Superpowered Angst- Original story · 10:13pm Oct 31st, 2019
Hey guys! I've been wanting to do some original fiction for a while now, and had a change to do a short piece in response to a Prompt over on Reddit. I was a bit late to the prompt and it didn't get much traction, so I thought I'd try my luck here even though it's not pony. Story stars some Superhero characters that I'm still kind of developing, and is a bit angsty as per the prompt, but I hope you enjoy!
[WP] Superpowers exist, but are always based on insecurities. Narcissists gain invisibility, the lonely gain powers that drive people away, and the shy get powers that make then the center of attention.
The pencil snapped, firing its graphite tip into the abyss behind the desk. Cici sniffed, staring at the new gouge in her sketchbook. Ruined. It was ruined. Just like everything she touched.
She clicked the pencil top, coaxing out another length of lead and carefully, carefully touching it to the paper with trembling fingers. Maybe it was salvageable. She could never show it to anybody, but maybe, just for practice. it's not like anyone wanted to see her worthless drawings anyway. Sketches really. Talentless garbage. A waste of time by a waste of space.
The lead snapped again, scouring her careful linework. She threw the notebook away with a scream. "Stupid! Stupid!"
"Stupid!" A voice behind her mocked. "Stupid!"
Cici whirled, raising her pencil defensively. "Y-you! Why are you here!?"
"Why are you here?" The other repeated in a familiar voice. Her voice. "Why are you here?" She tilted her head, the poor light of the desk lamp catching her features and revealing... herself. She grinned, a cruel grin that was terribly out of place on her round, bookish features. Cici froze as the other her stepped forward, placing her hands gently on her neck, softly pressing her thumbs into her throat. "You should kill yourself."
The pressure on her neck increased. Cici jerked, dropping her pencil as her hands flew to her doppelganger's wrists, skinny and fragile as her own. She grunted with exertion, struggling to pry off the strangling fingers. "N-no-" she gasped, icy fear gripping her stomach, "Please-"
The other laughed, pushing her back against the desk, tightening her grip. Cici screamed in the back of her throat, driving her knee into her attacker's ribs. Once! Twice! The other her let go on the third, stumbling back as her rib snapped.
Cici ran, sparing not a glance for the clone as it melted into a puddle of putrid goo. She had to get out. Get help!
Her phone?
Shit! It was back on her desk. But there was no way she could go back inside. Not with that. Neighbors then? No, the corner st-
She screamed as a foot caught her leg, sending her flying down the stairs. Her head cracked against the landing and she curled into a ball, hands clutching her skull as she cried in pain. Footsteps echoed down the stairwell, and she curled in on herself, even as a boot struck her head.
"Stupid, worthless Cici," she spat, striking herself in the back.
"Idiot!"
"Dyke!"
"Freak!"
"Stop it!"
There were more of them now, crowded into the narrow space, raining blows on her fetal body. All of them speaking in that same, familiar voice.
"Whore!"
"Waste of space!"
"Never try again!"
She tried to shut them out, even as she was dragged out of the stairwell and pinned to the floor. They grabbed her hand, her left, the one she drew with. Splayed her fingers, trapping her arms underneath their weight. She felt a boot on her hand, treads grinding into her knuckles.
"We'll break that drawing hand for you. Then you can never pollute the world with your garbage again!"
"No- stop-" Cici choked, struggling to breath past the weight on her back. Her words fell on deaf ears. Her own. "Please-"
"Begone!"
A flash of light. Searing. Blinding. Screams, and fiery heat. The weight on her back, fading away. A gentle hand, touching her shoulder. A soothing voice.
"-ey... hey, can you hear me? Are you alright?"
Cici sobbed, hiccoughing through a fit of tears. Strong arms lifted her, set her down. Familiar... the downstairs futon. Someone sitting next to her. A blanked settling over her shoulders. The light, no longer blinding. A soft glow, filtering in through the tears. Cici sniffled, dragging a dirty sleeve across her eyes.
"A-am I really dead?"
Her savior blinked, turning her head in shock. She was... beautiful was the only thing Cici could think of. Angelic. Literally. Her hair glowed with a supernatural light, her head bathed in a gentle halo. Sculpted, elfin features and white clothes. Wings, great and white. One was around her shoulders, not a blanket, but as warm and comforting as a freshly laundered towel.
"What makes you think you're dead?" the angel asked.
Cici shrugged and gestured to... everything. Her savior took a look at herself, and rolled her eyes. "Not an angel. Just an... unfortunate coincidence." She grimaced, then stuck out a hand. "Call me Gabriel. It's uh, supposed to be ironic."
Shyly, Cici took her hand. "It's um, fitting. A bit on the nose."
"No shit," Gabriel sighed. She motioned vaguely toward the hall and stairway. Cici shuddered. There were scuff marks, where she'd kicked the walls. Stains from the clones. Burns, maybe. Her stomach twisted. She felt sick. She almost-!
"Hey, hey!" Gabriel said hastily, grabbing her shoulders as she began to hyperventilate. "Whoa! Whoa, they're gone okay? They're gone." Cici hiccoughed, feeling her chest tighten and her breath grow short. She couldn't take her eyes off of...
"Hey." Gabriel raised her wing, hiding the foyer with a feathery curtain. A hand cupped Cici's face, gently turning her to meet her rescuer's eyes. "You're safe. You're safe."
Cici fell forward, pulling the angel into a desperate embrace. Gabriel froze, back stiffening from the unexpected contact. Slowly, awkwardly, she returned the hug, patting the other girl's back a few times for good measure. Cici threw herself into her, openly sobbing as the stress and terror of the last several minutes coursed through her.
After a time, her tears finally subsided. Gabriel patted her back, gently extricating herself from the hug. "Hey there, you feeling a bit better?"
Cici nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She rubbed her eyes. If she ever wore makeup, it would be running.
Gabriel sighed with relief. "O-okay, good. Can you walk?" Cici shivered, and shook her head. Gabriel grimaced. "Alright... fine. I guess I'll carry you, or... whatever. Yeah."
Cici flinched, pushing away. "W-what?" she rasped, her voice hoarse, "where?"
"The hospital." Gabriel looked at her sternly. "You just- look, I don't know exactly what happened. But you're hurt, and probably traumatized, and I really don't know how to handle that!" She grimaced as Cici pushed away from her, and calmed her featured. "Sorry, sorry. Look, I'm kinda new to this. But I know the people at the hospital. They're good people. Will you please let me take you?"
Chewing her lip, Cici stared at the floor, processing. She couldn't stay here, not tonight. Not alone. But... hospitals. They were scary. Uncomfortable. Full of... people. She dared another glance toward her savior. She'd been there. She'd helped. She hadn't fled in horror or disgust. She was... kind. Gingerly, she held out her hand for Gabriel to take. "Okay."
==O==
"She told me her name is Ciera something. Cici."
Gabriel was filling in the receptionist about the case. The girl she had found- rescued- whatever- had been admitted to the hospital's freak wing and was already being seen to by a nurse. But this was part of Gabriel's job, so she had to make a statement.
"She was under attack by a bunch of clones. Doubles. I think she's a duplicator."
The receptionist was nodding, typing everything into her computer. "That happens sometimes. Mental instability. Self doubt. People trying to challenge themselves to a game of ping pong. You know how it goes."
"Yeah..." Gabriel shifted uncomfortable. "What they were doing, the things they were saying... I think they were really trying to kill her. Or... kill herself?"
The receptionist looped up at her sharply. "You think she's suicidal?"
Gabriel grimaced, scratching her head. Her wings fluttered anxiously behind her. Was it really her place?
"Yes," she said firmly, answering herself and the receptionist. "Yes. Please put her on watch. But... treat her kindly."
The receptionist rolled her eyes. "Of course, Miss Gabriel. Believe me, we know how to handle mental patients. Freaks and mundanes alike." Gabriel nodded, feeling reassured, if not satisfied. The receptionist raised an eyebrow. "Anything else?"
Gabriel shook her head, then paused. "Do you think you can keep me updated on her condition?"
The question earned her a stern glare. "We are not in the business of breaching patient confidentiality, young lady. Even for you." Her eyes softened after a moment. "Come back tomorrow. During visiting hours. You can talk to her then."
Gabriel hesitated, then nodded. "Okay."
"We'll take care of her," the receptionist assured her. "The doctors know what they're doing. They're good."
Nodding, Gabriel turned away. "Alright. Uh, thanks."
"Any time," the receptionist rolled her eyes.
It was a short flight home for Gabriel, made slightly longer by having to avoid being spotted by the neighbors. If only she'd developed black wings instead! And lose the halo for that matter. She scowled as she landed on her balcony, letting her power drop.
Gabrielle stepped into her apartment, flicking on the lights. They glowed to a dull, low light, barely illuminating the black posters and Gothic furnishings of her bedroom. Drawing the thick black curtains over the window, she kicked off her boots and trudged to the bathroom.
The real Gabrielle- Gabi, for short- was a lanky girl. Pasty white, her long hair dyed jet black. Ears adorned with silvery studs, lips and nails painted black. Dark shirt, dark jeans, dark eye shadow. Black black black. The way she liked it.
That was the plan. Be a hero. Show that the Goth kid can be a good guy too. Studs and leather to the rescue. So of course some cosmic irony decided that she would turn into a glowing blonde bimbo for her power. And the angel wings and halo!? Really!? She was well past her cringey high school "hail Satan and fuck the church" phase but still!
She threw herself onto her bed, staring up at the dark ceiling.
"I hate you," she grumbled, before flicking off the lights.
That first sentence is such a lovely bit of description
The usage of 'freaks' here is interesting--it feels like an odd choice in a world where powers are so common. Unless maybe it's meant to highlight it mostly being unusual cases of powers that need handling?
This was a really nice take on the prompt, though. The girl being tormented by her own clones is such a striking image, and I'd love to see more cases of harmful powers like that being explored.
5148715
Thank you!
I kinda just borrowed the terminology from the game Masks, since I don't really have a whole lot of worldbuilding or backstory here yet. I did kind of have the idea that, with superpowers being related to insecurities and such, maybe it was a world where the powers themselves aren't very widely accepted. It really didn't come across in the hospital scene, but if I were to expand on it I think that's the angle I would take.
This was good, I really enjoyed it. You should expand on this, I think it's got some serious potential.
5151175
Thanks! I'd love to expand it, I've been wanting to do something original for a while. Only trouble is it's hard to find a good host for original fiction haha.
5151484
Try Wattpad. It’s probably the best original fiction site on the net today.
5151493
First look is a bit intimidating, but I'll keep digging into it. Maybe it'll be a good fit. Thanks for the suggestion.