The Lucky Foot

I tend to look back on my days of being a super a hero and teaming up with badass supers, in an elegant bliss. Now after my 80th birthday I’ve come to realize the days of being super are finally over as the world has reached a new peace. Kind of brings a smile to my old wrinkly face. Just remembering all the hope I brought to everyone was the greatest feeling I’ll ever really know. The Omnipotent Ones have completed their mission. Although, peace could have only be achieved by rigorous sacrifice. It’s hard to look back on those days. I skip through these pages every day in my journal, except today. Today, I am going to start at page one and finish reading my past…? Through the scarred battleground stood the girl atop a pileup. Her name The Lucky Foot. Brown furry ears flop in the wind while wearing a cowboy hat with ear slits. Flames brew underneath her boot and silvery metallic foot. Her bare legs shudder in anticipation. Donning a black leotard and brown denim jacket her physical body appears slim, but she is a teenager after all. Her eyes gleam through heat sensitive goggles as they stare down her one true nemesis: Jimmy the J walker. “Now that I have stopped your evil plan of J walking. The interruption is halted, traffic can now continue!” She gave a thumbs up and a smirk. Citizens climb out of their cars and run for their lives. The J walker, Jimmy stands and glares at her. “Good job, superhero you’ve saved the day, oh but sorry this is stupid. You’ve destroyed Main Street and the people’s livelihood. Look at all the shops here!” The Lucky Foot scans the battleground to find family run stores littered by debris. “As you can see they’re the ones who really pay for this.” “Maybe so, but I’ve captured my first criminal, yeah!” she jumps from the pileup and sprints up to him. “Heh, I did go a little overboard… I guess” Jimmy crosses his arms. “You’re lucky this is just a dream, the real is about to…” Springing up Lucy Lens wipes sweat off her forehead. Her bunny ears flap fanning her face. “Man… Crazy dream, but today I’m going to make a difference!” She races to fall asleep, but can’t. Her room is full of superhero comics and posters. Posters of Silver Chrome and Fishthing, real life super heroes. Silver Chrome leads the Dark Rangers and Fishthing left his doom ridden city to save the world. Four hours later the alarm goes off. It is time for school. Lucy jumps out of bed and heads to the dresser and picks out todays wardrobe. Once outfitted Lucy places her trade mark red ball cap and journeys to the bathroom before joining her foster family for breakfast. At the table the family stares as Lucy devours her breakfast, carrot cereal. “If you eat that fast, you’ll get a stomach ache, please Lucy slow down” the motherly voice belongs to husband, father and savior Mike Lens. He was a janitor working at the lab where Lucy was a test subject. He used to bring her carrots every day until they turned her into a human, who by some seems to be of Polynesian descent. It also didn’t mean anything for Lucy, she has neither the culture ties nor relations. The lab was destroyed along with half the test subjects and employees. Mike was only able to save a couple of the animals turned human. He adopted Lucy and through secret Government connections got her a social security and birth certificate. The other animals ended up around their neighborhood with family friends and other sympathetic families. “Hey Dad, practice may go on longer tonight than usual so, there’s no need to pick me up okay” pep is pep and it is in her voice. Excited and ready to take on today’s challenge. Her brother Kyle winked at her and she gave him a discreet thumbs up under the table. Kyle is like her sidekick. He aided in developing her uniform and alter persona The Lucky Foot. “Lucy, remember not to stay too late okay, or you’ll make us worry” the mother inside Mike was very strong. The actual matron of the family, Nia was in her office. She was working a story about the animals in the lab and of course what its clear goal was. They were to be used as super soldiers and with their animal might they would have been successive ones. She was a reporter and fell in love with Mike all over again when he brought Lucy’s story to her. “Coffee, Mike!” she yelled from the top of the stairs then walked back to her office. Mike stood up and went over to the coffee maker. Lucy and Kyle also left the table. Kyle nudged Lucy and point to her ears. Since Lucy’s hair was, so long it covered where her human ears would be. The ears atop her head were sensitive and when came time to crumple them to fit under the cap, she dreaded it the most. So, with a sigh she ‘encouraged’ her ears under the hat. She took out a baggie of pills with marker label PAINKILLERS. Lucy eagerly took one and her ears immediately relaxed. “Bye Dad” they said in unison. They left with their backpacks on and ran out the door. Leaving their charming house behind, the adoptive siblings escorted to the bus with other community kids. The bus opened its doors and they climbed aboard. They slowly walk pass the lethargic teens as most can barely keep their eyelids open. Lucy spots an open seat and sets to it. Kyle sits next to her. “Lucy we need to work on where and when we should have, you know who act.” “Relax, we got this. We’ll just wait for a crime to happen then strike. The Lucky Foot will bring justice to this town.” “Alright, keep it down we don’t want the school to know” just then a teen behind them was shoved so hard into the back of their seating Kyle almost flew. “Oof” he tried sitting up only for the same to happen again. Lucy ducked over to see the commotion. It was the mean girls picking on the dog nose girl. Lucy felt bad for her. She was the only animal human Lucy knew of at school. The others might be better at disguising. The article her foster mother wrote reported the incident at the labs, but did not give the whereabouts or names of the refugees. Though, with the nose of a dog it was obvious who the bullied girl had to be. “Do you guys mind, high school is already unpleasant for any of us” the girls looked at each other and then at the dog nose girl. “If Lucy says so, then I guess you’re not really worth it. Hey Lucy. when are you going to join the cheer squad!” a question which has actually been quite popular to ask young Lucy. She was great at gymnastics and many sports. Overcoming even her disability: a prosthetic right foot. She wasn’t popular and there were a few who idolized or kept her in high remarks. The mean girls left the dog nose girl’s seat. Lucy’s eyes found the dog nose girl’s and they exchanged glances. “Tha—anks” the dog nose girl said breaking contact. Lucy smiled brightly as if shining sun down at her new friend. “No biggie, and besides we all have to look out for each other” Lucy returned to her seat. Kyle gently patted her on the head. She shrugged with a giggle. At school Kyle and Lucy high-five before departing in the hall. Lucy heads to her first class of the day. Strolling into the classroom she sets aside her backpack then sits down. She looks up at the board, it reads ‘HAVE A GREAT SUMMER VACATION’. Lucy acquires her notebook and pen to appear ready for class. Sitting right behind is dog nose girl. The teacher, Mr. Ulain sits at his desk waiting for everyone to take their seat. Some of the girls from the bus take a seat. A group of boys sit around Lucy. As the class begins filling up, Mr. Ulain writes on the chalk board. A single word, ‘NICHE’. “Can anyone tell me what a niche is” the teacher asked his slow to respond students. The students stared at each other. No one wanted to raise their hands. Though, a shaky hand rose behind Lucy. “A niche… Is a biological function to adapt to ones environment in a truly unique way” shy the voice hovered over the last word as it struggled to come out. The dog nose girl understood what niche meant and where she felt herself to fit in. Others thought of her as a nerd, know-it-all or teacher’s pet. Mr. Ulain smiled at his pupil. “Correct, the term does relate to biology, but I want all of you to ask yourself in what way do you fit into society. What do you want to be?” the age old question every teenager is asked. Who am I? What are you good at? Will my grades get me into a good school? The questions are endless. But, the truth of it all is none of it really matters, because no one ever gets to be what they’re good at or who they want to be. It’s all just wishes, some wishes do come true though. When the thought crossed Lucy’s mind two weeks earlier it became very simple to her. She wanted to protect people. Not just the shy timid dog nose girl, but the whole town. Her dreams have shown her as a super hero. The one career which pays as much as a writer. But, she above everything else wanted glory and fame. At the age of nine (human) when she was first learning how to live in a nuclear family. Lucy found she was missing her rabbit life and family. It seemed to be all too much for her. The few things she learned was in the POD of learning. A secret program which helped to train the new minds of the experiment. After a month in the POD she had the understanding of a nine year old as well as the physique, and when freed she attended school with her foster family. In a span of seven years, Lucy learned many things about being human, but never forgot her bunny heritage. “Lucy, who do want to become” Mr. Ulain broke into her world and caught Lucy off guard. “Maybe a fireman” she replied to him. “Oh, I see so, you want to save lives” Mr. Ulain put pressure on the subject. “Why do you want to be a hero? For glory or fame”? “I think… I just want to help people” as soon as the words rolled off her tongue it nearly surprised her but, it felt good to say too. “Very admirable indeed. How about you Clarice”? The question this time was directed at the dog nose girl. “Umm… A super hero” uncomfortable Clarice admitted to the one desire Lucy never thought anyone else had. The whole class stared at her. Dog nose girl, or Clarice rarely ever spoke about her dreams and likes, unlike the rest of the class which always talk about their futures. “Interesting. Nate, I bring the question to you”. Sitting next to Lucy is the schools soccer champ and Lucy’s longest running crush. Every super hero has one. But, for Lucy it is strange to feel something for a human as she is a bunny. She never had boyfriend before or her first kiss. Family doesn’t count it, never does. “Professional soccer for our hometown, the invincible FANGS” football was never popular in Black Waters. The town had a great soccer team who always win their games. The Fangs were a team with pride and a mascot of the long extinct sabre tooth tiger. A majority of the town’s revenue came from the fans of the team. Though the real source of money was from the old mine. Initially thought of as a gold mine, the miner found the actual mine to produce a metal called Ktile (ket-ile). A strong and sturdy metal, it quickly became the towns focus which drew many families of miners. “Okay, now why don’t we have everyone pair up and share what makes them who they are”. The class began eyeballing their partners. Soon everyone had someone. Lucy wanted to be paired up with Nate, but he was taken by one of his friends. Now the only person available is Clarice. Lucy turned her desk to face her. Many of the other students had done the same. “So, Clarice what makes you…? Well, you”? “Um. I can smell things from very far away. And I’m really fast. So, I think I’d make a really good super hero”. “Basically, you want to be the one who saves the day” Lucy was more or less tolerate of Clarice at this point. She had usually tried to stand up for Clarice, however something else was on Lucy’s mind. “No, I want to stand by the people who can’t fit into this society. The people who are segregated and ignored when they cry out for help. I want to liberate them”. Clarice is a lot stronger than what Lucy originally thought. “Who are the super heroes you admire the most”? Lucy peered into her eyes awaiting an immediate response. “Um… Well, I kind of look up to the Dark Rangers and Fishthing. Silver Chrome of the Dark rangers is a brilliant leader and the way she looks after her team. She has all the characteristics of the hero I want to be. Sadly, the Dark Ranger are more of a three musketeers only”. “So, who cares? You want to be brilliant, a leader and part of a team? Why didn’t you join a club” the back lash would sting. “I guess you wouldn’t understand how I feel” Clarice’s excitement turned to gloom. “Wait! What do you mean I wouldn’t understand” Lucy argued back. Clarice glared at her. She wanted to say something back but, refrained. “Is it because you believe to have something which makes you different from me?” “No. You wouldn’t get it because when we started school, I had this nose and your prosthetic foot gave you attention. People treated you like a victim and begged to help you out. Everyone else was against me. I just came out of an experiment which changed my life forever. And what happened to you was a pure accident. Tragic and victimizing. You will never know, what I’ve gone through”. “That’s not true” she practically screamed at the dog nose girl. Seemingly out of character Mr. Ulain gave the pair a look followed by crossed arms. “It is true. You even overcame your disability and became a wondrous athlete. Your skills as a gymnast are quite remarkable. I never envied you, only respect. You were my hero”. Lucy remained silent until the end of class. At the end of the day Lucy met up with her brother to finalize their plan before going to gymnastics. They sat outside in the courtyard at a picnic table. Kyle laid out a map on the table. Red x’s marked certain locations in the city. “Lucy, these are the locations for recent crimes. If you hang around these areas you’re sure to land a criminal. Stop them and you’ll become the hero of the city. However, before we go any further than today, I need to know why we are doing this”? The question he posed was the same as the one in class this morning. Why be a super hero? She wanted the glamor of being praised. As Clarice stated, Lucy was given a lot of attention. And she made some friends, but none of them would ever last. She might just be doing this to find the one friend who matters the most to her. “I don’t think even I know exactly why” truth in honesty is what Mike taught her. And to never doubt yourself. “But, what I do know is our town is threatened by crime, and we should not rest until we bring peace to it”. “It’s just what dad always teaches us” he left the map to Lucy. She rolled it up and placed it in her backpack. They waved and split up. After gymnastics Lucy garnered her effects and left without a word to the team. Excitement had been abound within the adolescent the entire day, and it was finally time. She ducked into the locker room, and headed toward the showers. The room had tried so hard to smell tolerable, but it would be to no avail. The scent of sweat, and overall filth was abundant, however Lucy did not mind. She had learned to live with the smell, because it was her second year at this high school. She pulled back the curtain, unzipped the bag and pulled the black leotard. She began taking her layers off until only her underwear were left. She then slipped the leotard on. She dug out the rest of the uniform. Before she knew it her alternate persona was here: The Lucky Foot. Dressed in the full garb from her dream, she took the backpack and zoomed out of the showers. Right as she was about to leave, voices echoed in the hall. She quickly ran back to the showers taking in a good whiff of the air. Her rabbit ears twitched as the voices had gotten louder. Lucky scanned the room for any way out. Her eyes locked on a window. She boost herself up and reached for the window. Luckily it was unlocked so, Lucky Foot could push it open. She crawled through the narrow space and finally made to the outside. “Free at last” she chuckled to herself. In downtown Black Waters, Lucky sits on the roof of a Freezie ice cream parlor waiting for something exciting to happen. Evening has come and most people are either heading home or to the popular spots the city has to offer. The street isn’t too vacant, people still walk around, and it is mostly couples. However, a hooded figure did catch her attention. He seemed to be stalking a couple and keeping his space between them. Lucky followed him on the roof as the couple walked into a dark ally. She spotted the stalker follow them in. “Lucky to Kyle. The snake is pursuing the rabbits. Making my move now”. Leaping off from the roof Lucky launched her prosthetic foot using it as grapple to make a smooth landing. Silently she stealthily entered the ally. “Kyle to Lucky, observe first before pursuing”. In the dark alleyway, Lucky adjusts her vision goggles to see into the shadows. The three of them crowded together around one of their lighters. Lucky couldn’t tell from the situation what they were actually doing, but she made herself known anyway. “Halt criminal” using a deep and echoing voice. “Who the fu… It’s the cops! Damnit I knew this wasn’t going to work” one of them started backing up. The couple shrugged. “I want the three of you to get on your knees and place your hands behind you” continuing her heroine voice. “Wait, boys before we do anything rash. What’s your badge number cop” the girlfriend asked? “Um… I don’t have one?” “Not a cop. Just some vigilante wanna be” the girlfriend walked up to Lucky. “You’re not a cop, so who are you”? “The Lucky Foot- bless be Lady Luck” stating the facts while adjusting her arms to her hips. “Lucky Foot, I think your luck just ran out” standing face to face the girlfriend realizes how young Lucky is. “So, schools out for the summer and this is what you choose to do”? Patting Lucky on the head the girlfriend states “Well, I really didn’t want to kill any kids tonight, but we can’t have any witnesses. Hank, shoot this little girl”. This time the boyfriend makes a move for his sidearm. Lucky grabbles for the gun, knocking into his hand causing him to scream. The foot retracts back to her leg. The girlfriend comes at her next. Throwing punches and kicks Lucky blocks them and jolts to the right giving a hard kick with her prosthetic to the girlfriend’s hip. The girlfriend collapses. Meanwhile the boyfriend picks up the gun and takes aim. BANG! A shot rings throughout the ally. The third man backs away slowly until two arms attach themselves to him. One around his mouth so he could not speak and the other putting his own arms in a lock. “You dead Lucky Foot, because that foot of yours really hurts. What’s it made of, steel” he snickered. Lucky stood hunched over holding her stomach. “Man, I must have really blown your mind hero. Did you really think you could just prance around like a fairie and expect not to get shot? s**t I mean you really did a number on my sister”. The Lucky Foot looked up at the criminal. Staring him right in the eye. On the goggles everything is red except for him and the third man who are blue. Lucky Foot smirked “It’s my stomach, your words gave me a bad pain there. Now then let’s finish you off. Bless be Lady Luck” the Lucky Foot jumped in the air and fired her foot at the brother. Striking him in the abdomen he fell hard on his back. “Looks like Lady Luck isn’t here for you” her foot zips back to her leg. She charges him as he gets up and c***s him in the face. He goes down. Lucky turns to the third man who is already on the ground. A figure about her size stands over him. “Who are you”? “Someone like you” the voice was female and sounded eerily familiar. Lucky gripped the goggle lens and cranked it clockwise. The red disappeared and instead green came on. The night vision helped to better identity an adolescent girl wearing a very cartoony dog mask and black robes. “You look like a cultist. Kinda creepy”. “And your outfit is any better” the dog mask girl walked over to the Lucky Foot. “I’m The Lucky Foot, and you”? “Don’t have a name yet, but I’m working on it. Anyway, Lucky Foot right, what are you doing here. And don’t say you’re just doing the right thing or saving people”. Taking a dramatic pause, The Lucky Foot decides on the matter. The age old question strikes again. “Well… I mean like it’s hard to… say exactly why, but I owe an irredeemable favor to someone. And by doing this hopefully one day I can repay him” The Lucky Foot played with her hands as she waited for a response. “Seems very noble of you. And my answer to our question isn’t about glory or doing the right thing. It’s about standing up for those who cannot. To sincerely help those who are unable to defend themselves”. “Sounds like you really thought this through, so what now? Super hero team up”? The question posed innocently, but also added something unsuspected. “A team up? I don’t know… Will we be partners”? The dog mask girl held her arm shyly. The Lucky Foot extended her hand as an answer. The girl timidly shook it. “Partners”. “Sniffer I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship” Lucky Foot smiled. “Now let’s get these bad guys tied up.