Hardly A Hero [REWRITTEN ON NEW ACCOUNT]

Chapter 2: Anti-Hero By Night

As the night inched closer, my homework was complete and the urge to get out of the HQ was building more and more by the second.

Before I left, I checked my Facebook. Naturally, I did a quick sweep of Ben Carson's timeline.

Yes, being a superhuman didn't mean I wasn't a teenager. I got crushes.

It was 10:30pm and the sky was a shiny jet black. Pulling on my familiar, dark red leather jacket, I zipped it up and took my hair out of it's ponytail, which would be mistaken for a darker colour due to the matching hood that I tugged over it. I pulled on my leather pants and my thick, dark boots.

I slid my small yet deceptively sharp knives into my belt, which I didn't intend to use but were a necessary precaution nevertheless.

Before I left the HQ and slid into the night, I realised I was missing one vital necessity of my disguise and mentally swore to myself for almost leaving without it... again.

I paced back to my desk where my mask sat in a tall, crystalline container. The vibrant burgundy material sat perfectly on the bridge of my nose and cupped my cheekbones in a way that curved my face into something unrecognizable.

That was the last puzzle piece that completed the whole look, the whole facade. Moving into the night, I had fully become the identity that I had learnt to work.

Red Hawk.

<><><><><><>

You may be wondering what happened to my parents.

Well, my mother was presumably passed out on the couch (again) after another indifferent day of whiskey hugging. I knew she cared about me, and the feeling was definitely mutual, but apparently not enough to inspire a change of lifestyle.

But there was a part of me that knew not to blame her. My father had been sent to prison, consequently from tax fraud, that lead to the hot mess that was my home situation. I knew that, if I were in her shoes, I would see the vodka and the tequila as an easy ticket out. Perhaps, if I didn't have the powers I did, our situation wouldn't be too different. Perhaps I would have joined her in her misery.

Though it was easy to blame my lifestyle choices on apparent daddy issues, I didn't let it drive me down the wrong path. I was still confused on what side I wanted to be on. I didn't owe anyone my time and good intentions, except those close to me. No one deserved me making their lives hell either... unless they deserved it.

Which was exactly my plan for the evening.

<><><><><><>

I didn't fail to have some fun on the way to Justin's house. I was already pretty good at jumping from building to building, my parkour skills were not too shabby either.

It wasn't long before I was crouching a few inches away from Justin's window on the rooftop of the building opposite his. The set of apartments were fancy as hell, meaning his family was swimming in money. Any other day, his wealth would have given me enough reason to pay him a visit, but not tonight.

Call me creepy, but looking in through his open curtains, I could see he was perched on a large cushion in his room wearing a set of Cars pyjamas and playing Call of Duty. I smirked to myself and leaped from the ledge onto his window sill as swiftly as possible.

While he was remained intoxicated by the vibrant flashing of lights and the ear-shattering gun shots, I slid the window open and tucked my hand underneath.