It's Short Story Thursday again! Today's story is really long, so it will be in two parts. Look forward to the ending next Thursday! Also, side note, I drew that picture about 3 years ago when I first wrote this story. I can't believe I found it! The title was originally "Superpowerless" but I changed it to "Angelic Wings" when I rewrote it.
I stood before the person I considered to be the most evil man I had ever known. He wore a dark trench coat and had hair as black as night. "So Angelic Wings, ready to finally be defeated?" The man called to me, holding his arms out. Between his two hands an orb of green light started to form.
"Ha! It will not be so easy to defeat me, Gloando!" I shouted proudly. You see, I'm a superhero. I have a tight white costume, long flowing blond hair, and I use the powers of lightening to destroy those who oppose me. They call me, Angelic Wings because of the wings that form when I became my super alter ego, making me look like an angel.
Gloando, my current arch enemy, started mumbling something under his breath, and the green orb came flying at me. Since I have wings and can fly, it was fairly easy to avoid this orb. I shot a bolt of electricity towards Gloando, which he avoided. He had a huge smile on his face which was starting to creep me out. "Why the big smile Gloando? Finally decided to give up?"
Gloando didn't say anything, but pointed behind me. I turned around to see the green orb flying back towards me. I tried to get out of it's way, but it seemed to be too late. It hit me in the side, I felt the most horrible pain I had ever felt. My wings felt as if they were on fire and my brain felt as if it were being pounded with a hammer. I couldn't take it, and feel out of the sky, smashing into the pavement below, right in front of Gloando.
"You are nothing but a fallen angel now," he said, stomping on my head with his heavy black boots. The world went dark and numb.
Dreams...was this all nothing but a dream? NO! I remember a time before this, before I was ever Angelic Wings. I was Karen Dover. A perfectly normal name. I wasn't Karen Dover for long. When I was just 12 years old, my wings emerged for the first time. My best friend at the time, Jake, was attacked by my first arch-enemy, Dr. Devil. It was after school one day as we were walking home, and Dr. Devil attacked Jake, sensing in him a pure soul, something Dr. Devil desired greatly. I saw it happen, all of it, and felt so helpless, so powerless. I cried out, screamed because of the pain I felt in my heart. A storm was raging in my mind. Then wings burst out of my back, and my whole self was changed. I became a more mature looking woman, wearing the outfit that became my "super hero costume". Reading the news articles about it later, most of them suggested I made the costume myself. I thought that was funny because I can't sew at all.
In any case, I was like an angel fighting a devil. I think that's why I got my name "Angelic Wings" from the newspapers. I flew down from high in the sky, and used what would come to be known as my "Super Angel Punch". Newspapers love to name everything. "Super Angel Punch" causes electricity to flow from my fist into the chest of the person I am fighting, in this case, Dr. Devil. Dr. Devil fell to the ground, I flew down and grabbed Jake to get him somewhere safe. I regret to this day not finishing off Dr. Devil right then and there, but I was young, all I wanted was for Jake to be safe.
To this day, Jake is the only one who knows my true identity. Not even my parents, my later boyfriends, or other superheros know who "Angelic Wings" really is. I wouldn't think it be that hard to tell. I don't think I look that different, at least not anymore now that I am an adult. Well maybe it's not that strange, Angelic Wings never ages, Karen Dover does. And I did grow up, to the woman I am today.
Am I just Karen Dover again?
Dreams...they are so funny. They fade with time. So do memories. Everything fades with time.
I opened my eyes. My whole being felt as if it is in a blazing fire. I could feel, feel within my body, my soul, that my powers were gone. Gloando had finally won.
I sat up, holding my head in my hands. I felt like my best friend had died. It was such a feeling of loss unlike anything I had ever experienced. I stood up and started walking slowly to my apartment. I was so bewildered, so unsure of what to do now. What does a super hero do when they lose their powers?
I think I was a good hero. The newspapers called me "A Guardian Angel of the people". I had the perfect arch-enemy Dr. Devil! It was funny looking back. "A battle of heaven and hell" the newspapers had called it. Dr. Devil would kidnap people with souls he considered to be pure to use in a project to make the world an eternal hell. He kept all these souls in a case in his evil lair, which is where our epic climatic final battle took place. If it was a tv show, this would've been the show stopping season finale!
It was everything you'd expect it to be. First Dr. Devil tried to steal my soul, saying it was the final and purest soul he needed to complete his project. He got me down to his lair and was holding me down when a storm started raging in my soul. I couldn't let this happen! I had to stop Dr. Devil at all cost. I saw a bright light forming at heart, glowing in all directions brightly. I flew up to the ceiling, and the light grew brighter and brighter until I couldn't see anything else. Somehow it freed all the souls and sent Dr. Devil to where he belonged, Hell. This is my ultimate move, but I haven't been able to do it again, or even understand how it works. Afterwards, I fell out of the air, transforming from Angelic Wings into Karen again. Usually I can control when I transform, so this was a first for me. It was almost like when when that green orb of Gloando's hit me.
I sighed as I unlocked the door to my apartment. It's small, I can't afford much, since being a superhero doesn't pay. I have another "real" job at a department store, but that doesn't pay much either.
Thinking back now, I was only 16 when I defeated Dr. Devil. I'm 20 now, things sure have changed since then. After Dr. Devil came a string of minor villains, all of which I defeated easily. Jake and I were dating at this point. He was always so worried about me. See, when I'm Karen, much like Spiderman, I can sense when there is danger. Then I can turn into Angelic Wings and fly off to save the day. Jake always would tell me "Glow and don't die!" He was talking about my ultimate move. The glowing white light that had saved me from Dr. Devil. He wanted it to always protect me.
I could no longer sense danger. I sat at the kitchen table in my apartment. Who will save the day now? Who will rescue the people in danger? What will happen now? Who was the real me all this time?
I put my head down on my kitchen table. It felt cool against my head. Who had been the real me all this time? Was it Angelic Wings or Karen Dover? It was like we were two different people. Maybe we were. Maybe that's why I felt this sense of loss. Angelic Wings had died, leaving behind the pitiful remains of Karen Dover. I wished for a moment that Gloando had killed us both.
I closed my eyes and thought back again. After a while, when I was 17, Jake and I had an argument that had ended our relationship. He wanted me to stop being Angelic Wings forever. I said of course I couldn't do that. I needed to save people, I couldn't leave them helpless.
"They did just fine before you were here, they'll do fine if you aren't here anymore. I'm tired of always worrying if you'll come back or not. I can't lose you Karen!" Jake had cried.
"NO! They didn't do fine before me. Many more people would be dead right now! You might be dead if it weren't for me."
"Why do you care, it's not responsibility. I know you saved me, but you don't even know those people"
"It's my responsibility now! This is who I am now!" I screamed.
"I'm sorry then." Jake said sadly. "There are some things I can't accept. It's over. I'm leaving."
And he did leave. He left behind a note that had his phone number on it and said "Call me if you ever decide to give up your powers. I love you forever Karen."
At the time, all I could think of was, if he loved me so much, why couldn't he just accept me as I am?
I went over and sat on my couch. I fell over on my side and turned on the tv. It was on a news network. There was a story about a big fire downtown. I felt a chill down my spin. There was a big disaster, and I hadn't known about it. People could be dying right now, and I couldn't help them. I'm worthless as Karen Dover.
I put the TV on mute and felt tears welling up in my eyes. I blinked them back. The last time I had cried had been the day I dropped out of high school when I turned 18. I was so far behind I wasn't going to graduate anyway. It was so hard to do, even harder than saving the day. I had cried and I had no one to comfort me. My parents thought I was on drugs or drinking or doing other illegal things due to my behavior. It upset me that they had such little faith in me. I got a job and moved out as soon as I could.
My real job sucks. They don't mind that I'm sometimes late or that I call out sometimes for no real reason. When I am at work, I really work hard, so they don't want to lose me. I know I have to work hard, I can't lose this job, I have to survive.
After Jake, I had a few other boyfriends. Most only lasted a few weeks, I never cried when I lost them. They all broke up with me because of my habit of disappearing and not telling them where I had been. They thought I was cheating on them. No one ever has any faith in me. Maybe it's better that my powers are gone. I could have a real relationship now. Maybe I could have Jake again now...
Jake! Now that I don't have my powers I can have him back! Or maybe not...there is something more important I should be doing now. I had to find Gloando and get my powers back. I was certain he had stolen them to use in some evil plot.
"Where's Angelic Wings?" I saw the headline flickering on the TV. I sat up and said out loud, "Well, let's go find her," My voice echoed around my dark empty apartment. "Let's go find her..."
...to be continued!
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