LIGHTFOOT (ONC 2021)

7.1| plan of the century.

Janice nearly fell face-first to the ground before Saint-Max caught her in her attempt at landing. "Thank you," she said.

"You didn't answer my question." Saint-Max crossed his arms.

How long had she been a peculiar? Back at the bar, it never crossed his mind to ask her if she was. He just assumed she wasn't, and that was a mistake. Assuming who people were without asking them wasn't nice.

There were peculiars who hated themselves because they weren't strong enough to be superheroes—their powers were useless in day-to-day activities—so they hid their abilities.

Was Janice one of them?

But she flew.

That was a very useful power to hide.

Saint-Max's gut screamed that something else was at play here.

"Father was a peculiar while Mother was a mundane," Janice answered.

"Was?"

"They died."

"Sorry for your loss."

"Thank you."

"How did they die?" He released a low gasp after realizing what he said. "Sorry for intruding."

Janice waved him off. "No worries." She scratched her head and then sighed. "A drunk driver hit their car. They died at the scene, and the driver got sentenced to two years behind bars."

"That's..." He wanted to say, not enough, seeing as her parents didn't get to see the woman she became.

She chuckled, then glanced at the sky where the superheroes pushed the kaijus away from the city. "I see him every day."

"Who?"

"The man who killed my parents. I know where he lives, works, and I follow all his social media accounts. After his release, he turned his life around and got a lovely wife and three beautiful children. What did I get? Nothing." Tears rolled down her face. "A day doesn't pass without me thinking about my parents. I miss them so much."

She closed her eyes, then rubbed the tears from her face. Sighing, she looked at Saint-Max, who stood quietly, staring back at her.

"My father was a Class-4 superhero. He helped keep the neighborhood safe from drug dealers and wannabe gang leaders. But he retired the moment I was born. I thought I'd grow up to be like him, inheriting his powers. Sadly, my peculiar gene is dormant."

"Then how were you able to fly?"

Janice shrugged.

"What powers did your father have?"

"I only knew of ultrasonic sound. And for a Class-4, his scream was agonizing. It ruptured the eardrums of his target if he kept going long enough."

"And now, for whatever reasons, you can fly." Saint-Max scratched his neck. It didn't make sense. Nothing did. Did the time loop cause this? Maybe it could activate a dormant peculiar gene? He rubbed his eyes. None of the superheroes who experienced a time loop spoke of such a thing. So why was it different now?

Janice stood alert, staring at the bank.

"What is it?" Saint-Max asked.

"I—I can hear them."

"I don't understand."

"I can hear everything that's happening in the bank. The hostages' cries, the villains' breaths, and... and The Leader's voice, commanding them to wait for..." She turned to Saint-Max. "Us."

"Do you know what this means?"

"That I have enhanced senses?"

"Yes. And also, this was a setup from the beginning. The Leader knew we were coming, so he planned the perfect attack."

"Does this mean he can see the future?"

"I don't think so." There were still missing pieces to the puzzle, and the only way to know more was by confronting the man. Though it didn't hurt the last time the loop restarted, he didn't want to die again. He wanted it to end so he could go home, but he had no other choice. "Who's Boombox?"

Janice gazed at him with wide eyes. "Where did you hear that name?"

"Before he killed you, The Leader called you Boombox."

"I see." Janice nibbled her upper lip. "Before I knew I had a dormant peculiar gene, I dreamt of becoming a superhero like my father. So, I'd spend my free time thinking about hero names."

"And you chose Boombox?"

"Yes."

It wasn't a bad name. It reminded him of the portable music player. But still... "And you said Lightfoot was a bad name."

"No. I said it didn't make sense."

"There's a difference?"

"To me? Absolutely."

"Sure." Saint-Max scoffed. "Why Boombox?"

"I thought I'd get Ultrasonic Sound like my father."

"Children rarely get their parents' powers."

"I was a child. I didn't know that."

"So, not only does The Leader know about us, but he knows things from our childhood."

"That isn't scary at all."

Saint-Max chuckled. "What should we do next?"

Janice grinned.

"Oh, no. I know that look. I've seen it from Tim and Melina when they planned on doing bad things. What's on your mind?"

"Nothing bad. I promise."

"Sure." He rolled his eyes.

"Alright, maybe it's kinda bad."

"Terrible, you mean?"

"Maybe." She smiled.

"Get on with it."

"How do you feel about dying?"

Saint-Max scoffed. "I hate it."

"Great. Then you'd love this. What if we go in there and fight them?"

"Wh—"

"I'm not finished. If we're stuck in a time loop with a powerful villain and his henchmen, why not use it to our advantage? You can train and increase the level of your abilities, while I can try to find out which powers I have. What do you say?"

Saint-Max chewed his bottom lip. It wasn't a bad idea. But the thought of death... No, that kind of mindset would hold him back from achieving greatness. If he wanted to be the most powerful superhero in the world, then he had to be courageous. What Janice proposed was perfect. He could hone his superspeed and other abilities to the point when he left the loop and took the hero tests, he'd break all the records.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked.

"As long as we're here, why not? And if we get strong enough to kill The Leader and break the loop, then it'll be a win-win situation. Don't you agree?"

"I do."

"Great. By the time we leave the loop, I want to be at least on the higher side of Class-2. You?"

"Class-1."

Total Words: 12,756.