OC Oneshots and Randomness (from all my books)

Superhero/fantasy character OCs- The Raven pt. 1

Y'all, Again. Reminder, this does not tie into the storyline of the book or its series. These characters are not canonically superheroes, I assure you. I just had a spontaneous urge to write them as superheroes. Because wHy FrEaKiNg NoT

There.

I yanked back my little sister by the collar of her shirt, pulling a knife from the holster at my hip. I whirled around, ducking under the Gladiator's fist, and delivered the blow right to his quadricep. Perfect.

He bowled in pain, the knife in his own hand dropping to the ground. I stepped on the knife, bending down on one knee, and lifting the guy's chin to look at me. My eyes narrowed.

"You touch my sister again, and it'll be the last thing you do. I'll make sure of it," I growl, kicking him in the chest. He yelped like a puppy. I knew I should feel bad, but I didn't. People need to learn that I'm just as dangerous with two legs as I am with one.

I glance behind me at Tara, who steps forward. She snaps her fingers and a little pod appears in her hand that she runs over his body. It's like a mini weapons detector. "Clear," she says.

I scoff. "One weapon. Lazy." I pick up the knife and examine it. Titanium. Not bad. I slide it into the empty holster on my good leg. I turn around to see Sadie, stunned and staring at me.

"Are you okay?" I ask. "Are you hurt?"

"I-you-what-" Sadie, my younger sister, stammers.

I look her over. I don't see blood. "I'll take that as a yes?"

"Uh," Sadie falters. "Who are you?"

"Richelle Cleveland," I reply nonchalantly. "The Raven. Whispering Death. Your Worst Nightmare. I have a lot of names," I shrug. "Pick your player."

"What are you?" Sadie corrects.

"I wear a lot of hats," I say, ticking them off on my fingers. "Sister, daughter, friend, enemy, assassin, hero."

"Are you going to answer anything straight?" Sadie says, sounding annoyed.

"Are you going to ask straight questions?" I reply, tossing my knife in the air and catching it by the hilt. Engraved in the metal is a black raven symbol. My symbol.

Sadie throws up her arms in frustration. "Stop it!"

I spin the knife again, and start picking dirt out of my fingernails with it. "Stop what?"

"Does Mom know?" Sadie asks instead.

"No," I reply. "Mom doesn't know. Neither does Dad. Or Gabby."

"So no one," Sadie finishes. Her voice quiets. "Did Eva know?"

I stop. "Yes," I whisper. I slide the knife back into its holster. "Of course Eva knew." I scoff, looking at Sadie. "You think I could keep anything from her? No, we fought side by side for years.  Until she got sick. Then she had to stop, and I refused to do it without her."

"But you're doing it now?" Sadie asks.

I nod. "I'm here, aren't I? I've only been doing it for about eight months now. But this world needs change. And I'm going to be part of it."

I still remember when they came begging.

I was walking home from school. Sadie was being taken home by her friend who she was spending the night with, and Gabby was home sick.

Tara had come out of the shadows, ready to grab me when I had turned around and pressed the blade of a pair of scissors against her neck. "You really think I wouldn't have heard you?" I growled.

Tara laughed. "Of course. Could you take the scissors from my throat?"

I had pressed them in harder, hooking my prosthetic behind her legs. "Not until you tell me what the heck you want."

"For you to come back," Tara says. "I know you don't want to, but we need you. You can't possibly just cut us off completely-"

"Watch me," I snarl, pressing the scissors in more. Blood trickles down her neck.

"Richelle, we need you," Tara says.

"I have a family," I scoff. "I have Sadie and Gabby to look out for. I'm not letting them get hurt because I want to go back to living fairytales."

"You're off your game, Richelle," Tara says. "You can't protect your sisters fighting like this."

"I have you, don't I?" I bare my teeth.

"Not anymore," Tara says, kicking my prosthetic out of the way and bringing her knee into my stomach.

I try to roll away, but Tara pins me under her. "Richelle, you know they'll come for you. So go after them first."

"Go home, Sadie," I say quietly. "Don't tell Mom or Gabby or Dad. Just go home."

"What if they come again?" Sadie asks.

"They won't," I growl. "I promise. Go home."

"But-" Sadie's eyes dart around, searching for me.

I'm already gone. Melted into the shadows.

Sadie sighs, hiking her backpack up, and walking toward our normal route home.

I don't relax. There's something near. I can feel it. I slide the knife up my sleeve into my hand and whirl around, driving it into the Gladiator's neck. The blood comes instantly, and in full supply.

"You have one chance," I growl, pinning him to the wall. "I didn't hit your windpipe. You have approximately five minutes before you bleed out. Go back to your little hidey hole and tell Shaw him sending amateurs after me is insulting."

I pull a knife from the holster in my bra. It's a tiny knife, a mere training knife. Shaw's son's knife. Engraved with his name. Recognition flashes in the Gladiator's eyes. I tuck it into his hand. "Give him that. And a message from The Raven. Tell him the next time he sends his goons after my family?" I bring my face mere inches from his. "I. Won't. Miss."