Shame in Shades: Chapter 1 – Burning Down One’s Life’s Work

Chapter 1 – Burning Down One’s Life’s Work

In the streets of a city on a cold, dark, and rainy night, I walk out from a church, born again with new conviction and purpose for my life. Three superhuman criminal scum follow me and whisper to one another behind my back. Knowing what they want, I intentionally divert course from my main objective to deal with them.

Ducking into a pitch-black, dead-end alley, turn around, and say, “Turn around. You don’t know who you’re messing with.”

The ugly bastards laugh at me. One of them says, “Says the man who’s trying too hard to look cool. Do you even know where you’re going, Mr. Sunglasses?”

“You walked into a dead-end, idiot!” another says.

The three superhumans show off their powers. One makes flames come out of his hands, a woman turns her body into steel, and the other man turns his arms into blades.

“Tch,” I say as I take my sunglasses off. “What a pathetic set of powers. I’ll say this one last time. Walk away.”

“We’ll tell you this one last time. Give us everything in that big coat of yours, or we’ll tear you to pieces.”

I sigh and say, “What a waste of my time.”

Opening my eyes, I activate my superhuman reflexes, draw my pistol, and kill each of the scum in one shot. I put the pistol away, put my sunglasses back on, and continue walking to my original objective. It’s then that I remember that I should cross myself for the pathetic souls that I’ve sent to be judged and do so. I’m still new to this way of thinking, but I shouldn’t stupidly forget the basics. Still, I also shouldn’t forget to be so demeaning to others and myself. That’s how I got myself into this mess and wasted my life.

Arriving at the Coronamento Corporation compound, I look at it as if it were my own child, one I had designed to my specifications. I come back like a murderer in the night, to strangle it so that it doesn’t wake up to do any more damage to the world. Throwing aside my grievances, I swipe my card, enter the gates, and walk to the generators of the compound with the blasé of a man simply returning to work. Entering an elevator, I see my reflection. A blonde man with fair skin, sunglasses, a long gold and black jacket, and a leather black shirt, pants, and shoes. Red veins are showing near my hands in my pockets that I try to hide, and around my left eye. I take off my glasses and look into my gold and black eyes, trying not to hate the man in front of me and doing my best to bear the sight of him.

The elevator dings, I put my sunglasses on, and walk through the generator room. Sure enough, there’s an ambush of superhumans, robots, and heavily armored and armed men waiting for me. Evangeline, a woman whom I knew but hoped to never see again, pushes her way through the security forces and stares me down. She wears her usual yellow and red lab coat and medical uniform, and the sins of my mistakes show on her body. Half of her face is crimson red, and her left arm is mutated, with multiple eyes on it that stare at me.

“Huh. I expected a man like you to have anticipated this. What’s the matter, Aubert? Have you lost your foresight along with your senses?” Evangeline asks.

“I wanted to talk to you,” I say.

“Talk? What could you possibly say to prevent me from ending your life?”

“I have learned in my studies that there’s more to life than great works to be remembered by.”

“I know that. I am your apprentice, after all. I wouldn’t have anticipated your betrayal and next course of action if I didn’t follow and worship your every word and move.”

“If you are following me, then you should follow me in what I’m doing now. Everything we’ve done for the Coronamento Corporation in the dark was for nothing because it was all done through evil means.”

“We’ve experimented on and killed the enemies of humanity’s progress. What’s evil about that?”

“The torture we put people through to achieve our ends. The faith that we held to was a fraud of the true one, and gave us excuses for our actions. I’m not going to tell you again. Follow me, or you’ll be left behind. I taught you to know better.”

“You did. That’s why I have to be against you.”

Drawing our weapons, Evangeline and I fire our guns, both of which are pistols meant to kill, pacify, or put to sleep superhumans that we designed. A bullet hits me, but my bullet hits the primary generator control panel, causing an electrical malfunction to make the entire place start to explode. My wound quickly heals and spits out the bullet in me back at Evangeline, who dodges it, only for the bullet to hit another major electrical system and cause more major, irreparable damage.

“You still have a lot to learn,” I say.

“Should’ve known that you wouldn’t create a weapon that could kill you, but then again, you wouldn’t have inspired me if that were the case,” Evangeline says as she charges toward me.

As my former apprentice and I fight, the security forces that were backing her up flee for their lives as everything blows up and burns. We throw punches and kicks at one another at inhuman speeds, so much so that by the time we catch each other’s attacks, a gust of wind blows back the flames around us.

“I’m having trouble believing your motives. Why betray the Coronamento Corporation and the Dominion?! Why destroy everything we’ve created?!” Evangeline asks.

“Hasn’t it been obvious? We’ve been working together since the Coronamento Corp was bigger than the Dominion. All our research into turning all of humanity into superhumans came at the expense of the undue suffering of others. It has all been fruitless!”

“No, it hasn’t! Look at me!” Evangeline knees me in the ribs, causing me to let go. She then kicks me through a wall into another room. “I am the next step in human evolution, immune to most forms of damage and diseases. The years we’ve spent experimenting on people have taught me that what we were doing was right and that we should go through turning every single man, woman, and child into superhumans. The Dominion wouldn’t have conquered the world without the fruits of our labor!”

“When I look at you, I see an ugly mistake,” I say as I get up.

“I can touch up my appearance when all is said and done. That was probably the only flaw of our creation, how unappealing it may look at times.”

“I wasn’t talking about that. I see myself in you, and my own reflection is the last thing I want to see.”

“Then don’t see it anymore. There’s no use fighting you here since your objective is complete. Go live in the middle of nowhere while I continue our research in places that will now be on the lookout for you. Goodbye, Aubert. I guess it’s true about what they say about not meeting your heroes.”

Evangeline walks away from me through the flames. In turn, I run through the flames, up the emergency stairs, and out the building's doors. Before I can put any distance between us, the generators explode, propelling me back into the city and smashing through the windows of a nearby office building. No one is around, so only the computers, chairs, desks, and the window I broke are destroyed. I’m not hurt at all, nor is my outfit burned or damaged by the explosion. Luckily, I made regenerative clothing, so the bullet that hit me has healed through my skin and clothes as well.

With the view that I now have, I watched the compound I worked at for years burn and blow up. Would it be strange to me if I felt worse at watching this than the taking of innocent lives? Maybe for other people, but it shouldn’t surprise me. Maybe that’s not what I’m feeling bad about. Perhaps I feel pity for Evangeline. I led her to where she is today, and has done and said the things I would’ve if I were in my old state of mind and her situation.

If there were a life I’d feel guilty about taking, it’ll be hers. What a shame that it will have to happen. I walk off the edge of the office building, run down, and walk nonchalantly as soon as I hit the ground, as if I were walking that way the entire time. I still can’t take my eyes off the compound. The authorities are trying to put out the fire, but their efforts are futile. It was designed so that if the generators were destroyed, the entire facility would go up in flames, destroying its secrets and production to keep it from the hands of others. Oh, that’s right. I cross myself for the lives lost and cross myself again for the lives I’m going to take. I guess it’s true that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

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Among many incredible superhumans and well-known vigilantes, Oliver is surprisingly ordinary. He works as a part-time vigilante at night, armed with just a knife and a small pistol to protect his family and neighbors. Still, he'll do whatever he can with what he has to fulfill his role as a loving and protective father and husband.

Ora Et Labora: An Acceptance of Life: Chapter 3 – Today’s Another Day

Chapter 3 – Today’s Another Day

The trip to the countryside finally comes. Jennifer and I have the whole week planned out, and are excited to introduce Lucas to it and the relaxation it will bring. One day, we go to the farms, pick fruits, see the animals, and go on a hayride. Another day, we go to the theater to watch a live performance about the birth of Christ and go to a water park. The third day, we head to a theme park with characters from a kids’ show that Jennifer and I saw when we grew up, which is still on air, that we watch with Lucas. Jennifer has a blast at the park, wears a shirt with her favorite character on it, takes a picture with the mascot, and gets memorabilia featuring the character. If anything, she enjoys and acts more like a kid in the park than Lucas does.

On the fourth day, we visit a crystal cave and go to museums, historical sights, and towns. The fifth day comes, and we go to a nature trail with rest stops and snack stops along the way. As we eat lunch and rest at one of the stops, Jennifer strikes up a conversation with a superhuman woman in a pink dress, with red-and-gold eyes, blonde and black hair, and black and white snakes on her back, her children around her. Her husband walks away from the conversation to look at the view of the city in the distance. The woman’s husband has blue and red eyes, looks like a gunslinger, and has a crimson and black hoodie. That couldn’t be who I think it is, is it?

Approaching him, he looks at me and says, “Oliver, is it? How do you enjoy your life?”

“Huh? How do you know my name?” I ask.

“My eyes can help me read souls. Don’t worry. I’m a fellow family man.”

“I…I enjoy it as much as I can.”

“How so?”

“Huh?”

“How do you enjoy it? You’re a simple vigilante, and most of what you do is mundane, while the rest is centered around your family. Your life hasn’t changed for over ten years. What I’m asking is if you are satisfied with living the rest of your life the way it is until you die?”

“I am satisfied with my life, despite how mundane it is. It’s the life that God gave me, so no matter how boring or challenging it may be, I accept it and live it with gratitude. That’s how I manage to enjoy it.”

“Heh, wise answer for a simple man. That’s all there is to it, isn’t it?”

“Can I ask you who you are? If you are who I think you are, what’s an important man like you doing here?”

“As I said, I’m a family man. Sometimes, I need some time away from all the action and important things I need to do and rest. To be honest, part of me is jealous of your life. I’d rather have my days be like yours, spending them with my family, and doing the hero stuff on the side when I have the time and energy, but I shouldn’t complain, right? It’d be sinful and disrespectful to God.”

“Family and times like these make it easier to bear. I’m sure it’s no challenge to a man like you.”

“You’d think that, but…no, you’re right. I’m just a little exhausted. Having lots of power and influence is nice, but it’s a lot to be responsible for, which can push you past your limits. You have a nice city, Oliver. Believe it or not, it’s better than the one I grew up in, so I’ll make sure it gets even better with the Dominion in it, and you get your just dues.”

The man’s wife tells him his kids want to keep walking, so he says goodbye to me and walks away with another man, who is wearing half-black, half-white clothes.

“That was Kane Mundr, Idelle Mundr, and their children,” I tell Jennifer.

“I didn’t think that at first, but then it was too obvious to ignore. What’s a family like them doing here? Shouldn’t they be in the far East, ruling over a country?” she asks.

“Yeah, but Kane told me that he needed some time away from it. He also said that he feels partially jealous of me because of the time we spend together.”

“I guess we can chalk that up to one of our lives’ accomplishments, something to be proud of, and tell our friends and family.”

“Eh. I guess so, but I’m prouder of us, and the life we’ve built together.”

“You think so? It’s not much.”

“What we have is all we need, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

“You’re right. I love you, Oliver.”

“I love you too.”

I hold my family close to me and enjoy our embrace more than I have in a while after being reminded of its value. God bless this simple life I live. I pray for the wisdom to never forget how good it is, no matter what may happen, and to never forget to thank God for it in the good, mundane, and bad times.

 

The End

Ora Et Labor: An Acceptance of Life: Chapter 2 – Prioritizations of the Common Man

Chapter 2 – Prioritizations of the Common Man

Today was another day at the office at my car mechanic shop. People come in with bullet holes from criminals or damage from fights between superhumans. It’s times like these that make me wish people came in for monotonous oil changes and for checks on battery or engine issues. Everyone wants to be a hero nowadays, and I can’t even blame them, given how many criminals and villains are out there and how readily available the surgery to become superhuman is. Thank God the Dominion provided insurance for these types of damage to cars and homes, and to car repair shops like mine, with easy access to affordable parts that should better withstand bullets and attacks from superhumans.

In the breakroom, my coworkers talk about how awesome it would be to be a vigilante or hero. Some of them relate how they work for a hero association and say it isn’t as awesome as it seems when your life is on the line, which I can relate to. We talk about the dangers of having our identities known by the public and that it’s better to keep them secret.

“Why should we worry when the Dominion is taking over every inch of the world?” one of my coworkers asks.

“Because criminals and villains don’t care. If you wrong them or they think you’re a target, they’ll go after you anyway,” I say.

“You’re too worried about things like that, Oliver. You shouldn’t be a hero if you let worries like that stop you from protecting others.”

I want to tell him that I’m a vigilante, but keep it secret. As always, I want to be as safe as possible. I’ve heard too many horror stories of amateur heroes and vigilantes being followed home and them and their families being killed in sadistic ways. From my first job, I go to my second to check in on how they’re handling the usury ring, and apparently, they’re doing it very well.

One of my coworkers says, “They’re taking it as a personal issue since many suffered from unfair debts. I’m not sure there’ll be much work to do tonight, unless you have any leads on where the usurers are hiding.”

All my leads are dead, so I decide not to clock in as a vigilante today. Instead, I go home, eat, and play video games with Jennifer. Lucas watches us, jumps in his chair, and giggles a lot as we play, and his eyes are glued to the screen with a smile on his face.

“Do you think he should play these older games when he grows up?” Jennifer asks.

“We grew up on them, so I don’t see why he shouldn’t,” I say. “Besides, playing harder games is a learning experience. Back when I was in school, I’d take a break from studying and school work to play games, so that I could go back to my school stuff with a fresh mind.”

“Is that how it was with you? Naps and exercise were the two things that got my mind back on track. Video games were a reward I kept myself from until all the work was done.”

“Everyone has their own way of doing things.”

“Yeah? Well, my way of doing things is carrying us through the game.”

“I’m just letting you do that so that you can have more fun.”

“Aw, you’re such a gentleman.”

The next day arrives, and I hear on the local news how the hero associations in the city are cracking down harder on crime than ever before because of the usury ring, and how people are coming in from nearby cities and towns to assist. I guess that means my work is even more challenging than I thought. Still, after work, I go to check out what’s happening and hear that the bugs are being smoked out from their hiding spots, as if it’s a good thing. It isn’t. This just means that the criminals and villains will be more desperate to escape or save their lives, which might include taking hostages. I patrol around my neighborhood and the houses of friends and family.

In my patrol, I see a group of shady people with hoods covering their faces and follow as silently as I can behind them. I hear one of them say in a whisper, “We have to hide for the night. It’s too dangerous to be out.”

“We don’t have any more reliable hideouts, and the others that we know about won’t let us in!” the other says.

“We go into one of these houses, hunker down, and make our plan for an escape.”

“But we’ll cause a scene!”

“We’ll be quick and quiet about it. What other choice do we have?”

“You can turn yourselves in,” I say with my pistol drawn and pointed at the two.

The two turn around and look at me with confusion and disgust as if they’re offended by what I’m doing.

“And who are you, upstart?”

“I’m the Cross, and you’re going to do what I say or else,” I say.

“Or else what?”

They take a step toward me, and I immediately shoot them twice in the chest each to no effect. They look at each other, smile, then at me.

“You don’t even have one of those special pistols to kill superhumans.”

“You’re a real amateur, aren’t you?”

I shoot them both in the face, again, to no effect. Now, they’re serious and see they’re about to move, so I roll out of the way expecting an attack. My guess is correct, as they shoot beams out of their eyes and burn my jacket. Running away, I call for backup while continuing to dodge their attacks and keep shooting to keep their attention. I try my best to draw them away from the residential area, but then they start to realize that I’m just stalling, so they start to run away. Chasing after them through the alleyways, I try to goad them into attacking me, but they shrug off my bullets.

“You’re not worth the effort, kid,” they say.

“Go bother someone else!”

Catching up to them, I dig my knife into one of their heads. I’ve got one of their attention at least, but the man I stabbed is really mad at me now, so I book it out of alleyways while narrowly dodging beams.

“You wanted to be a hero? Come on! Face me!”

“He’s just trying to get your attention! We’ll be dead if we chase him!”

“We can take him! He’s nothing!”

Seeing that he isn’t getting through to his friend, the other superhuman shoots his eye beams at me, and they both put more effort into trying to kill me. My shots are nothing more than noise I’m creating to get people’s attention; however, in times like these, where superhuman and vigilante fights are common, my gunshots are nothing more than the common noise of the city. Some people come to watch, while others are smart enough to stay away and hide in their homes or shelters. I’m out of ammo now, so my only hope for help is my distress signal from my phone and constant requests for backup. I can’t dodge much anymore, and I’m starting to get really tired as more of their beams just narrowly skim me. Struggling to get up, I just dodge around on the ground, barely getting anywhere as the superhumans laugh like predators playing with their prey.

“You’re in over your head, amateur!”

“It’s over for you now!”

Thankfully, their words are proven wrong as a group of superhumans and vigilantes who are better equipped than I am arrive and save my life. They swarm the two, disable them, and start questioning them to ask if they’re part of the usury ring. The two admit to it and ask for their lives to be spared, and are taken in by the arriving law enforcement.

One of the superhuman heroes helps me stand up. He says, “Go back home, son. You’re done for the day.”

“Yeah,” I say as I catch my breath. “I know.”

Limping back home, I say a prayer of thanksgiving. I stumble into my house, fall on the floor, and Jennifer rushes over to me.

“Oliver! Are you okay?! I need to call the hospital!” Jennifer says as she pulls out her phone.

“No. I’m fine. I just have a few scratches, bruises, and burns on me,” I say as I pull myself up.

Jennifer hugs me.

“Jennifer, really, I’m fine.”

She starts to cry as Lucas watches us from the kitchen in concern.

“I was so worried about you. I’m always worried about you when you go out there to protect the neighborhood. You shouldn’t push yourself too hard. You always do when you think something has to be done, and you volunteer to do it.”

“I’ll take a break for the week. The other heroes have the situation under control now.”

Going upstairs to change my clothes and take care of my wounds, I see for certain that I only have scratches, bruises, and minor burns, as I thought, which Jennifer takes care of. I get rid of my ruined outfit and change into something comfortable. I then eat dinner with my family and almost immediately pass out when we settle into the couch. In the morning, I wake up with my family in my arms, still sitting on the couch with a blanket over us. Since I’m still feeling the effects of yesterday, I call out sick, telling my boss that I got in a scuffle last night. He understands, knowing what my second job is, and keeps it a secret from my coworkers.

While eating breakfast, I get a call from the hero association I work with. The woman on the phone tells me that I’m getting a raise for my work yesterday. I am also getting upgrades to my kit thanks to the other heroes who told them how I was holding my own against two superhumans. I’m going to be granted a new gun with accompanying ammo and a new knife that are better used against superhumans. Additionally, I’ll be given a new hoodie, pants, and shoes that should give me some protection against superhuman attacks.

The woman on the phone says, “You should’ve requested this kit earlier. We would’ve provided it to you at no cost to you or hit to your paycheck.”

“I didn’t expect to be fighting superhumans the way I was, so I only got the kit for fighting normal people. I’m sorry,” I say.

“No worries. Thank you for your service. A courier will be delivering your package today.”

Sure enough, a superhuman courier knocks on the door, gives me my new kit, and leaves. Of course, I won’t be using it today or any other day this week, so I put it upstairs, but keep the new pistol and knife on me for today’s picnic at the park.

While eating at the park, I overhear a group of people talking about what happened last night. One of them says, “The noose is closing around the usury ring.”

“Yeah, especially with the Dominion coming here soon. That office of theirs should be done by now, and their heroes should be patrolling the streets,” the other person says.

As they talk, I don’t know why I want them to talk about what I did last night. I don’t work as a vigilante for fame. I do it to protect the people that I love, and my paycheck and seeing my wife and son happier are rewards enough for me, so I focus on that instead and enjoy our time together.

Ora Et Labora: An Acceptance of Life: Chapter 1 – An Extra Ordinary Man

Chapter 1 – An Extra Ordinary Man

“Where are you really working for?! Tell me!” I hear being said from a nearby house.

Rushing over to the source, I enter the back of the house and see someone tied to a chair and being beaten up by four people. Immediately drawing my gun, I shoot two of the people through the head with one bullet, and the other two with the rest of the clip as they scramble for cover. I load a new clip into my pistol while looking around, unsure if there are any more criminals here.

“What the hell, man?” the guy tied to a chair says.

“What? I thought you needed help,” I ask.

“Yes and no. One of those guys that you shot was an undercover cop.”

“Oh, shit. From the Dominion or the Columbian Union?”

“Which does it matter? They’re both the same at this point. What kind of vigilante are you? Who are you? Blindfold Man?”

“I call myself The Cross.”

“Because of the cross on your blindfold? That’s stupid.”

“It was all I could come up with. Who are you, and why were you working with an undercover officer?”

“Because he was going to give me a way out, or rather, he forced me to because I would’ve gone to jail if I didn’t. I work for a usurer and get a little kickback for helping them with their operations. Now, I know you work for justice, and all that, but independent heroes like you need money. If you let me go, I’ll get you all the cash I have on me.”

“What?”

“I owe it to you for freeing me from that double agent. The cops might be on me now more, but at least I won’t be suspected of being a traitor anymore and killed for it. Come on, we’ll cross swords later, if you let me go now.”

I look around and think for a moment. Screw it. I quickly press my gun to the man’s forehead, shield my eyes, and pull the trigger twice. The sight of death and the feeling of other men’s blood on me still disgusts me. I report the incident to the hero association I work for, give them my vigilante name to confirm it’s legit, have authorities clean up the scene, and get paid for my work. Taking one last look at the dead bodies, I cross myself and leave, and continue my nightly patrol.

Undercover work is morally dubious, but I still feel bad for what I did. I’m not even sure what the purpose of undercover work is anymore, since the Dominion is spreading all over the world and making sure that every inch of it is crime-free and free from evil. They’re even going to be in this city soon and absorbing the hero association I work for into their ranks. Still, a usury ring in this city is a problem. I should know since my family and friends were in debt to banks, loaners, and credit card companies for generations.

It’s only recently that the Dominion has done something about the predators who have made an industry taking advantage of the poor and common man. They tried to legally discharge the debts of honest people who struggled to pay them, but after a lot of back-and-forth, the Dominion chose to force a solution. Discharge the debts, go to jail, or be executed if you resisted arrest. Some of the loaners discharged the debts, some went to jail for resisting the change, and the others are being hunted. The Castigators, a subsidiary of the Dominion, is doing a lot of the hunting, but the Compassionate, another subsidiary, is doing the most. The Compassionate are known for their mercy; however, they are also known for caring for the poor and common man. As a result, they show no mercy to the usurers.

Replacing the loaners is the Dominion, which uses taxpayer dollars to give honest, poor, and common men the money they need when they’re desperate or hit with tragedy, such as accidents or deaths in the family. In the event of further need, the loan will be forgiven within the same year or years after, depending on the given situation. The system isn’t perfect, but loans that expire and a zero-percent increase in taxes are better than nothing. Due to their kindness, the poor and common men of the world easily give up the names and locations of the usurers, and the Dominion continues to grow in membership, reach, and popularity. As for my part in this, I’m a part-time hero who works a full-time job as a car mechanic when I can make time. My actual full-time role is that of a husband and father.

The reason I’m a registered vigilante is my family and neighbors, and my desire to protect them all. All I have to my name is a pistol, a lot of ammo, a knife, a blindfold to cover my face, and a visor beneath it, which makes me see through it and see in the dark. It’s not much at all compared to superhumans and other vigilantes, but I still get the job done. In my patrols today, I’ve managed to come across other crime scenes; however, more capable heroes and vigilantes get to the criminals and villains faster than I or are more capable than I of tackling them, so I call in backup to have them handle it. I still get credit and am paid for it, just not as much.

By the end of my personalized shift today, I think the only good thing I did was that first encounter and reporting a usury ring in the city. Seeing what time it is, I make sure that I’m not followed home and head back to it for some well-earned rest. My house is a humble, two-story house with a garden in the back and a cross and statue of Mary and St. Joseph in the front window. Going inside, I say hello and am immediately met with the smell of a freshly cooked dinner.

“Welcome home, Oliver. I’m relieved you’re back,” my wife, Jennifer, says.

Walking out of the kitchen, she goes up to me with our son, Lucas, in her arms and gives me a tight hug. Jennifer is wearing a red and pink shirt and a red skirt. Her brown hair smells like she just washed it, and her green eyes are just as pretty as ever. Lucas has my blue eyes and black hair, and seems to be on the verge of falling asleep. Hugging and kissing them, I thank God that I came back home to them. We sit down for dinner, and I tell Jennifer how my day was at both my jobs.

“How about you? How was school?” I ask.

“The kids were being kids like they usually were,” Jennifer says with a cute giggle. “Hearing about a usury ring in the city is concerning. I hope no one has been desperate enough to take their money yet.”

“I’ll take care of it. I just hope I don’t accidentally shoot any officers again.”

“It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know. Does your hero association know about it?”

“No, I didn’t tell them about it.”

“Then, there’s nothing to worry about. We’ll pray for their soul later.”

“Are we still taking a trip out to the countryside? I could use some fresh, country air and a break.”

“We will during spring break.”

“Who’d think that I have to wait for spring, summer, and Christmas break all over again as an adult?”

“You’ll make it, Oliver. Come on, let’s rest for the day. You’ve earned it.”

I sit on the couch with Lucas in my arms and Jennifer next to me watching TV and talking about the shows and movies we watch, relating them to other things we’ve watched and memorable events in our lives.

“You only say that you don’t like awkward romances because it was awkward for you to ask me out and talk to me on our dates,” Jennifer says.

“I eventually got comfortable with it,” I say.

“Yeah, after like five dates, you were comfortable.”

“But I proposed to you after a month of dating. That has to mean I’m a little brave.”

“You were brave because your parents and mine knew you had a ring for me after our first couple of weeks together, and kept pushing you to propose, and stop waiting for what you thought would be an appropriate moment.”

“It still makes me cringe that I proposed in public with people watching us and me stuttering my words.”

“I’ll forever remember it.”

Lucas whines a bit, making Jennifer and me stop talking and letting him rest. He’s right. We should be silent and simply enjoy the rest of the night together. If the rest of my life were just this moment, I wouldn’t mind it all because this is my Heaven on Earth.

My next short story is done and out today!

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It was hard to get by on two jobs for Briar so she could take care of her husband and child. A promiscuous woman offers her the chance to earn more at the cost of giving her body to perverts, leading Briar to abandon her previous work and turn against her loved ones. She is given the chance to experience pleasure at a higher level, and it's when her body is morphed into glass and given higher endurance and strength that she sees the error of her ways. Briar then goes on a rampage, destroying and killing the people who objectified her and shattered her life and soul.

Like Glass in the Skin: Chapter 3 – Perversion’s Reward

Chapter 3 – Perversion’s Reward

The last hideout of the degenerate that I worked for is in the poor district of the city where I lived. Cops and people who aren’t poor don’t visit here, unless it's to pass by or go to the hideout I’m going to. It’s a run-down area that is only slowly getting better, thanks to the Dominion running the criminals and superhuman villains out of the city, but the few syndicates and secretive criminal, human, and drug trafficking groups still exist in secret and small groups. The last hideout is under a bridge through a door that leads to the sewers. I walk through the damp and barely lit halls until I come to a pink and purple door.

Through the door, I walk down a set of stairs and begin to hear the pulse-pounding music of the hideout’s club. I think I hear the sounds of footsteps in the noise; however, by the time I recognize that the sound of footsteps is coming from behind me, I’m hit upside the head so hard that my head goes through the wall. My body feels unresponsive as I try to force it to get up, and yet, I can only twitch. I’m pulled to the floor with about two men and three women standing above me, all of whom are superhuman and have their bodies augmented for maximum pleasure.

“It looks like she’s still alive,” one of them says.

“She’d better be. I like my meal, while it’s still warm.”

“We could use her body to research to repair the damage she’s done.”

“Yes, but first, we’ll have our fill of her.”

“I can’t argue with that.”

The five superhumans grab me and take me into the club. As they carry me, some of the people in the club watch me be taken into the backrooms. Among the crowd, I see the faces of the people I foolishly spared. Of course, they’d value their addictions and personal happiness, even at the cost of themselves and others, and come running to the dealers of their pleasures. If I were in their situation, I’d do the same thing, and hate them all the more because of it. My assailants have their way with me in a private room where others suffer the same fate, willingly or unwillingly.

How did I enjoy this treatment from others to begin with? I’d try to struggle if I didn’t know that struggling prey is what turns on these kinds of scum. I feel disgusted by myself and wish that the torture that I’m being put through would kill me, as they have accidentally or intentionally done with others in this situation. Why did I think I deserved to live any longer? Why did I think I could accomplish my goal, or should’ve died any other way?

The sound and vibrations of an explosion rock the room and stop my assailants from violating me further. Someone comes in to ask for their help because the heroes of the Dominion are here. Dropping me immediately, I twitch and start to move as my body’s healing kicks in. In the room, I see one of the chemicals that heals me, and yet, I don’t want to use it and just die where I am, but at the same time, I want to live. I go back and forth in my decision until I unintentionally grab the chemicals and use them on myself.

Back to my full strength, I start blindly killing everyone in the club, no matter how innocent they may seem, and especially go after the people who are running away. No one is allowed to survive. I won’t allow the evil disease in this club to infect anywhere else, so after painting every inch of this club in blood, including the backrooms and hidden exits, I fall to my knees, throw up, look at my hands, and start stabbing my chest. Damn this healing power in my body! Why won’t it let me die?! I then start stabbing my head and throat to no avail, but that doesn’t stop me from continuing to stab myself. A hand suddenly comes out of nowhere and grabs my hands.

Looking up, I see a woman with white hair, grey eyes, and grey skin, who is wearing a black shirt, skirt, and boots. Behind her are two other men, one hooded in green, and the other, clothed in red and black, who are searching the rest of the club for survivors and putting them down with flames.

“Let go of me!” I scream as I struggle to get out of her grasp. “Let me die! I deserve it just as much as these other pieces of shit!”

“Hold on, hold on! Stop it! Why are you trying to kill yourself?” she says.

“Didn’t you hear what I said?! I’m just like these degenerate scum. I used to work for them, until I finally woke up when they changed my body into this. I’ve been slaughtering them all day, and now…now it’s my turn to die.”

“I know how you feel. I used to work in the same perverted industry as you did. My name is Tanith. What’s yours?”

“…Briar. You’re with the Dominion, aren’t you? Why won’t you kill me?”

“I saw you killing the degenerates here, so you’re not like them. We’ve also been hearing about a woman made of steel or glass destroying places like this across the city. I’m assuming it was you.”

“Yes, it was. So what?”

“So, you can join the Dominion as I did, and make up for the life you lived.”

“But…but I’ve been responsible for so much death and destruction. I even had a hand in killing my own husband and child! I don’t deserve to be remembered as a wife and mother! I don’t even deserve to live another second!”

“I violated my parents for an audience and trafficked many innocent people. I’m just as horrible as you are, if not worse, but God is merciful. Us being alive is proof of that.”

“I don’t even know what I believe in anymore.”

“We’ll help you, Briar. Trust me.”

Tanith helps me up and offers me her hand. I don’t want to live, but I also know that it would be wrong for me to just kill myself. Suicide would be giving in to my impulses again, so I refuse my desires for the first time in a while and take Tanith’s hand. She and her friends led me out of the club, back to the surface, and to the nearest Dominion hero association office. There, the Dominion gives me time to rest in a room before telling me what they want me to do and asking if I truly want to join them. Looking over at Tanith, who sponsored me, she gives me a smile and a nod, so I say that I understand and accept the job. My husband and child thought I was a hero for all the work I did to keep the family alive. I didn’t think I was before, but now, I have the chance to be an actual hero for others.

 

The End