Firestorm #3 – Shutdown
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**10 DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT**
I got taken out of school. Sat around doing that woe is me shtick for awhile. You know, I just wanted time alone. Sebastian helped me out for the first few days and then I just sat and thought about what I wanna do. First off? I wanna get payback at the dolt that through me that catch that I dropped that made me lose the game. It ruined me.
Ronnie is a jerk. This is a fundamental law of the universe. That’s how he makes it seem at least. He’s been locked up in his room crying, screaming and wailing for days. His father has been looking into help for him but no one seems like they actually no how to help him. His father has been aging rapidly due to stress of this all. His dad is going slightly crazy, he isn’t even positive he is alive anymore. Did he die and the world just get flipped? Is that what the afterlife is? Your life with a twist, is life really that cruel? Now, which religion picked that as its final answer to the big question? These are the thoughts that have been flying through his head at light speed. Pondering one philosophical question to the next, slowly crawling to the brink of insanity. If he is dead and he dies again can he finally rest? That is the question that finally puts him to a halt.
Sebastian in his house is researching some stuff for his friend Ronnie. Mainly how it happened, Sebastian isn’t really a guy that believes in “magic” or “fate”. This isn’t to say that he has found any real reason on why Ronnie changed into whatever he did. Logic dictates that it didn’t happen for no reason. So why? Ronnie told him it was because he drank bleach and water. That kills people. Like those silly radiation gives you super powers stories.” No, radiation gives you cancer” this was Sebastian’s exact thoughts on radiation. Sebastian was for some reason unwilling to accept fate.
Ronnie’s father is naked. Prancing in the dead of night in the street, one of the notable things about living in small city is that at night it’s silent. Only an insane man would think this is sane. He’s nearing the museum. Making a fool out of himself, not that he cares. No, he is done, ready to die; again, he must have died when his wife left him in his mind. Why’d she die? IS HER WORLD LIKE MINE? Is her Ronnie not a total freak? WHY’D SHE GET LUCKY AGAIN? He’s now skipping to the rat museum this city’s founder actually had a built of an unhealthy obsession with rats. After he died a few people got together and decided the best option was to kill them all. They built a suit capable of doing such. The person they did it was called the Ratcatcher. I think you understand his father’s plan now. He’s going to be the Ratcatcher. He’s going to die again.
His fingers speed across the numbers on his phone until he realizes it’s pointless, Ronnie won’t get up and pick up the house phone.
“F#ck. Damn it, Ronnie, you worthless sack of—“ Sebestian mutters under his breath until his mother from her room shouts
“DON’T YOU DARE!”
“How does she do that?”
Sebastian flies out of his room and a few seconds later his house. If he jogs he can warm Ronnie about the danger that approaches him in maybe an hour. Good thing he is in shape, somewhat.
Ronnie is just day dreaming about how he would hypnotically get back at people who screwed him over. The people didn’t screw him over; he shot himself in his feet with every step he took. He has learned what he can do to some degree and he can figure out what anything is made of, so far. His Dad spent hours cleaning the kitchen after what he did to it when he freaked. He hasn’t seen him much since he’s mainly talked through the door, crying. Blaming himself for everything, from WWII to the Black Death, he’s a wreck now a days. Ronnie isn’t really sure what is real anymore. He’s sure that he is ready to move forward with his life though, get something accomplished.
His Father is in the museum, he tore through all of the guards with one brick. He’s raving for the Ratcatcher suit. Thinking he can accomplish anything special with it. Thinking it’ll bring him to his final death. We leave him to his devices waiting for him to finish his job.
Sebastian knows Ronnie’s father isn’t home and Ronnie won’t answer the door. So he doesn’t knock he just runs all the way up to Ronnie’s room.
“RON! THEY KNOW SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH YOU!”
“WHAT? SEBESTIAN?”
“They know you’re here. They know you’re different, they found out with how much radiation you’re letting off. They’ll be here any damn second man!”
“Wait.. how do you know ANY OF THIS?!?”
"The vans, man! They are everywhere YOU WON'T MAKE IT OUT!"
"You mean we are stuck?"
"I'm not sure. I was able to find out what the vans had on the computers outside my house. We have 2 days before they are ready to take you."
"Who?"
"Some people named O.O.D."
"Ood? Um.. They didn't even try and be clever."
"Yeah, dispointing now a days isn't it?"
"So, what was that about radiation?"
"That's how they found you."
"Maybe you should stay away until we figure out away for you to be around me safely.."
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