The Superhuman, Origin stories

New Day

   When I finally came too it was morning, as I opened my eyes I expected to be at home in my bed but instead, I was greeted by the smell of iron and sight of blood. I froze at the sight, "it was just a nightmare. you fell asleep in the yard and got a nose bleed. that's the blood. Dad is okay." That's what I kept telling myself but a part of me knew that just wasn't the case. I slowly lifted my head and followed the pool of blood to the source. They're against the wall was my father. just how he was the light before, only this time he was covered in rats. All feasting on his flesh. I screamed and jumped to my feet, I began to panic and cry once more. I looked to the exit of the ally and without thinking I ran...I ran away...I ran as far and as fast as I could, and as I ran across the street...I hear a horn...I turn to see a car headed to me with no chance of slowing down as it was already right in front of me. I made eye contact with the driver. A young woman with kids in the back seat. One looked to be my age...I froze and shut my eyes tightly waiting for the impact and for the nightmare to end...I heard the sound of screeching tires. Then a crash...when I opened my eyes the car had crashed into me...But I didn't have a scratch on me... I looked at the driver and her children only to see the young mother slumped over the wheel and her young child motionless in the back. I slowly made my way to the driver's side. I was shaking, I could barely walk without my legs giving out from under me. she looked fine from the top half but the bottom was gone completely. In its place...A large engine block. I didn't know what to do, so without checking on the children I just kept running. After that, I lived my life on the streets as a Thief. Doing whatever it took to survive...I lived like that for 9 years...Until my 12th birthday when they found me.

    At the time I was squatting in an old factory I stumbled across in Queens, it was big with plenty of places to hide if something bad were to happen and I could easily escape if the cops were to show up on my doorstep. It wasn't much but it was home. I was laying in bed if you could call a piece of cardboard on the ground a bed when my stomach disturbed my peace and quiet. A sigh escaped my lips, "Damn it". I put my hand on my stomach and weighed the pros and cons of eating today. If I decided not to then there are no promises I'll have the strength to get away if something were to happen. After all, it had been two days since my last meal. On the other hand, if I'm caught they could charge me with theft and hell who knows, maybe even the death of my father and that woman. or even worse. They could take me back to my stepmother. At that moment my stomach roared once more. I groaned "Okay okay I get it." I pulled myself off the floor and started fixing my hair, "I'll go eat damn it". With that I headed downstairs, I stayed on the top floor since that way I can see if anyone is coming inside from the street and get out before I'm found. thankfully I haven't had to do that yet, and I'm hoping I never will.

    I moved the board from the hole in the wall and crawled out before replacing it and walking onto the street. I walked down the road for a while before finally locking eyes with my target. an elderly lady walking down the street on her own. She was dressed in church clothes, I assume she was on her there since it was just around the block from where we were now. If she really was on her way there then she definitely has some cash on her. you know how old ladies just love to put money in those collection baskets. Such a waste of good money. I reach into my jacket pocket and look down at my feet before making my way up to her, I glace around one last time to be sure no one was around before reaching my target. I leaned into her ear "Hand over your purse and nobody gets hurt" I push a sharp stick into her back so she would think I have a knife. I was dumb enough to risk a cop finding a knife on me besides I was 12 and homeless. I could afford one or even know how to get one on the streets anyway so this would have to do for now. She froze and began to cry "Please god don't do this. I-I'm just an old lady please don't hurt me!" my heart sank. I didn't like doing this! I didn't want this! Who would! "Just shut up and hand it over granny" I jammed the 'knife' in her back harder causing her to yelp. "H-here! Please don't hurt me!" she held up her bag and in one quick move I snatched it out of her hand and began to run.

    I ran five blocks before deciding it was far enough. partly because I doubt an old lady is going to chase me for five blocks and partly because my legs and legs were burning from the running. I stopped and looked around as I panted heavily, eager to catch my breath. I noticed an ally and walked inside making my way to the back where its harder to see from the street. I drop the bag at my side and I leaned against the wall. "f**k" I panted out before finally sitting. "I need to eat more. this is getting ridiculous", I poured the contents of my prize on the ground and begun my search. Glasses, brush trash yes finally a pocketbook. My stomach growled once more as I opened it and begun looking though. I looked through before realizing the damn thing was full of debit cards. " WHAT?! No no no" I flipped the thing over and began to violently shake it in hopes of even a penny dropping out. all that risk couldn't have been for anything! That's when I saw them. As I looked at the ground a pair of black sneakers came into view. my flood ran cold and my body froze. No, not like this. I slowly followed the shoes up only to see a tall older looking man standing in front of me. His stare blank and his eyes empty. His white hair seemed to reflect what little light in the ally and his face wrinkled and sunken in. Then he spoke, "My names John, you are?". I couldn't speak, I was to busy shaking and thinking if there was a way out of this alive.'GRRRR' , my stomach once again betrayed me and growled causing me to tense. "ya hungry?" the old man asked as he started to rummage through his pockets cause me the flinch and back further against the wall. " Tell you what. I'll buy you lunch if you promise to talk to me.", "Talk?" I quickly covered my mouth. I didn't mean to say that aloud. "Yes talk. I wanna talk about you. You see I know you very well, probably better then you know yourself.". My fist clenched and shot up to my feet, "know me?! You don't know s**t about me! Take your lunch and shove it! I'm not talking to you!" I couldn't believe it. He doesn't know s**t about me! who the hell does he think he is! where does he get off! A brief pause followed before the man finally spoke up. "I know about your father" shivers tracked down my spine. How? How could he possibly know? He's lying! "I know he tried to kill you but he died instead. I know after that happened you were plagued by horrific pain and possibly even blacked out. and after you were struck by a car while trying to run anyway only to be miraculously unharmed while the driver and her children were killed on impact.". 

    I could feel the color wash from my face. How...How could HE know ALL OF THIS! I had to know. For my own sanity. "HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT AND WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!" I tried my best to seem threatening and like I wasn't afraid but my body wouldn't stop shaking. no matter how hard I tried I couldn't stop. I could feel a knot forming in the back of my through threatening to show. "I know because I'm just like you, and you just like me." he remained emotionless and his eyes just as empty as before, "What the hell do you mean! I'm nothing like you!". For the first time, something in his eyes changed as if a dim light was turned on. they still seemed almost lifeless but there was something. "You and I are the same in many ways...for example...you and I are both male and were both hungry for lunch, but perhaps the biggest thing you and I share is power.", I start to speak but and quickly cut off. "And what I mean by power is exactly what I say. surly you've realized it. You were hit head-on by a moving car and came out completely and utterly unhurt while every passenger in the car died along with its driver. Not just because of the accident. No. The whole engine crushed her. Now... You're a smart boy, how fast do you think the car must be going and how hard do you think the impact must be for that to happen hm?" I looked down. I made it a point never to think about that day, I always told myself that the accident was just something I made up. After all, I did just see my father with his brains splattered all over the alley wall after he tried to kill me. If you ask me a hallucination would be the least odd part of that day. John started to speak again, "Monstra are what people call the beasts, freaks, and sometimes even abominations. Were people just like everyone else, but they fear us. There are thousands of us across the world, all different ages, races, sexualities, and religions.were all are born from tragedy. out pain and suffering causes us to change. we gain powers and abilities like nothing you've ever seen before. these abilities are what saved you from that head-on collision and kept you from becoming an entree to some scavenger. Needless to say, these powers tend to scare people. Especially those in charge. That's why you probably haven't heard of us. they're hunting us just because they're scared", With that, I cut in, "Get to the point already I'm not getting any younger". John sighed. "Fine. come with me and be with more of our kind. You're not safe here anymore. the odds are they already know of you and are going to be coming for you soon. you'll be taken care of fully, three square meals and a warm bed to sleep in, more importantly, you'll be safe and will never have to steal to survive again. What do you say?".NO more stealing, NO more looking over my shoulder, NO more cardboard bed, NO more going hungry, SAFTY. It's too much to be true..."I'm in, take me there".