Chapter 28: Bug Splat
Felix popped, his head starting to throb with the usual headache. Still, he needed to be able to react to Johnathan's next move. The older man was going to launch into the air and use sheer momentum to crush him. It was a solid plan, and one that Felix wouldn't be able to block.
Unluckily for Johnathan, Felix knew the future. Johnathan rocketed upwards and came crashing to the ground, fist outstretched to hit Felix. At the very last moment, Felix swiveled on the balls of his feet, giving Johnathan zero warning and no room for adjustments.
With an audible splat, Johnathan hit the mat. He groaned as he held his arm. "Did you use your power?" the flier asked through gritted teeth.
"Of course I did, the same as you," Felix said, offering a sweaty hand to his teammate. Harper sat off to the side, ready to spar the winner. And in this case, it looked like Felix would need to find a way to deal with someone that literally couldn't take damage.
Johnathan pulled himself up with Felix's help and sat down at the edge of the room. It was a fairly large space – Johnathan's younger brother owned a karate dojo, and he had agreed to let them use the facility when it wasn't operating hours.
Harper stood up, cracking her knuckles and grinning. She knew just as well as he did that he stood no chance of winning this, in any realistic fashion. Rewinding time would do absolutely nothing; he knew how Harper would go about this fight. Like an enraged bull, Harper sprinted at him in the same stance as a linebacker.
Felix sidestepped, grabbing her right arm and pulling it behind her back. For all the toughness of her skin, the arm responded like any normal arm would. Taking the unexpected advantage, Felix struggled to get Harper into a chokehold, trapping her arm in the process. He eventually succeeded, but not without Harper hammering a few clumsy blows into his side. She hit with the force of a blacksmith's hammer, and he held on despite the pain.
Eventually, Harper's blows weakened, and she tapped him three times on the thigh. For all her immunity to bullets and sharp objects, restricting her airflow was still a viable option to beat her in a fight, apparently.
"I didn't think that would work, to be honest," Felix laughed, earning himself a glare. "Oh, come on. All's fair in love and war. I think you caused more than your fair share of bruises, too. I'm the innocent one, here."
Harper stood up shakily, still catching her breath. "Okay, okay. You're right; we agreed to go at each other with whatever we could throw at each other. You think you can teach me some of your moves? Particularly the ones that stop people from doing what you just did?" she begged, activating her most dangerous superpower: puppy-dog eyes.
Felix groaned. There was no force more potent on the planet than when Harper turned her cool blue eyes into big puddles. "Fine, fine. I'll teach you how to beat me…"
Harper giggled, wrapping him in a big hug. At least he'd be compensated for the training in affection. Johnathan approached them as they broke apart.
"I hate to ask, but are the two of you dating?" Johnathan said with about as much grace and tact as a plumber at an electrician's convention. Harper gave him one of those looks that indicated he'd asked something inordinately stupid.
"Did you just figure that one out?" Harper's hands were on her hips, practically daring Johnathan to say anything more.
In surrender, Johnathan put his hands in the air. "I just wanted to make sure that I signed myself up for teenage drama every second minute," he joked.
"We're in our twenties…" Felix protested.
"Same thing," Johnathan declared, and his tone brooked no more talk on the subject.
Instead, Johnathan walked over to the sole couch in the dojo, turning on the TV. They were doing some re-runs of the previous days news shows. Derrick Thompson's press conference was being debated by some talking heads. It made for an interesting watch, so Felix joined the older man, leaving Harper to glare a hole in his back for betraying her for the other news appreciator.
"Today, we have a special guest live from Chile!" a man with perfectly coifed black hair said, his smile large and camera-ready. "Welcome, Mindwave!"
The costumed hero was dressed in her usual purple and white spandex, with a deep purple eye-mask doing the bare minimum to preserve her identity. It was a wonder that she wasn't constantly getting exposed on the internet.
"I'm glad to be here," she said, smiling.
Without skipping a beat, the host asked his first question. "What do you make of national governments worldwide trying to compile lists of citizens that possess powers like yours?"
Mindwave's smile slipped and she leaned forward towards the host – and the camera. "It's a violation of privacy on a global scale. It's been happening in my country, and I can see it happening here. We have done nothing wrong. On the contrary, we've been nothing but helpful." She paused, mulling over her next words.
"You know, I've always wanted to be a hero. And when I was given that opportunity – by means that none of us understand, if I can add – I made sure to make my priority helping those around me. How many of us feels the same, I wonder? I'd bet that all of us share that priority."
The host nodded, accepting the answer. "But what if someone chooses to use their powers for self-serving purposes? Or, for lack of a better term, evil?" This question stumped Mindwave more than the last, but she recovered quickly.
"In the same way that anyone might commit a crime at any time, I don't think superhumans are any different. It's just that we have a greater moral responsibility not to, and I believe that will prevent most from every considering of making a mockery of their gifts. Everyone can do miraculous things; things that they alone can do. Wouldn't you try to make the most of them, Mr. Jansen?"
Johnathan held out the remote, and the TV switched off. He turned around to look at Felix and Harper, the tiredness in his eyes having completely vanished.
"She has a point; all our powers are unique and can accomplish so much. But knowing that doesn't help us. We're a time now; getting to know each other is a big part of the process."
Felix guessed where this was going, and he was, quite frankly, excited.
"We need to talk about our powers."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
vilagwrites
vilagwrites A little programming humor in the title for those of you that get it!
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