GrimunTheGr8 t1_j0oqiqs wrote on December 18, 2022 at 7:21 AM

Pt 1

I loved watching super heroes of old. The epic battles, the crazy moments of heroism…! I watched it cheering for the good guys when I was younger….then, I grew up. I stopped cheering when it all just…became an inconvenience.

Then I developed powers. Powerful incredible, super special powers. And perhaps a small, childish part of me always felt I had an obligation to use my powers for good. But by then the glamor had died in my eyes. Yet, everyone, everywhere I look stared expectantly, as if I was always, from the moment I was BORN, destined to be a hero.

So….I became one. But I never Intended to get too far into the action. I’m a creative guy. And with something as nebulous as time at my command, there are ways I could be a hero, and a bystander.

I wish it could’ve stayed that way, forever…..

—————————————

I stroll around a city street, watching my phone. It’s some random meme collection or something, I don’t really care. I feel a cop approach me from behind.

“Sir, you need to step back, th-this is a war zone her-“ BOOM-!!

A robot arm goes crashing down next to me, crushing the guy. Poor dude.

Well, almost. I raise my hand, shifting it a bit. The world around the cop shifts, and time…reverses. I shove the cop aside and he barely avoids his previous fate of getting crushed.

“Wh-wh, h-how di-did y-you-“

Oh great, he survived the initial hit. Or at least, didn’t die instantly.

“Don’t worry about it, just leave.”

“B-but sir? Y-you still should-“

Ugh. What a pain. I fish out my hero registration card, almost shoving it in his face.

Hero name: Contrarium Power: Reversal

“Y-you’re a hero? Th-that’s-“

“Mmhm. If you’ll- ooh?” Ah, I think I heard something funny from the video….

“Heh, hah hah-!”

THOOOOM-!

“Crap, another gas main. I’ll catch you later.”

GrimunTheGr8 t1_j0oqkew wrote on December 18, 2022 at 7:21 AM

Pt2

I run off, towards the explosion. The robot must’ve diverted power to the remaining arm, shoving….

“Who was the robot fighting again? And who’s controlling-?”

SMASHHHH!

“Ah, Maximus. Must’ve had a rough week.” The hero rockets out of the crater the robot shoved them into, punching the robot up.

“Hmm…looks like a Don of Destruction creation…or, no, spikes was a thing for the Mastermind! Although they’ve been changing it up recently….let me see.”

As I use my abilities, rewinding time and restoring the gas pipe, and undoing the explosion and saving the people and property on the block, I look up who Maximus is fighting now….

“Ah! It WAS Mastermind! Although their machines are usually harder to destroy….I-“

CRASHHHH-!

Seems Maximus won…by ripping the perpetrator out of the robot…sending it hurtling to the ground.

“Ugh. More falling crap….” I ran forward, just as the machine was about to crash down and raise my hand.

“This might take some effort in my part..!” Well, not too much. The machine is lighter than I thought it would be. It did’t take much to freeze it in time, siphoning the momentum it had into my body….

“What the…something’s not-“ WHOOSH-

Maximus comes to a halt in front of me, the doctor in his grip.

“Heh hah, spiffy work as always son. Not a building damaged. It’s like the fight never happened!”

“[Sigh], It’s Contrarium, and, I agree, in more ways than one. This seems too easy….”

“Well Contraire, when you’re as experienced as I am…it all looks easy~”

“Ugh, that’s not what I-“

“Toodolii, Toodleoo!” He rushes off, zooming towards the prison island with a THWOOOSH!

[God I hate that catchphrase….arrogant mother…]

I can only think it in my head, thanks to his MAXIMUM HEARING! Pretentious prick.

“Well, this is a job well done I’m pretty sure. Cleanup crew’s already disassembling the robot, and I don’t see too much damage I haven’t fixed….”

Just to be sure though, I pull out a small drone, and toss it up. It scans a local area, checking for collateral damage I missed. Sure enough I don’t find anything physical. But….something still seems off.

I’m inclined to check out the robot, pushing past some disassembling crew members. I get some weird looks, and pretty sure a few people try ti stop me, but I shrug them off. I even turn down my video to investigate this feeling, single mindedly.

I look into the cockpit, where our brave hero smashed a hole straight through. Just a small peek….

I see something immediately odd. A flashing light, connected to a briefcase, slowly beeping faster….and faster….and faster…..oh.

Ohhhh. Ohhh SHIT.

This was a bomb wasn’t it? It HAD to be a big one too, there’s bo reason to leave a small one just laying around. Even if it wasn’t supposed to be set up as a type of trap, to put a bomb in a seat not two feet from you means this is probably a last resort weapon. Either way, it was trouble, BIG trouble.

“Get back get back GET BACK-!” I shout at the top of my lungs, shoving people away. They seem to get the message, vaguely running back while still staring confused at me.

“Ok….ok, how do I….”

I could attempt to contain the energy of the blast, but I don’t know how large that would be- And I already assume it’s gonna be big. Real big. The best thing to do would be this.

“Ok, ok…disassemble, component, by component. First, the shell…”

I toss up the case, freezing it in the air. First, I unmake the metal casing of the case, reducing it back to it’s original molecular form.

Next, carefully, the power sou-

“Wh-what?!” As the case decays to nothing, I see an odd setup. Bags of what I can only assume to be explosive materials…and wires, all wrapped around a….green crystal. Of some sorts. Regardless if that….

“What is this…I can’t rewind it!” It seemed to be blocking out my powers…like it was under a faraday cage of sorts….

I stare at it for a while, only a civilian’s voice brings me back.

[ah, yeah…bomb. Well…I can just destroy the connections to the source of power. Those wires….]

They were plugged into the rock somehow…well, with wire. It resembled a battery project you’d do in 7th grade. Regardless, THAT i can destroy.

The beeping stopped, and I breathed a sigh of relief as the bomb wen inert.

Dropping the contraption to the ground, I slowly and gingerly picked it up, a few workers huddling around to see what it was.

The green gem glowed ominously. almost pulsing with life.

“…..The hell are you…?” It seemed to grow heavier in my hands…a bit hotter too.

“….”

I always felt I had an obligation to use my powers for good. I never wanted to get into the action though…..

I should’ve known though. In this profession, it’s only a matter of time before the action drags you in, like it or not.