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The Need for Unity
 Character Weakness to Evolution:
by Felix Friendly
Originally Published in "The Manifesto", September 2007
The morts think we're just two ends of a twisted moral spectrum. Do gooders and villains. It's an image that is constantly presented to them in news reports and movies. Pop culture has embraced it and it isn't some sort of accident. No one would bat an eye if the mail man had the ability to have diamond hard skin. Put that power in a mad man or an overly virtuous man and it makes people pay attention. Attention that would make people question things like do these "freaks" need to be controlled, locked up, studied and so forth.
Not too long ago the morts did the same thing to their own betters. Men of superior strength, combat experience and intelligence forced into bondage because their kind out numbered the spectacular. They forced them into coliseums and made them fight each other. And when they had no more spectaculars to fight they made them fight beasts of the animal kingdom.
I am no slave, no man in bondage and I refuse to play in their game. My brethren may in some misguided need to uphold mort justice and attack me. Others may see the need to fight their own to follow my mantra of do as you feel. I however refuse to indulge in their new cock fight. My war is not with my fellow spectacular brothers. There can be no change if there is no unity. There is no unity if we constantly fight one another.
The Boy Trapped In His Own Body Pt. 1
 Weak Enhanced Strength: weak
A Short Story by Felix Friendly
Originally Published in "Midnight City Chronicles", October 1984
The story begins at the beginning. When the boy was dragged screaming into our world. He was little more than skin and bones as his mother looked down at his tiny frame. The boy remembered the blur before the flash of bright lights from the delivery room. He remembered his base instincts trying to kick in and breathe but his body failed him. His chest refused to heave for life giving air as the doctors descended on the boy.
As they took him, slid tubes into his throat and nose and placed the tiny boy in an incubator all the boy could see was his mother trying to reach for him. The only thought the boy had was to try and reach out with his tiny hand but he couldn't. His limbs refused to move, he barely could move his tiny fingers. In anger tried to cry but even that he couldn't do. All he could do was lie there.
The Boy Trapped In His Own Body Pt. 2
 Weak Enhanced Agility: weak
It was months before the boy finally left the hospital and into his parents care. The boy's mother was Carol Bonham a charming woman who opted to be a stay at home mother. She was sweet, lovely and kind or so the boy remembered. His father, Frederick Bonham, was a different story. He was a patriarch who ruled with an iron fist. Things were his way or no way at all. He used humiliation and intimidation to keep his five children in line which was important as they all helped to maintain the family farm.
Carol Bonham put their youngest son on his belly as she encouraged the boy to try and roll over. The boy pushed down with his arms. He twisted his body. He tried to figure out how to do as he was told but he just couldn't. As the child struggled his father would sit in the corner drinking and mocking him.
"Seriouisly Carol we need to give up on this dud."
"Fred please, we need to encourage this boy."
"He's a filthy dud Carol. God I wish he was another one of those stillborns you shot out before. God knows I don't need another worthless mouth to feed. Your worth Carol is severely dropping if you keep popping out little shits like this one."
The words hurt the boy he kept trying to roll. He kept pushing wanting to prove his father wrong. When he realized he couldn't he started to cry. What sort of cruel joke fell on the baby boy who heard the world around him and never let him forget?"
The Boy Trapped In His Own Body Pt. 3
 Weak Enhanced Intelligence: weak
The boy grew older but he never got better. By the time he was six he was placed in a makeshift wheel chair Carol made out of an old dining chair and spare wheel barrow wheels. The boy was conscious, aware, but he didn't say anything. Other then a slight shifting in his seat.
As Carol and the boy got ready for their Sunday morning stroll the oldest sibling, the twins Bart and Barry, passed by the boy as they looked at him.
"Mom you can't be serious in carting this guy around?" asked Barry.
"Boys he is your BROTHER. And he could go for some fresh air."
"Hey, think fast!" Bart took the baseball in his hand and whipped it at the boy as the twins laughed.
"BOYS if you're going to cause mischief just get the hell out!"
Bart walked up to the boy as he grabbed the ball that had rolled into the boy's lap. "Retard, hope you have fun being wheeled around."
As the boy sat there, unable to speak, unable to defend himself a small tear formed on the corner of his right eye.
The Boy Trapped In His Own Body Pt. 4
 Weak Enhanced Endurance: weak
The boy would spend most of his childhood in that makeshift wheel chair. He would also spend most of it being cruelly picked on by his siblings. Along with Bart and Barry the boy had two sisters. Francine and Anna Bell were only a few years older than the boy but they adopted their brothers disposition when it came to him.
On his eight birthday the boy say at the top of the stairs playing with a new stuffed animal when his youngest sister Francine came by.
"You know that Mr. Bun was what I asked for MY birthday and yet you have it. Why does mom love you more anyway? Bart and Barry says it's because you're some kind of retard."
The boy wish he could reply. However whenever he opened his mouth nothing would come out.
"Come on say something."
The boy couldn't. In he frustration Francine grabbed the stuffed rabbit and threw it down the stairs.
"Come on retard! Get your stupid birthday gift!"
The boy tried to reach out but realized it was a futile effort. In desperation he slid out of his wheelchair as he tried to stand, his legs wobbling at first before giving way as he tumbled down the stairs. When he finally landed at the bottom he let out the most horrifying scream. For him it felt like he broke every bone in his body.
The Boy Trapped In His Own Body Pt. 5
 Weak Enhanced Willpower: weak
It was a year since his eight birthday and the boy still hadn't fully recovered. Carol was now becoming more protective of the boy who still had one arm in a cast. As they joined for a special birthday dinner Carol looked over at the boy as she asked "we got biscuits, your favorite. Do you want a biscuit?"
Anna Belle rolled her eyes as she said "we always get this idiots favorites."
Bart with a mouthful of mashed potatoes added "I know. We break our backs for this damn farm and he get all the biscuits."
Francine lazily sat at the table as she said "well he can have mine" as she threw her biscuit at the boy.
"Yeah our too" the twins said in unison. Soon Anna Belle joined in the biscuit throwing as Carol yelled at her children to stop. They didn't as they got ready to start throwing the rest of the dinner when Fred slammed his fist down on the table.
"Enough already." Fred's fist was now gleaming and red hot, encased in molten metal as he looked over at his family. "Why are you even giving that retard the time of day? Or his useless mother that babies him all the time. You should pay no mind to either of them. They only stay because I am doing god's work. You hear me boy who can't talk, who can't walk, who can only get hurt. You stick around because you're a charity case and Frederick Bonham is a good christian man."
The boy sat there and wondered just why the hell was he even there. If he was meant to be some cruel joke maybe it'd be best if he didn't exist at all.
The Boy Trapped In His Own Body Pt. 6
 Enhanced Charisma: supreme
"You know he doesn't talk much but he's got the greatest smile."
The boy was twelve now and his mother to get out of the house always attended a local bridge game. The women there were the only people other then Carol to be nice to him.
"You dress him up so handsomely too."
Carol blushed as she said "we took photos last week by the lake. Here take a look." The woman awwed as the boy kept smiling sitting in his wheel chair in the corner.
"Carol if he wasn't, well you know, an invalid I'd introduce him to my daughter."
"How sweet of you so come on girls let's play some cards."
For the boy it was during those bridge games was when he felt happiest.
The Boy Trapped In His Own Body Pt. 7
Evolution: ultimate (rank 4)
"What's going on?"
The boy spoke for first time days after his fourteenth birthday as he slammed his fist down on an alarm clock set up in his room. The clock was smashed to bits as the boy held his head as he ran into the hall way.
"Is that you..." Carol was cut off as he saw her boy standing in the hallway. Standing for the first time in his life. He did more then stand though. His once wiry body had somehow filled up. He was walking around with no clumsiness. He screamed as he complained of headaches as he made his way to the kitchen.
At the kitchen table Anna Belle was working on her math homework when she saw her brother standing in the doorway.
"Hey you're standing!" The girl was shocked as the boy grabbed her text book and started reading. As he flipped through the pages quickly he started to do random equations from it as his hand moved so furiously he snapped the tip of the pencil.
"Come on dear none of that now, let's get you some fresh air." Carol guided the boy out to the back porch as Anna Belle exclaimed "hey he got all of these right!"
While they sat there Carol looked at her frightened boy and asked "so you decided to finally come out."
The boy shook as he said "yes, we can talk now mama."
The conversation was cut short when Fred and the Twins returning from their morning chores as Fred said "sweet jesus, would you look at that stud. Is that our son Carol?"
Carol nodded as Fred smiled "looks like we got us a late bloomer."
The Boy Trapped In His Own Body Pt. 8
Evolution: ultimate (rank 4)
- Ranged Attack
- Area Affect
- Super Area of Effect
Fred put the boy to work the next day. He admired the boy's natural talents. He was as strong as the twins, was able to quickly run around the farm and could work from sunrise to sunset. Fred however wanted to push the boy. After a week of general labor Fred and the boy met in the farm's large barn.
"You enjoying the hard work boy?"
The boy looked at his father and said "it beats sitting in a chair all day."
Fred smiled as he said "taking after your old man. Now we'll just let you in on a little secret. My family ain't what you call normal folk. Think you've seen me turn my skin into metal. That's my trait. Your brothers have all the natural physical ability you have but they can also double it if they combine their minds. Anna Belle can use her mind too but to move things. Francine, well, you've seen her race around this farm. Now you have to have some sort of trait, concentrate for a second, it takes a while but you'll soon find it."
The boy sat there as he looked as his father. He closed his eyes then tried to relax but kept a vision of his fathers face in his head. He felt his hands pulsating as the skin started to become cooler. When he looked down he saw that his hands had become metal.
"Looks like you're the closest to the tree son."
The boy shook his head as he said "no I can do more." He held his hand out as the barn doors opened on their own. The boy walked outside as he saw a tractor off in the distance. Extending his he let out a yell as the Tractor came flying towards him. His hands up he caught the tractor in mid flight, gripping it tight as he threw it into the air. The boy pushed off his feet as he ran down the length of the farm, picking up enough speed to just be where the tractor was going to land as he caught his own throw.
Mouth wide open Fred looked at his youngest son as he said "this kid is going to make me a lot of money."
The Boy Trapped In His Own Body Pt. 9
 Power Negation: ultimate (rank 4)
- Area Affect
- Super Area of Effect
The boy felt the hot mid day son on his body as he was forced to strop down to his boxers. He was on his knees as the twins held onto two thick bull ropes tied to his wrists, keeping him still as Fred extended the metal on his hands to form two metal whips.
"Someone show he's the super star and he gets a big head" Fred said as he cracked a metal whip off the boy's back.
The boy's sisters stood in front of him as he struggled in the twins grip. The two were in a semi trance as their minds melded, focusing on keeping the boy held down as another crack of the whip echoed into the air.
"Boy? No more smart talk? No more talking back? I'm so glad you can take this punishment because we're going to do this till dusk son!"
As the boy felt another crack of the whip his eyes opened. He felt a warmth in his body as he started to stand up. Letting out a scream the boy forced himself back onto his feet as the twins broke out of their trance. Angry they tried to pull the ropes to keep the boy still but felt their arms straining before the boy gripped the ropes and tugged them hard sending the twins down onto the dirt.
"Anna Belle hold him!"
"Dad I... I don't feel it anymore. I can't!"
The boy shot a look at Francine who started to run. When she realized she lost all her speed her feet tripped up as she stumbled onto the ground.
The boy looked over at his father. As he did the metal on his skin started to melt and drop to the ground as Fred looked at his son with fear for the first time in his life.
"Felix look I was just..."
The boy grabbed his father by the neck and held him up towards the sun as his siblings looked on.
"You know I was always special because for some reason whoever or whatever made me the way I am made me remember every moment of my life. From my birth till now. I remember the cruel things you said to me and my mother. I guess how human babies how to be weak and pathetic for their early life someone as special as I am needs to have that period last just a bit longer."
The boy adjusted his grip as he looked up at Fred "I should snap your neck. Not just for me, but what you put my mother through. However I can't because I owe you. You see when i first became what I am now I thought all I had to do was appease you and life would be fine. But I've come to learn something. You, my brothers and sisters, myself, we're all insanely powerful. Yet what do you use your powers for father? To make money? To grow crops? To terrorize your children? What weak petty goals for a man given gifts others would dream for."
The boy dropped his father on the ground as he now looked down at him. "You are gods amongst men and I am a god amongst gods. Toiling in the dirt, that's what normal people do. I am spectacular and I will choose to do spectacular things."
The boy walked away from his family as he found a patch of empty ground. Kneeling down he pushed off and shot straight into the air never to return again.
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