Superheroes Are Boring

Chapter 11

It's been four long, painful (I admit it) days since I last saw Zákïël and Alabaster and have since then returned to my superhero duties.

Which would be getting Buttercup down from the tree he was obviously put on. For who you ask? Oh yes.

Mrs-bloody-Grayson.

"Oh, Gradient! Thank you so much!" She batted her eyes at me and I resisted the urge to shudder.

I really hated her.

I made to move away from her but she grabbed onto my arm like the leech she is.

"Why don't you give me a kiss, huh?" She puckered her lips and pushed my head down with considerable strength for an 80-year-old grandmother. I saw her dry, wrinkled sandpaper lips and witnessed my life flash before my eyes.

Without thinking I yanked her arms from around my neck and shoved her. Hard.

She went down with a cry that drew the bystanders that were watching our interaction into 'helpful-citizen' mode.

A middle aged lady made her way over to Mrs Grayson who was moaning about her hip and how it was broken.

Well good. The old hag deserves it.

Middle aged lady glares at me.

"How could you do that to such a sweet old lady!?" she shouted.

"Hey! She was trying..." My voice was suddenly drowned out by the people around me who also decided to express their opinions.

"What a disgrace of a superhero you are!" A young man spat.

"No consideration for the elderly at all," scorned a fellow old lady.

"Bloody useless..." another man's voice droned out.

"Some superhero you try to be!" I looked down at the last comment and saw that it came from a young boy who couldn't be older than 7.

After that it all just blurred together.

"Waste of space..."

"... useless..."

"... every other superhero is better..."

"... saves squirrels..."

"... should just go die..."

The last comment was my breaking point.

My eyes welled with tears and I pushed my way through the crowd. Fuck, when did it get this big!?

I was average height but definitely not the strongest so most of the crowd could hold me back. I kept my head down and fought hard against the tears as people shoved and pushed me between them, their hateful comments never ending.

My tears spilled over and ran down my black mask that covered my upper face and nose. I still kept my head down and the tears slid down my nose and splattered against my shoe. Suddenly the insults changed into cruel taunting.

"... crying..."

"... how pathetic..."

"... aww, look at the lil superhero..."

"... because no one..."

"... nobody likes him anyway..."

I could hear laughter around me and it hurt more knowing that people found such joy in my pain.

The tears came faster and harder and I choked down sobs that would do nothing but bring me more misery.

But in all honesty, how much more miserable could this get?