Isaac didn’t know how long the drive was, seeing as he fell asleep in the trunk and was woken by the bright light once the boot was opened, and Mike looking down at him with that calm expression on his face.

  ‘Were you sleeping?’ he asked.

  ‘I was laying down in the dark, of course I am going to sleep’ said Isaac climbing out of the boot. ‘Where are we anyway? I pray to god it’s not some sex dungeon’

  ‘We’re at the police station’ Mike told him closing the boot.

  They are inside the underground car park. Isaac looked at all the empty spots, this place is a ghost town, devoid of any other cars except the old garbage the detective drives. ‘It’s late at night, so no one would be in the precinct at this hour’ Mike told him as he lead the way to the lifts.

  ‘But you’re the police’ said Isaac, following him. ‘You are supposed to have people staying up at night just in case crime happens’

  ‘The ACA are pretty much the new police force in the city’ said Mike as they entered the elevator. ‘Most of the cops here have transferred over, leaving us with barely a skeleton crew to patrol in the day’

  ‘The ACA are those weird white guys right?’ said Isaac. ‘Who are they?’

  ‘People who are paid to capture your kind’

  ‘See, you say these things like I am supposed to understand’ said Isaac. ‘But I have no clue to what the hell is happening, I just woke up!’

  ‘I will explain everything once we get to my office’ Mike told him, ‘I figure it be best if we don’t get disturbed’

  ‘By who, the janitor?’ said Isaac.

  ‘I can tell you are going to be a headache’

  They reached the third floor, where the precinct of the Bay City Police is located. Isaac walked into a large room with police desks, a holding pen in the back, right across the Captain’s office and the break room.

  Mike led Isaac to the office with his name on the door, along with some chick named Rebecca Hawkins. He open the door, ‘Get in’ he said.

  ‘Fine, but only because I want to’ said Isaac as he walked in. Mike turn on the light, the office wasn’t that big nor was it that small. There are two desks facing each other, with the window showing the city lights behind one desk. On that desk is folders of cases, and cups of coffee around the computer. The desk across is much neater, with some photos of cats and a family. Isaac seriously doubts that is Mike’s desk.

  He made himself at home on the couch, sitting with his legs crossed as Mike went over to his desk, his back to the window as he moved his chair closer to him. ‘You cause quite a lot of trouble today Isaac’ he said, holding up a folder. ‘Woke up from a coma and went on a rampage on the hospital, took down an ACA helicopter and fought another Aftershok’

  ‘You made it all sound so impressive’ said Isaac grinning.

  ‘Trust me I’m not’ he opened the folder. ‘I did my homework on you, you have quite a record of lashing out whenever someone gets you angry. You get into fights at school, you stole a car from one of your teachers, and you released a crazy ape into the school grounds’ he looked up at him. ‘I am too afraid to ask where you found the ape’ Isaac grinned. ‘The point is you have quite the anger problem’

  ‘My anger’s not that bad’ Isaac said casually.

  ‘It says here you beat your maths teacher with a calculator’

  ‘He insulted my mother’

  ‘Did he?’

  ‘Well, no but somebody’s mother’ said Isaac. ‘Or was that a wonderful dream?’

  ‘You are hot-headed, a loose cannon and most likely to turn to crime if things turn out differently’ Mike put the folder down. ‘Are you really surprised that the ACA are after you the second you woke up from the hospital’ Isaac said nothing, just waiting for him to continue. ‘One year ago you were caught in the Storm that almost destroyed the city, one of the casualties that were sent to the ER only you were put into a coma…’

  ‘Why don’t you stop beating around the bush for five minutes’ said Isaac coldly, ‘I want to know what the hell is going on. Why do I have these powers? Who are the ACA? And what in the bloody hell is an Aftershok?!’

  Mike observe him for a while. ‘To answer all of your questions, I have to start at the beginning’ he said. ‘One year ago, as I said there was a Storm that struck the city. This storm came out of nowhere and travelled around the world, doing the same damage it did to Bay City. London, New York, even the cities of Russia and Asia. The entire world were hit by the Storm. This storm as I’m sure you would remember had purple lightning, each place it hit has sent out a shockwave that has hit nearby people in its path. Once they were hit by the shockwave, their DNA were infused with the energy from the lightning strike giving them superhuman powers, powers like yours’ Isaac looked at his hands. ‘Soon, we started calling them Aftershoks. They use their powers for their own gain, hurting those they love, getting payback on those on screwed them over the little things’ Mike lean back in his chair, putting an arm on his desk. ‘That was when the ACA is formed, Aftershok Containment Agency. They have been given the technology to capture and study the Aftershoks. Sure they share their results with the public but I think they keep the most serious ones to themselves’

  ‘What are the serious results?’ asked Isaac.

  ‘One they have shared with the public already’ said Mike. ‘The Madness. Once the Aftershok was hit by the shockwave that gave them powers, their minds were affected most of all. Driving them to insanity within four days. Maybe it is all bullshit the ACA told us to keep us afraid, but I haven’t seen a good Aftershok yet’

  ‘So you’re saying I’m going to mad in four days?’ said Isaac.

  ‘Who knows, you might be the exception’ said Mike.

  Isaac tilt his head, leaning back into the couch. ‘You said that these Aftershoks, like me I suppose, got their powers from the aftershock of a lightning strike?’

  ‘That is what I said’ said Mike.

  ‘What happens if someone was hit by that Lightning?’ asked Isaac.

  Mike raise an eyebrow, ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I didn’t get hit by any shockwave; I was hit by that damn lightning that put me in the coma in the first place’ said Isaac.

  Mike sat up, ‘You were hit by that lightning? Are you sure?’

  ‘I remember that damn purple lightning hitting me in the head’ Isaac told him. ‘So yeah, I am pretty sure’

  Mike place his finger around his chin. ‘No one has ever found an Aftershok who was hit by the lightning, Isaac you might be the only one so far’

  ‘So far?’

  ‘If you were hit by the lightning, then there is a possibility that there would be others as well’

  ‘Great we can get together; I’ll make a cup of tea’ joked Isaac.

  ‘This isn’t a joke’

  ‘It’s how I cope mate’ said Isaac. ‘This is all too much for me to handle right now’

  ‘Well you better prepare yourself, cause outside that door is a city who is afraid of you’ Mike told him. ‘The ACA had a year to scare the public into fearing your kind, so much that that fear has turned into hatred’

  ‘So why help me?’ Isaac asked him. ‘If I am so dangerous as the ACA made me out to be, then why go out of your way to protect me from getting caught?’

  Mike folded his arms and lean back. ‘I watched your fight with Bomber Ali, you went in without a plan, or any idea of what your powers can do. Why did you save me and the children?’

  ‘Some prick wanted to kill children, of course I wasn’t going to stand by and watch’ said Isaac.

  ‘Most Aftershoks wouldn’t care what happens to us mortals’ said Mike. ‘Nor would they even fight their own, you are the first Aftershok to fight against another, and that tells me you might be different than the rest. You stood there with a fire in your eyes, I couldn’t let someone like that waste their life in a windowless cell’

  ‘How specific’ mumble Isaac.

  ‘Hence why I brought you here’ he said. ‘I want you to come work for us’

  Isaac blinked, ‘You mean become a police officer?’

  ‘More like our Aftershok Consultant’ said Mike. ‘It would take some time to make it official but once you work for us, I will be your handler, my job is to make sure the ACA don’t touch you. You will be a free man but under some strict observation. You will be monitored of course for the city’s safety and your own’

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  ‘I feel so blessed’ said Isaac, ‘So does mean I would be your dog?’

  ‘If you want to see the sunrise tomorrow’ said Mike.

  Isaac looked at him for a moment. ‘Why do you want me to work for you anyway?’

  ‘The ACA had made the police department a joke, people need to know that we can deal with the Aftershok threat as much as they can’ Mike explained, ‘With you on our side we have a chance to take down any Aftershok and bring them in to the ACA before they can even get the chance’

  ‘But you said it yourself, the city hates me. Why would they ever even trust me with the police?’

  ‘People always have been prestigious to one another’ said Mike. ‘All it takes is a small group of people to help make a difference’

  Isaac rubbed the back of his head, ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean…’

  ‘What, just because I’m black you feel like you insulted me’ said Mike.

  Isaac nodded, ‘Yeah I kinda feel bad about that. But wait, why me of all people?’

  ‘You’re a good kid Isaac, and I don’t like seeing good kids go down a wrong path because the world rejects them’ said Mike.

  Isaac grinned, ‘Thanks mate’ he said, ‘Do I get a gun?’

  ‘Over my cold dead body will I ever give you a gun’

  Isaac sigh, ‘And here I thought we are friends’

  ‘We are not friends’ said Mike. ‘Besides you can shoot heat out from your hands, why the hell would you want a gun?’

  ‘I just want to hold one’ said Isaac.

  ‘I got something else for you’ Mike opened up the drawer and pulled out a bracelet. Isaac looked at it. ‘Put your foot up’ said Mike.

  ‘Jewellery so fast, and you didn’t even buy me a drink’ said Isaac, putting his foot up on the desk. Mike rolled up his pant leg and attached the bracelet onto his ankle, then hid it underneath the pant leg as he rolled it down. ‘This is a standard Ankle Bracelet. It has a tracking device that will let me monitor you from my phone. Anywhere you go I will be watching’

  ‘Creepy’ said Isaac looking at it as he put his foot down. ‘You talk about making a difference yet here you are putting a collar on me’

  ‘Consider it insurance, the ACA won’t be convince of our arrangement if I don’t have anything to use as leverage’ said Mike. ‘As long as you keep this on, I can promise the ACA won’t touch you’

  ‘What happens if I take it off?’ asked Isaac.

  ‘I will call the ACA to come arrest you’ Mike told him.

  ‘What happens if my powers melt it off?’

  ‘As long as you don’t use heat around your ankle it should be fine’

  ‘What happens if my foot gets chopped off?’

  ‘Give me a minute and I will do it myself’

  Isaac laughed, then stopped laughing as he realizes Mike isn’t kidding. The detective stood up from his seat, making Isaac pull his leg back and held it. ‘Come on, you’re not going to chop it off now, we’re best buddies…’ that was all he said before he felt an electric shock coming from the ankle bracelet. Isaac fell to the ground and started spazzing, Mike holding his thumb on the button of the remote in his pocket.

  ‘It also comes with that in case you annoy me’ he said taking his thumb off.

  ‘How shocking’ Isaac said climbing back onto the couch, waiting for Mike to respond to his clever pun.

  ‘Tomorrow morning we can start, right now get some rest. You got a long day tomorrow’

  ‘Sure boss’ said Isaac.

  ‘And do not leave the office’ Mike told him, holding up a finger.

  ‘Don’t worry I won’t’

  ‘I want to hear you say it’

  Isaac groaned, holding up his hand, his other hand over his heart. ‘I promise not to leave the office over my hearty heart heart’

  Mike glared at him for a minute, then went to the door, opening it and stepping out. ‘I’m locking the door, do not go out until I come back’

  ‘What, you don’t trust me? You think I’m going to go out and hurt the other policemen?’ said Isaac folding his arms.

  ‘It’s for your protection, if the other officers see you in here they will shoot you on sight’

  ‘Let me push one of those desks against the door just to be safe’

  ‘Goodnight Isaac and remember do not leave the office!’ he said as Isaac turn his back and mimic his mouth. He closed the door then locked it from the other side, leaving Isaac alone in the office.

  He got up from the couch and moved to the window. ‘I’m sure he won’t mind if I get a little fresh air’ he said to himself as he climbed out. He climbed up the window then jumped to the ledge of the rooftop, pulling himself up. He crouched down on the ledge and look down at the city. Cars looking like bright bugs driving along, people in the streets going out for the night. Sure he missed being one of those people but he prefers up here in the rooftops where he can run around in peace.

  Coming out here was the right call, here he can forget all of his worries and just run across the rooftops. It always has calm him whenever he gets fed up with home, or just needed to unwind for an hour or two. Bay City is the type where the buildings can’t judge him themselves.

  He jumped to the next rooftop, running along the ledge until he jumped to the next. The next building is a bit of a jump ahead, so he decided to try something out. Building up the heat around his soles he ran , the heat giving him a huge boost as he launched from the ground and flew through the air, flapping his arms as he made it to the next roof, tumbling a bit as he rolled, hitting his head on one of those fan boxes they have, he never did learn what they are called.

  He got up, rubbing the bruise on his head as he heard a crashing noise. He ran to the other side and look down, three robbers were breaking into an electronics store, carrying out television sets to their van. ‘A good old fashion robbery, time for me to do my superhero duty’ grinned Isaac. He jumped off the edge and climb down until he reached the street then he walked up to the robbers. He leaned against the van with his arms folded and cleared his throat, ‘Good evening gentlemen’ the robbers all dropped their stolen tv sets and looked at him, ‘What a wonderful night to be stealing eh?’ One of the robbers pulled out a gun while the other two stepped back. Isaac is not worried, if he was going to shoot then his Heat Sense would warn him of the incoming danger.

  BANG!

  Isaac cried out as the bullet went through his shoulder, blood gushing out of the hole. ‘Damnit!’ he cursed under his breath.

  ‘Hey, this guy is normal!’

  ‘Shoot his ass!’

  Now all three robbers are firing their guns at him. Isaac dived behind a car and hid there as the bullets pelted the vehicle. He gritted his teeth, he thought that his Heat Sense would work like a Spider-Sense, what the dickens?! He opened up his palm and shot out a Heat Wave over the car that melted their guns. Then he jumped out from behind and ran up to them.

  He punched one of the robbers, sending out a wave of heat into his skull as he fell back. The other robber ran up to him, holding out a crowbar from the van he swung it at Isaac, who dodge side to side then punched his sides a couple of times before giving him an uppercut. The third one was already in the van driving away with the stolen goods. Isaac ran up behind him, cutting through the alley and reaching the road as the van has drove past, he leapt and grabbed on, hanging off the side. The robber swerve the van past the moving cars, hoping to crash Isaac into one of them to shake him off.

  People were taking pictures on the sidewalk, seeing the strange man holding onto the van as he moved closer to the Robber. The Robber spun into a busy street, slamming Isaac into the trucks and other vans, but he has reached the door and tore it open. ‘License and registration please’ he said holding onto the top and swinging himself in, sending a kick into the Robber’s face that knocked him into the door. Isaac grabbed the wheel to steer out from the pedestrians while elbowing the robber, who was trying to push Isaac out of the way. Isaac grabbed his head and slammed it into the dashboard, knocking him out. ‘Much better’ he said holding up his bloodied head, then screamed as they hit a tree. Isaac and the Robber went through the windscreen. Isaac hitting the pavement, shielding the Robber from harm with his body. Isaac groaned as he got up, pulling out shards out from his shoulders. ‘Be glad you’re not painting the pavement mate’ he said to the unconscious Robber who laid on the ground. He noticed that they are near the park, already the local hobo, not Larry, had a fire pit set up. Isaac held out his hand and absorb the heat, healing his own injuries in the process. He flex his fingers then turn to see a crowd of people staring at him. ‘Nothing to see here folks’ said Isaac, ‘I caught the robbers so can someone please call the local police’

  ‘He’s an Aftershok!’ one of them screamed.

  They all stood back, mothers hid their children away, scary looking guys cracking their knuckles and most of them are calling the ACA. Isaac stood there while one of them said ‘He could have killed those robbers’

  ‘He might attack us next’

  ‘Someone call the ACA!’

  ‘Wait, wait’ said Isaac holding out his hands, ‘I am not a bad guy, I’m one of the good guys’

  ‘He absorb something from that fire! It healed him!’

  ‘Let’s take him down before he hurts anyone else!’

  ‘Let’s kill him!’

  They started moving closer, Isaac could feel the bloodlust in the air. He turned and ran, the crowd forming into an angry mob and chase after him into the alley of the buildings. He could hear their screams, their taunts and feel the rocks being thrown at him, one grazing his cheek as he look back at them. He felt the blood ticking down his cheek, with nowhere else to go he leap up and grabbed onto a ladder, climbing up the fire escape as they roared up at him. Isaac ignored them, keeping his anger down so that he doesn’t go down there and burn them all into crisps, it wouldn’t change anything.

  He reached the rooftop and started running, jumping roof to roof until he made it back near the police station, blocks away from where the angry mob was. He sat on an abandon crate and rub his hair, ‘They really hate me’ he said sadly. He stopped a robbery tonight and all he got in return was an angry mob out for his blood. They didn’t even care about the robbers who was probably ignored so they got away. There is no way he could be a superhero if the city hates him.

  He felt the heat wash over him, his Heat Sense finally activating. ‘Too late I already got shot’ he grumbled.

  ‘I noticed; I am sorry that has happened to you brother’

  Isaac spun his head, looking up at the night sky. He stood up once he saw the man floating over him. He wore a blue leotard with red lines, a large red H on his chest. His blonde hair was sleek back and his face was one you would see in a comic book, full of confidence and looking heroic. ‘I watch the whole thing; you stopped those robbers but all the mortals cared about was getting you off the street. That must have been terrible for you to witness’

  ‘Who are you?’ Isaac asked.

  The stranger landed on the rooftop. ‘I am Hero, a brethren just like you’ he said. ‘I heard so much about you Mr Clarke’

  ‘Wonderful’ said Isaac. ‘Look mate if you’re here to get lucky, buy me a drink first’

  ‘I have come to give you a proposition’ said Hero. ‘I can take you someplace far away, where you will be surrounded by people like us. A safe haven where I will teach you to control your powers, where you will be able to choose your own destiny’

  ‘Sounds like a blast’ said Isaac. ‘What’s the catch?’

  ‘No catch, only to work with me to create a better world’ smiled Hero.

  Isaac watch him, keeping his guard up. There is something off about this bloke, maybe it’s because of all the tv shows he’s been watching for years but whenever there is a guy who sounds too good to be true he’s probably is. ‘I need to think about this’ Isaac told him.

  Something moved in those red eyes of his, like he wasn’t expecting this sort of answer. He quickly hid it with a smile ‘I understand, but these people won’t rest until you are locked up in a cage. I can save you if you let me’

  ‘And I appreciate it, but I need time to process all of this’ Isaac said to him. ‘I still have family I need to see’ he quickly said as an excuse.

  ‘Understandable’ said Hero. ‘But I should warn you that your family would not want you anymore, it hurts but it is the truth as they do not want an Aftershok as part of their family’

  He’s reaching, Isaac could tell that much. ‘Yeah but…’

  Hero held up a hand. ‘I too thought I could make a difference once I was chosen for these powers’ he explained. ‘But you will soon learn that no one would want you to be their hero. I will give you a day to think about my offer, tomorrow night I shall return to this rooftop. I hope you make the right decision then’ he rose into the air; ‘Word of advice, pick a new name’ Hero said down to him, ‘Isaac Clarke is dead, time to be reborn’ and with that he flew into the clouds and disappear from sight.

  ‘What a weirdo’ said Isaac. He thought about the offer, a place where he can be himself and accepted by people who share the same powers as him. The way he made it sound it was a paradise. But somewhere deep down in his gut he knows that he can’t trust that guy. After all he refers to the people as mortals, and only tyrants who think themselves as gods would use that word