The Sidekick Club

0.1

Ethan Wright didn't spend his nights like normal teenagers. If he were normal, he'd probably be at home doing his Anatomy homework, not scouring the south end of town for criminal activity. But unfortunately, his life was far from normal.

Ethan possessed the uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time. If there was a fire, he was the one nearest to the extinguisher. If he were pushed off a building, there'd be a balcony right below him. If someone needed his help, he'd be there before he knew he needed to be.

It wasn't enough to be a hero, though. Ethan couldn't fight villains. He didn't have super strength or super speed. He had nothing to give him an advantage in a fight, apart from being out of the path of stray bullets when they started flying. The only reason he could survive fights with powerless criminals was the intense training Talon had put him through.

Talon was his hero. No, not in an I'm-his-biggest-fan type of way. Ethan was Talon's trusty sidekick Mr. Dependable.

Catchy, right?

Ethan liked to think that someday, he might be as famous as Talon. He had a bunch of catchy slogans ready for if that day ever came.

Mr. Dependable: there when you need him.

Mr. Dependable: always there to save the day.

Mr. Dependable: a reliable guy.

Lord, now he sounded like the boring guy you brought home to please your parents.

Ethan wasn't stupid. He knew he was just a sidekick. Maybe if he could fly like Talon, or control electricity like Edison, things would be different.

But they weren't.

So now, Ethan was stuck looking for petty crime after dark while Talon caught up on some sleep.

Ethan didn't get the luxury of sleep. Not anymore, at least. Ever since he had become Talon's sidekick, the dark circles hadn't left his eyes. His constant fatigue and little time for homework probably accounted for his slipping grades. He swore it was like trying to keep water in his hands: no matter what he did, it always managed to fall from his grasp.

That was one of the sacrifices he had to make, though. He couldn't imagine how much harder it was for the heroes. Being a sidekick kept him out of most of the limelight, but people like Talon were under constant pressure and scrutiny. One wrong move and the city hated you.

In that regard, Ethan supposed being the sidekick wasn't all that bad. He didn't have to deal with the crazy fans, the creepy stalkers, or the obsessive weirdos trying to figure out his identity. Sure, he still got a little of that, but most of it was just runoff.

He just thought it might be nice to get a little appreciation.

A gunshot and a feminine scream pulled him from his thoughts. Before he could even think about it, he was sprinting towards the next alleyway.

"I won't tell you again, girl. The next one goes straight through your skull."

"I don't have anything else. Please don't hurt me," the girl begged.

Ethan rounded the corner and dove towards the man with the gun. He knew the man's first instinct would be to pull the trigger, so he grabbed his wrist and forced the barrel of the gun into the air. The gun went off, and the bullet ricocheted off of the opposite wall and got lost somewhere above the buildings.

Ethan pulled the gun from the man's hand as he rolled to a crouched position on the ground. The man was stunned, and before he could come to his senses and react, Ethan slammed the butt of the gun into his temple, knocking him unconscious in just one blow.

Before anything else, Ethan emptied the gun of its bullets.

"You- you're not a hero," the girl's voice held a hint of disappointment. He had gotten rather good at detecting that particular tone.

"I did just save your life," he pointed out as if her statement hadn't really bothered him. "Doesn't that classify me as a hero?"

"That's not what I meant," she replied quickly. When he raised a brow at her, she continued. "I- I just meant that you're a sidekick. I was surprised, that's all."

"Mm," Ethan hummed as he placed the gun and spare bullets into a concealed pocket in his suit.

"I'm Emily," she introduced herself to fill the awkward silence. "Emily Peters."

"I'm-"

"Mr. Dependable," she cut him off. "I know."

Ethan looked up at her again, somewhat surprised that she had recognized him without Talon standing nearby. Her eyes held no lie in them, no disappointment. In fact she was looking at him as if he were a person, a genuine person and not just the lesser companion of a hero.

"Can I walk you home?" he found himself asking.

Emily paused for a second before tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear and nodding her head.

"If it's not too much trouble."

Ethan smiled softly at her and shook his head. "It's not."