Nighthawk: A Superhero Story (closed for Siobhancan99)

[Halcyon638]

The Brit let out a brief laugh. “Searching. Nah, that’s the only address listed.” He rattled off a few names of nearby airfields, and one rang a bell for Monica—outside of a town called Walton. “Right, then. We’ll see what your cops can turn up. In the meantime, I’m sleeping this off. Not going to go looking for trouble half-wrecked like this.”

Monica found a quiet rooftop on a three-story building not far from the motel, and Flashpoint climbed out of the vehicle. He was polishing off the hard cider and toting his messenger bag and backpack. “Suppose I should say thanks and fuck off for the night.” He tossed the glass bottle across the rooftop, shattering it. “Left you one of these.”

 

[siobhancan99]

"Skoal" she laughs "Look here's my burner. Call me tonight and we can check out the airfield. Probably gone from there at this point, but we might be able to get the night staff or wahtever to give us their flight plans and maybe some info on their planes and stuff. Or might be they stick around and try to get you. So they might still be there." she waves "if they come at you, text me. Just know I have the phone turned off when I'm at my house."

 

[Halcyon638]

Flashpoint nodded. “Alright. You better hit it. It’ll cock up both our reputations if someone catches wind of Prospect City’s big hero hanging out with a proper supervillain.” He descended the nearby fire escape.

Monica arrived home a little past 1:00 AM. Sleep eventually descended upon her.

“Mmm. Let’s not get out of bed this morning, carino. Or today,” Gabi said, decked out in her cozy, penguin-patterned pajamas, grinning and curling up against Monica’s side, resting her head on the older girl’s shoulder.

Before she knew it, Monica had traded the warmth and comfort of her bed for a crowded urban diner. She sat at the counter, almost literally rubbing elbows with other patrons, as Gabi made her way through the crowds in a pastel blue uniform carrying plates of food.

Every time Gabi neared, Monica said her name, or said, “Excuse me” to get her attention, but the Latina didn’t respond, distracted by another customer or turning her back at just the right moment. At first, Gabi seemed harried and frustrated, striding from table to table, delivering a fresh ketchup bottle or a steaming cup of coffee, as Monica continued to try to draw her over in vain. Eventually, a smile lit up her face as a group of 20-somethings entered, and she strode over to them, welcoming them with hugs and an easy laugh.

Monica awoke, reaching for a moment, only to find her bed empty.

There was an item in the news regarding police investigating an alleged kidnapping attempt with men who worked for Bellwether Security Solutions, but nothing that yielded new details.

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica laid in bed a while after the dream. It was the same sort of thing she'd gone through with Tom. It was worse, in a way. She knew there was nothing she could do to bring Tom back. Gabi's occasional calls and texts only served to drive the distance home. To remind her that she lost something. She considers cutting her off, then panics at the notion of being cut off. Eventually she made her way to school, doing her best to stay focused.

That evening, she collapsed on the couch and opened up Her, scrolling through to see if anyone caught her eye, then shut it down and went to suit up. Putting on the armor she already felt better. Like she was someone else. She relaxed, feeling alright for the first time over the course of the day. Getting into gear she got herself over to the hotel where she left Flashpoint, so she could round him up and maybe head over to the airport.

 

[Halcyon638]

The superhuman wore a pair of black, knee-length shorts and blood-red t-shirt that showed off his well-muscled frame. He was wearing his wire-rimmed glasses and smelled faintly of sandalwood. “Well, since your coppers can’t be trusted to catch a bloody cold, I guess it’s up to us, yeah?” His tone was as curmudgeonly as always, but he hopped into the Sliver with notable verve to his movements.

“You get Spotify in this thing or is this when we trade origin stories?” The sarcasm was there, but Monica detected the slightest trace of curiosity in his voice.

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica resolved the next chance she had to expand the sliver cockpit for a passenger seat. She'd have to talk to her dad about it for sure. "I got my powers from my mom." True story that, at least. "I know, its boring as fuck but you brits have to be all about that inherited privilege right?" she laughed and steered the sliver towards the airfield. "I have to admit a lot of curiosity about yours though. I haven't seen many people with innate abilities. A lot of gadgets, sure, but not a lot of people that have legit superpowers."

 

[Halcyon638]

“Yeah. Lot of Brits that look like me passing down mad castles and shit,” he said with a rare grin. “ I’ll show you ‘round the family estate sometime.”

The city lights began to shrink as they flew toward its outskirts. “It’s pretty boring. I was doing a job at this chemical plant and got caught in an explosion. Freak accident. The better story is where I got my impeccable fashion sense and charming personality.”

According to the map, the airfield was about 30 minutes away. “So…why go after these blokes? Was this all about getting square for me helping you find that girl? You still think there’s something heroic in me or some such rubbish?”

 

[siobhancan99]

"when I rescued you, I didn't know it was you. I just saw some guy being dragged to a van." She was quiet a minute. "And I did what I always do. I dropped in and elected to help through extreme violence. Then I saw it was you, and yeah you know. You helped me out. And I don't know that you're a hero but I don't know that you're all bad either. You're just a guy trying to get by in life after a freak chemical reaction gave him super powers. I think if someone had gotten to you earlier and told you you could make legit money with them, you would have but I also don't think you're one kiss away from being batman." She chuckled. "So. I'm helping you for a lot of reasons. One, these guys will do it to you they will do it to someone else. This is my city, you don't do this shit here. But." She sighed "Its. You're like me you know?" she shrugged. Uncomfortable talking about this with anyone. Centauri weren't big sharers. Her mom probably would have painted something ghastly and Nietzschean but she wasn't an artist. "You're one of the only people that knows what it is like to be different. To be be special and better. To be isolated by the very thing that makes you special. Like, we have to on some level stick together because whether friends or enemies... those of us who can do the kinds of things we can do are never going to quite fit in with anyone else. I'd like to be friends. I don't know if that's dumb, but even if we aren't friends we're peers and we're ... we're part of a club even if we didn't choose to be."

 

[Halcyon638]

Flashpoint listened, and once Monica finished speaking, he was silent, the only sound being the whirring of the Sliver’s mechanics and the slight buffeting of the winds. “I’d like that,” he said, barely audible over the machinery, and free of any irony.

They sat in silence for another long moment until the superhuman broke it. “I put in a call to some of my mates back home. Nobody recognizes the name Spencer Baerga or this Bellwether. So it may not be someone I fucked over. Not ruling it out completely, though.”

When they arrived at the small airfield, there were no planes in the area, but there was a small building with lights on. A single silver pick-up truck was parked outside of it.

 

[siobhancan99]

"Good" she was grateful he didn't laugh. She probably couldn't have taken it "Guess they left" she set the sliver down "We might be able to get more information though from whoever is running the airfield. Also, we should probably assume this job was for hire. So that means figuring out who you pissed off. Who you've stolen from, who you might have double crossed. At least we don't have to worry about it being some bullshit like the government lab that made you or whatever the fuck." She hmmms "though, has anyone approached you trying to figure out your powers? you live pretty openly. Might be someone experimenting on people with abilities in general and you're like, the tallest nail or whatever."

 

[Halcyon638]

Flashpoint considered the question. “Hmm. Interesting. I suppose my DNA could be worth something to the right person.” He eyed the building. “You better take care of this. Famous superhero and all that. I’ll hang back and keep an eye out.”

Inside, Monica found a middle-aged airfield employee who was more than happy to spill all he knew about the previous day’s flight in exchange for a selfie with Nighthawk. The airfield had been booked by a client called Anthem Holdings Ltd., a quick search of which brought up no legitimate results. The flight had been bound for the small town of Selway, Massachusetts, a little over an hour and fifteen minutes away via the Sliver.

“Looks like it’s another road trip,” Flashpoint remarked, “or whatever it is when you don’t need roads.” As they settled back into the vehicle, he asked, “So, you told me about your powers. But what’s with this urge to be a big hero and all that? Or you mainly looking for an excuse to fuck people up on the reg?”

 

[siobhancan99]

An hour and fifteen minutes in the sliver was not really optimal as it wasn't built for two "we can drive." she said "i have a car, and if you have a car so much the better." She looked at the sliver "much as I enjoy your lap." She laughed, making it less of an acid remark than she might have. "I think we will both get along better if we can move around and aren't literally up one another's ass." She leaned against a nearby tree "A little of that. A lot of that." she looked around and sighed. "I was in love, with a boy. A beautiful amazing boy. And he knew what I was and didn't want to exploit it, and didn't want me to hide it. He wanted me to have the life I wanted on my own terms. He loved me before he knew and he loved me after. I was held back a year, going into school. To help explain why i was taller and stronger and more well developed overall. If I hadn't been, I'd have gone away to college with him. But I didn't. And one night, when I would have been with him he got shot for his fucking car." she shrugged her shoulders. "and If I had been there, he'd be alive. And it killed me. And I thought, I might never stop feeling this way, but if I can make sure someone else doesn't have to feel this way I'm going to. Then I started doing it and well. Yes. It's... It is extremely satisfying to fuck a mother fucker up. When they deserve it. So even though I am not... dying in bed and pining after my lost love any more well. The mission remains."

 

[Halcyon638]

Flashpoint chuckled. “Hey, don’t knock it til you try it,” he responded winkingly to her ass comment. “We can go back for my car.”

He settled onto a nearby ledge and listened. Sighing afterwards, he said, “Fuck. That is brutal. I’m sorry.” He shook his head. “Probably should have realized that asking about why you dress up like a ninja and beat the shit out of criminals isn’t going to lead to a fun, breezy story. Tell you what. I’ll unpack a trauma for you once we get on the road. Only seems fair.”

Flashpoint drove a black Toyota 4Runner. “Fuck,” he said as he climbed in. “I don’t have my phone to sync to the sound system.” He futzed around with the radio dial for a bit, then pulled the vehicle out of its parking spot.

 

[siobhancan99]

She had him pull into a wawa and got some sodas and some peach rings and a bag of pretzels and some water as well. When she was back in the car she took her helmet off "if we're gonna be friends, I guess you gotta see it at some point" she opened a soda and guzzled it down "sorry I have to eat 3-40000 calories a day." She dug into the pretzels and offered him one as he drove "Look you're some kinda master thief right? so what you say we make this quiet unless it has to be noisy? I'm not exactly a local celebrity in Massachusetts so I probably won't get the same leeway from law enforcement if shit goes sideways."

 

[Halcyon638]

When Monica began removing her helmet, her companion glanced over. By the time it was off and her blonde hair was spilling over her shoulders, he looked at her with a surprised expression on his face, before regaining his composure and looking away. He was quiet for a minute or two, seemingly missing her offer of the pretzel only to reply about 30 seconds later with, “I’m good. Thanks.”

He accelerated as they returned to the highway. “Quiet sounds good.” He cleared his throat then reached for the water bottle Monica had purchased. He nearly put it to his lips before removing the bottle cap, then held it out for her. “Uh…you mind?”

After she opened it for him, he took a few sips and placed it down in the cupholder. “Yeah, so…in any case anyone pulls me over for DWB…the name on my fake driver’s license is Aaron. What do I call you? And in case they ask, you’re my girlfriend. We’re…we’re off to visit some friends in…wherever the fuck this is.”

 

[siobhancan99]

Looking down at her armor she hmmmed "probably should have brought some other clothes. We're going to a cosplay conference. I'm clearly the nighthawk. I don't think they're gonna ask me my name" she leaned back and closed her eyes "Do you want me to drive? Cops love me." She chuckles "Seriously though uh, i'll be something hookery. Shyla. Crystal. Something like that" she hmmmed and looked out the window "DESTINY." she laughs "that's what it is. I'm destiny. and you're A-aron. You're in my world now A-aron." she laughs and laughs "maybe the cop will be a key and peele fan. Or MAYBE you could just drive carefully and we could you know. not get pulled over. Why don't we try that."

 

[Halcyon638]

“I bet they do,” he responded to the cop remark. “You could probably be drinking straight from the bottle with a pair of grannies trapped under you wheels and get let off with a warning.”

He reached his arm out, then back, digging in his backseat. After a moment, he produced a hoodie with the city’s soccer team logo on it. “Knock yourself out.” It was large and a little rumpled, smelling faintly of his clean, masculine scent.

He put his hand to his forehead as she had a good laugh. “You don’t always get to pick out your preferred name when you’re buying professional-grade forged documents,” he said, reverting to his default, put-upon tone. He managed to maintain a glower for nearly a minute before bursting out laughing. “Fuck. Why did I tell you that? And do you spell your name with an ‘i’ at the end or a double ‘e,’ dearest? Please tell me it’s a double ‘e.’”

He motioned to the radio as they made their way into the outskirts of the city. “Pick something out.”

 

[siobhancan99]

MOnica hmmmed because she hadn't listened to the radio for a while. Eventually she found some country and left that on, looking out the window "Destinee with two e's and I also draw a little heart over the i instead of a dot. And I only use purple pens." She grinned over at Flashpoint and finished her soda, starting in on the peach rings. She offered him one "Yeah i'd guess a lot of these documents are real and just look like you yeah?" She leaned back, relaxing as she has the sweatshirt on to cover the armor up. She looks over "soooo A-aron. where did we meet? alcoholics anoymous? shoplifting bust?" she laughed "anger management?"

 

[Halcyon638]

Flashpoint grinned. He accepted one of the peach rings. “Looks good on you,” he said before popping it into his mouth.

He drove at a moderate speed as the traffic thinned moving away from the city. “It honestly hurts that you don’t remember. Bible study. Next thing I know, you’ll tell me you forgot where we first made love. Try to remember,” he said, giving her a look of faux-concern, “They may ask you this.”

 

[siobhancan99]

Grinning, she popped a peach ring into her mouth "we've never made love. We met at bible study. You're saving yourself for marriage and I rededicated my life to christ after getting clean and quitting my job as a stripper. You've been soooo understanding that I used to sin constantly and with anyone who came down the lane. We're so much happier now that I'm pure though. My job at the christian bookstore might not pay the bills but it does save souls. What is it you do again?"

 

[Halcyon638]

“Me? I run a bakery. An erotic one. A man’s gotta have an outlet, yeah? It’s not a sin if you’re jacking off to a cake. It’s a loophole.”

The radio signal was disrupted for a little bit, then returned with Lainey Wilson’s “Watermelon Moonshine.” Flashpoint listened for a minute. “You from a small town? Asking Nighthawk. Not Destinee. And by the way, my real name is Marcus, in case you want to dunk on that,” he said, smiling wryly.

 

[siobhancan99]

"There's nothing wrong with being called Marcus. I mean I assumed your name was Nigel, or Graham, and you came from a town called willowsby on the marsh or something" she smiles "Monica. Nice to meet you Marcus." she looked out the window, watching the road as they flew down the highway. "I am from a small town, in the middle of god damn nowhere. I hadn't been out of Pennsylvania till I went to new york last year."

 

[Halcyon638]

Marcus chuckled. “Nice to meet you.” He took another swig of water. “What was that like? Growing up there. I’m from Birmingham. Sometimes I think I would go absolutely mental if I was away from city life for more than a week but then part of me is like, ‘seems nice.’ Did you like it there or did you want to get the fuck out? Or both?”

He sped up enough to pass a semi, though still watching his speed.

 

[siobhancan99]

"I dunno. You know, like. You grow up somewhere and part of you just thinks that's what the world is like you know?" She looked over and then looked back out at the road "It was nice. I mean, it's like the early 2000s there. Everyone's sorta conservative and the town proper had high speed internet but a lot of the kids I grew up with basically had to watch Netflix on their phones." She brushed her hair back from her face "So it is a little lost in time. But at the same time, people minded their own fucking business almost professionally. There was this sect out there, like, weird little protestant sect. Nothing crazy, no 'the reverend needs to fuck your wife' kinda stuff. But they basically viewed not being up each other's asses as a virtue. Plus its green and it's pretty out there. Part of me wanted the excitement of the city, but part of that was just... knowing I didn't want to be a farmer or a beautician you know? So I was always going to have to leave to go to college."

 

[Halcyon638]

“And now you’re stuck in Prospect City dealing with kidnappers and other lowlifes,” Marcus said. “Real scum-of-the-Earth types. The worst.” He stopped at a 4-way intersection. “That honestly sounds pretty nice. And this—” He turned up the volume. “This isn’t half bad. Make me a playlist sometime.”

He and Monica continued to chat as they traveled. He revealed he’d stuck around in Prospect City following the capture of the leader of his group as he’d been contracted for another job, but after two months of planning the heist, it had fallen through. In the meantime, he’d fallen into a comfortable groove, despite the threat of his capture being much higher than if he’d gone almost anywhere else. He didn’t give any further reasons for staying as long as he had.

The relatively long drive passed quickly enough, and before long, they were in Selway, Massachusetts. It was a town comparable to Cottersville in size, with the airfield being down a long, lonely road. “How do you want to do this?” Marcus asked.