Mom, I'm Bulletproof

Chapter 18.3: Who Are You?

Amy viewed the escaping prisoners, plotting in her mind how to fly around and get in front of them. This thought was interrupted by an explosion high above all their heads. A mass of green flame burst out of nowhere, temporarily lighting up the entire area around them with a warm green light.

Amy knew that it was her job to protect the escaping prisoners from this fire, but instead she stared, motionless, watching the flames swirling around high above her.

With a gunshot-like bang, a large black object emerged from the fire. It flat and circular, a classic flying saucer.

The running prisoners also stopped in their places, no doubt wondering what this flying craft could be. The craft lowered close to the ground and a door slid open on its underside and Dreamsmith jumped out, dressed in his now-familiar top hat and black cape.

Amy smiled.

"Kill this guy!" one prisoner shouted. The others yelled guttural yells in approval, running toward Dreamsmith. He drew his arms apart and then slapped his palms together in a single clap. The sound of that one clap of Dreamsmith's hands knocked all the prisoners off their feet.

Amy felt the power of the sound push against her. She glanced to her side and saw Proscenium, his red cape caught up in the wave of sound.

"All right," Dreamsmith said. "Back to jail, all of you."

Most of the prisoners grasped their ears in pain. The few that didn't clumsily got up to their feet and started toward the remains of the prison building. The rest of the prisoners, disoriented by their lack of hearing, followed like docile sheep.

Amy flew over to Dreamsmith. "That was totally superheroic."

"I don't remember what I dreamed last night," he said. "But when I woke up, I casually hit my palm against my leg and nearly knocked my whole building down."

Amy laughed. "You are so awesome."

"Goddam you!" the Hater shouted, picking himself up after being knocked down by Proscenium's attack.

Proscenium pointed a finger at the Hater. "Silence."

"I might not be able to control the air inside that armor," the Hater said, "but I still command the air around it."

The Hater held up his hand, and Proscenium flew backwards through the air. He landed against another pile of prison rubble.

The flying saucer moved again, now hovering right over the Hater. He watched cautiously, his new arm poised to strike. The underside of the ship opened up again, and this time a tall, thin man jumped out. He was dressed all in black with white hair and round black sunglasses. The flying ship then flew straight up, leaving the stranger to face the Hater alone.

The man kept his fingers flat and pressed against one another. His fingertips glowed white and Amy felt heat coming from them.

"Now what?" the Hater said.

"I'm the Ergosphere. I have an entire village of people living inside of me."

"Huh?"

"Among these are a few blacksmiths. They provide a valuable service to their community, bending and shaping metal into any form their people require. They're good people, honest, hard-working, devoted to family and community..."

"You're dead!" The Hater threw a mock punch at the man, who held his white-hot fingers in front of him even as the ground rumbled and spun apart around him as part of the Hater's attack.

"As I was saying," the Ergosphere said, "the blacksmiths in my village were kind enough to grant me with the power to cut through any substance, no matter how hard. This includes the solidified oxygen you just threw at me. Neat, huh?"