one that will make villains wish they were never born. The one that will bring every villain to their knees. I can’t wait to catch my next villain. No longer will the stench of the criminals poison the air of the town. The potent stench shall soon be history, for a new scent is emerging.” I said as I smirked at the buildings of the town that I watched from afar.

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