Empowered Boy

Ch. 8 The Convention

Empowered Boy stood with Balance and Ricardo was in a wheel chair.  They were in a lab where a young man was looking into the microscope.  This man was an older gentleman as he pulled back and said the heroes, “It’s a dead hair.”

Ricardo asked the tanned man with grey hair, “What do you mean a dead hair?  It was found on my uniform from close combat with Street Knight.” 

Empowered Boy snapped his fingers as he said to the group, “What if it was a wig?”

The scientist nodded as he replied to him, “It’s very possible.  Although the dna of the donor is still traceable.  I could run it if you want.”

Ricardo nodded as he replied to the scientist, “Thanks.  We’ll be in touch.”

The three heroes walked and rolled out as Balance then asked the most dogging question, “If the hair strand was part of a wig.  Then we have no clear picture of Street Knight.  And so, the question is, who is she.”

Nashville, Tennessee

At a three story white house with green ivy growing on some of it’s walls were several men walking in the yard.  Each had on a suit with a weapon being carried by them.  Some had shields, others swords, one or two had a mace and three has crossbows. 

A purple limo pulled into the gates that was escorted by six motorcycles with guards on them.  The limo came to a stop as a woman got out of the car.  She had blonde hair pulled into a bun with brown eyes surrounded by smokey eye make up.  Her full lips were dashed in purple that matched her purple jean vest.  She wore a white long sleeve blouse under the vest and carried a purple brief case.  The brief case had a thin purple chain glowing around it’s handle linking to her right wrist.  Her purple skirt velvet skirt was rather form fitting showing her curves. 

Four guards came to her as they walked her into the mansion.  A butler bowed to her with a katana on his back.  His hair was black and his descent of oriental countries.  He said to the young woman that was 19 or 20, “Lady Linde, how was your devious pursuits?”

Tossing up the brief case as soon as the doors closed Lady Linda said, “My devious pursuits as you call them are to go out and look for a husband.  That’s what I’m doing, looking for a husband.  A challenger to get this damn shield off my wrist!”

The brief case changed into the shield of Street Knight as she called it’s true form.  She caught it as she said waving it at the butler, “How do you think I feel about this Dorenchi?  It is embarrassing to be looked at day and day out of school with this-this-this thing on my wrist.”

Dorenchi just replied to her, “Yes, my lady.”

Sighing Lady Linde said to Dorenchi, “How’s he doing?”

The servant said to her without so much as changing his face, “He is the same.”

Lady Linde said to him as she gave him the shield, “Do you mind carrying this?  It’s been heavy all day.”

Dorenchi nodded as he carried it behind her as they went to the elevator.  The elevator went up to a master bedroom where doctors and guards were standing around or doing something.  In the bed was an old man with more machines hooked up to him than you could find in a hospital.  His age was in his early sixties with his blue eyes looking up at the painting on the ceiling.  The painting was a mural of several events that had happened between a man, a woman and a little girl.  The little girl had an amazing resemblance to Lady Linde as she said to the man, “Hello, daddy.  How are you doing today?”

The man moved his left middle finger in various motions as a computer spoke, “Oh, I’m doing fine Alisha.  How was your day, my dear?  Did you find a husband yet?”

Alisha fought back tears as she said to him with the slowly crumbling will, “I’m doing just fine.  I haven’t found him just yet.  But, I’ll find him soon daddy.  And, you’ll get to meet him over dinner.  I’ll have the chef make you a nice liquid food that will be absolutely delicious.”

The computer replied to her, “Hahaha, delicious liquid food.  Mind as well be drinking from a creek.  Remember the creek in the back yard?”

Shaking her head and thankful that he can’t see her face, “Yes, yes the creek is lovely.  Still full of those fish that you like.”

The computer spoke again, “I forgot that you hate the smell of fish.”

Alisha said to her father, “No, no, no, I absolutely love them.  They make a nice sushi roll.”

A doctor came up to them as he said to Alisha, “I have to take the master’s blood sample again.”

Nodding Alisha said to him as she said it quietly, “Alright, I’ll be gone in a minute.”

Alisha said to her father, “Well, the doctor needs to have a few more tests done.  I’ll be back tomorrow, rest up daddy.”

Alisha walked with Dorenchi into the elevator as Dorenchi asked her, “What would you like for dinner Lady Linde.”

The doors closed as she said to him in reply, “Fish.”

Dorenchi replied to her with question, “Doesn’t the Lady prefer beef or chicken?”

Alisha replied to him angry, “No!  The Lady wants salisbury steak, but you will make her disgusting sushi because she said so!”

Dorenchi only replied to her, “Yes, my lady.”

Alisha broke as she hit the floor as Dorenchi pressed the stop button for the elevator.  Alisha was crying as she put her hands to her eyes.  She said with a cracking voice, “Why can’t I find a husband?  I have found no one!  I’ve taken the Tennessee Thunder, the New York Beast, Law-Mart Lance Knight, Aura Master, even the new trend hero Empowered Boy.  Where will I move next to find a husband?  Are there no worthy challengers?”

Dorenchi said to Alisha, “This is not the time to mention this, but it has to be mentioned if you plan to take your father with you.”

Alisha stopped crying as she looked up at Dorenchi, “No, he can’t.”

Dorenchi inhaled as he replied to her, “The doctors tell me, that he only has months, maybe even a year.  He can’t be moved and his plans will no longer protect you.”

A boiling rage came to her as she stood up to him, “Protect me?  That’s what you are worried about?  He’s your best friend and you’re worried about protecting me?  He’s dying!”

Dorenchi said to her ever calm, “Yes, and I have been instructed to help you.  To protect you.  We both know that when he dies, that he’s taking you with him unwillingly. Unless if you find the champion that knocks down that shield.  Then you will have only so long to get pregnant to prevent the curse from taking your soul with your father’s.  His delaying his death has put him in more pain than necessary.  And all to make sure that you live a long and happy life.  It is the way of the Linde family.  Find a mate, continue the line and die.”

Alisha then said to him with anger, “And what if I don’t want my child to suffer?  What if I don’t want it to see me in that bed?”

Dorenchi replied to her calmly, “It is the way of the curse, you are born to find a worthy challenger.  Someone who can break the chain and then mate with them.  Produce a child and move on with your life.  Until a Linde is able to have twins, the curse will be broken.  And as the demon who cursed the original intended, that will never happen.  It is foolish to think a demon’s bond can be trusted.”

Alisha then said to Dorenchi as she began to wipe her tears, “I want fish, alright?”

Dorenchi replied to her with a little smile, “I shall prepare some as the side for the salisbury steak.  8 pieces of sushi isn’t filling.”

A small smile graced Alisha’s lips as she replied to him, “Thank you.”

At the Nashville Larrycon Comic Book Convention

Perry was dressed in a brown suit jacket with white elbow patches.  He stood in his black slack wearing a brown leather belt that had a cosplay 2 foot long rod with a blue gem on top in a hoop.  In an open top square pouch on the belt was a black book that said on the front ‘The World’ before the letters vanished behind the brown leather of the pouch.  The button up shirt he wore under the jacket was blue and had a brown tie worn.  On the tie knot was an upside down silver trapezoid with ‘Prof’ in the trapezoid.  The final item of the costume was a silver domino mask that Perry wore with pride.

Perry waited in line for the doors to open at 10:30 sharp.  It was the first time that an MCD employee was visiting to sign comic books.  He held a comic in his hand of the newest MCD The Professor’s issue made by the writer Camm Kirk and Artist Kaura Stark.  Unfortunately the writer of the series according to the web was currently deciding to walk away from MCD comics.

Craig stood in a blue leather jacket with a cicada designed helmet worn covering his head and eyes. The lower half of his face could be seen and his jeans were a pair of plain blue.  His white shirt under the jacket said in black letter, “Cicada”. 

Craig said to Perry, “I look stupid, why am I wearing this outfit again?”

Perry said back to him in a small argument, “No, you don’t and the internet said that Aura Stark’s favorite character is the Cicada.”

Craig replied to him with sarcasm, “Right, nothing gets a girl going like a bug helmet.”

Turning his head Craig then said looking, “By the way, why is an Ugarian girl dressed in a red jacket looking for you?”

Perry thought and thought as he replied to him, “Don’t know, the only Ugarian girl I know is Ri.  But, she’s working today probably.”

Ri was in the line wearing a red and orange flame design leather jacket.  The back had a square cut out for her wings to be out.  She wore a black bikini top a gold flame icon in the middle.  Ri finished the outfit off with a pair tight leather shorts.  She walked looking for Perry as she said, “Come on, I didn’t get all dressed up in these tight unnatural fighting clothes for him.  Just to not find him.  Aw, come on Perry.  Where are you?”

She until she got to the back of the line.  She waited and waited as she held her purse.  She began to get bored as she swung her purse a bit.  From the purse flew a snap purse.  She went into the alley to get it.  She picked it up as she bent down to get it. 

A male voice said from behind her, “Yo, turkey!  You got some nice wings.”

Ri turned around to look at three guys walking into the alley.  One of the guys said to the other, “Look at that turkey’s thighs, wouldn’t mind get a bite of those.”

Ri backed up as she got scared and eventually found herself between them and a dumpster.  She looked at the three and noticed that while the others were plain.  That the one in the middle had an tattoo of a D around his right eye.  He pulled out a knife as he said aiming it at her, “Maybe I’ll cut off a little breast to eat.”

Ri began to shake as she wanted to scream, but couldn’t find her voice.  All she did was go back into her instincts of producing a vile smell from her legs.  She knew that humans responded to screams, but she also knew that her voice was a result in genetic engineering.  Ugarians just weren’t born with the voice that humans used everyday.

A voice said angrily, “Hey!  If you think that little piece of shit can cut.  Wait til you see mine!”

The man with the ‘D’ turned around as he looked at the girl in Craig’s vision.  She wore different clothes now, but from the look of her sea foam eyes and ram like horns it was unmistakable that it was her.  She had in her right hand a hunting knife as she aimed it at the three. 

One of the guy’s pointed at her as he said to the guy with the ‘D’, “Hey, it’s a whorpee liker.”

The other low life said to the one that used the term whorpee, “Nah, nah, she be like half bro.”

The woman that was currently distracting the three decided to alert other people by screaming.  She screamed out loud as she then took her knife and began to run at the thugs.  She went at one of the smaller thugs that had grabbed a gun.  He whipped it out as he pulled the trigger as the bullet started to come out.

At the line where Perry and Craig were standing waiting for the doors to open.  They heard the scream as Perry then said having a green light appear around him, “Call the cops.”

A scene in his mind appeared of the gun coming out of the thugs pants.  The finger pulled the trigger as a bullet came out.  Perry vanished in a green light as his clothes instantly changed.

The bullet was about to hit the girl as a green light appeared.  Perry was hit in the gut by the bullet as he coughed and hit the ground.  The girl tripped over him as she hit the ground.  The punk laughed as she took the knife and stabbed him in the leg. 

The man let out a scream as he backed up and said pulling the trigger shooting a bullet onto the pavement, “Oh, that bitch!”

Empowered Boy got up with a pain in his gut as he groaned getting up.  He saw that the ‘D’ took his knife and swung at him.  Empowered Boy smacked the hand out of the way and grabbed him by the elbow.  He pulled the thug in as he kneed him in the groin.  The man let out a small cry as he hit the round and the knife dropped beside the girl.  He then looked up at the other one as he said staring him down, “You have ten seconds to decide.  Ass kicking or surrender.”

The guy was about to reach for his gun as Empowered Bow had his bow appear.  He smacked the thug up across the head and into the brick wall.  He then said to him with no humor in his voice, “Kiss the wall.”

He held his hand down to the girl as she took it to stand up.  She then said to him, “Thank you, how much do I owe you.”

Empowered Boy saw who this was as his inner geek nearly squealed.  He said to her with a shake of his head, “Nothing, but it would be cool if you could give me a spoiler to the next Professor comic.”

The girl then asked him as if he was daft, “Wait, what?  All you want is a spoiler?”

Empowered Boy nodded as he replied to her, “Yeah, you did a lot of the work.  I just took a bullet.  And I kinda did trip you.  By the way, big fan of your work Ms. Stark.”

Ms. Stark replied to him as she said to him, “Well anyone that takes a bullet for me can call me Kaura.  Alright, I’ll tell you a spoiler.  The Professor finally proposes to Mandy.”

Pulling a double fist pump Empowered Boy did a little dance.  Ri walked up as she asked Kaura, “Thank you for saving me, is there anything I can do to repay you?”

Empowered Boy asked Ri, “Uh, Ri were you the one in danger?”

Ri looked perplexed as she said to him, “Do I know you?”

Shaking his head Empowered Boy replied to her, “Uh, no, no, no.  Sorry.  If you ladies would go back to your business.  I’m going to tie these thugs up.”

Kaura smiled as she said to him, “I got some rope inside.  Want to use it?”

Empowered Boy then said to her as he looked at the three who were acting submissively now that they had been shown who’s boss, “Yeah.”

Karua then walked with Ri as she said to her, “Come on, you can help me get the rope.”

Ri stared at Empowered for a little while longer as she then walked with Kaura.  The pair later returned with some rope as Empowered Boy tied them up.  He then whispered to the man with a ‘D’ tattoo, “You touch Ri again, then you will no longer be a man.”

The pair of girls walked into the back doors of the convention building.  They locked the doors as Empowered Boy walked out of the alley as two cops began to put the three thugs into their squad car.

Empowered Boy vanished in a green light as he changed back into his cosplay of The Professor.  He appeared where Craig was as he said to him, “Everything is solved.”

Craig nodded as the doors opened as the pair walked inside.  Perry walked inside as he put a hand on his bullet wound.  He was glad that the cells he had were already getting rid of the flesh damage.  The bullet was still inside him sure, but he wouldn’t have to worry about that.  Knowing the intimate knowledge of Biomistress’s cells from the comics, they have dissolved bullets before and use it to reinforce the healed wound to prevent future damage. 

Perry saw Ri at the MCD table as he looked at Ri.  He then said to her as she lit up and went to greet them, “Nice, gender bender Fire Bomb!  I love it!”

Kaura replied to him, “I assume you’re Ri’s friends?”

Craig walked up as he said to Karua, “Hi, how are you?”

Kaura looked at him as she replied to him, “Uh, who are you?”

Craig pulled off the helmet as he said to Perry, “I told you Perry she would like it.”

Kaura looked at Craig as something pulled on her soul.  She then said to him standing up, “Well, bug cosplay is a little confusing.”

Craig replied to her, “Perry said that you liked Cicada according to the ‘net’.”

Kaura laughed a little as she replied to the pair, “Haven’t had time to read it just yet.  Anyways, have any comics you want signed?”

Perry nodded as he pulled out a comic and said giving it to her, “Please, make it out to Perry Turner.”

Kaura nodded as she signed the cover of the Professor comic book.  She then gave it back to him as he put it into a plastic very quickly.  Kaura pointed at the rod as she said to him, “Hey, is that my Rod of Understanding?”

Perry nodded as he replied to her, “Yeah, I read on the forums that it was your idea to have the Professor absorb the rod and add it to his collection.  I absolutely love the idea of a rod that makes people understand each other in a 10 foot radius.  It was brilliant.”

Kaura replied to him with a smile, “Thanks.”

Craig then asked Kaura, “This may seem really forward, but would you want to get a cup of coffee sometime?”

Smiling Kaura grabbed one of the comics as she wrote her number on it, “Here, don’t make me wait.”

Craig smiled as he took the comic and the pair of guys went to go see other tables.  Ri watched as Perry walked off and noticed a smell about him that seemed familiar.  One that was like when she was in Empowered Boy’s presence.