5.06

The three teens looked at their mentor as he lay in the bed. Various instruments surrounded his bed.

“What were you thinking?” Hunter asked.

“Doing my job.” Michael sounded a little weak.

“Going after Steamblast alone? Pretty dangerous thing to do if you ask me,” said Jimena.

“First off, I don’t have to answer to any of you. Secondly, I appreciate your concern and in finding me. I believe Steamblast would’ve killed me then and there.” Michael’s usual overfriendly demeanour was gone.

“We only saw anything because I happened to check my phone for anything going on. If I hadn’t seen the stream, then you probably wouldn’t be here right now,” said Silas.

“It was annoying. I’ve noticed doing that sort of thing is on the rise with both heroes and villains. Streaming everything they do.” Michael shook his head in frustration. “I think I’m getting way too old for any of this.”

“What’s the story with you and Steamblast?” Hunter asked.

“He was my archenemy. We fought many times and almost killed each other on multiple occasions. I foiled many plans of his and he caused me one too many headaches over the years.”

“Would you have killed him?” Jimena asked.

“Yes.” A surge of energy blasted through Michael’s voice.

“That’s not something heroes should do,” said Silas.

“Like I said, I don’t need to answer to any of you.” The three teens were shaken by the behaviour of their mentor.

“Michael…,” said Stick. Stick had received a message from Silas and made her way to The Fortress as soon as she could.

“Jadell.” Michael looked at his old student.

“Either you can explain to these kids, or I will.” Stick folded her arms. An aura of no nonsense burned around her.

“Explain what, Michael?” asked Hunter.

“Really Jadell? You’re gonna put me on the spot like this?”

“Yep. They deserve to know; they just saved your life.”

“Well well. You kids might not think of me in the same light after this.” Michael raised the bed, so he was now sitting up. He looked at each of the teens in turn and felt his heart sink.

“What happened with you and Steamblast?” Jimena asked.

“It was just over thirty years ago. Steamblast was up to his old tricks. Stealing and causing chaos. He had killed a few people this time too, something he rarely did. But this time when I approached him, it was different.”

“Why’s that?” Silas asked.

“One of the people he killed was my brother. Of all the places in Athena City my brother could’ve been, he was where Steamblast was. My brother was just a worker at the building next to where Steamblast was causing a scene. He wasn’t even directly involved in what Steamblast had done.” An old pain weighed down on Michael’s voice.

“When I caught up with him, I hadn’t even realised at first that my brother was there. Steamblast and I exchanged our usual banter and we clashed.” Michael’s voice started to crack, and Silas got him a glass of water.

“Its okay Michael,” said Jimena.

“It was only when Steamblast had the upper hand and smacked me down to the ground that I realised my brother was laying on the pavement, dead. I was only inches away from his face. The skin was covered in blisters and fear had frozen on his face.” Michael’s voice faded toward the end.

“What happened?” Hunter asked.

“Well, for the first time ever in my life, I was taken over by an uncontrollable, blinding rage. I was taken over by a new kind of energy I had never felt before. I didn’t black out; I remember everything I did.”

“You don’t have to share,” said Jimena.

“No, I do. I quickly overpowered Steamblast. He slashed him up real good and he lay on the ground, bleeding out. And do you want to know what was scary about it all?”

“What?” asked Hunter.

“It felt good. I didn’t just want to stop him, I wanted to end him. I began to laugh as I saw him there, helpless and dying.”

“What stopped you?”

“This one.” Michael nodded at Stick.

“It was not a pretty sight,” said Stick.

“Michael, its understandable. What you did,” said Jimena.

“Its understandable, yes. But that doesn’t excuse what I did. I pretty much retired from being a hero after that.”

“Michael, we don’t think differently of you,” said Hunter.

“You two need to think differently about yourselves. Being driven by revenge and anger is a dangerous thing. It can consume you whole if you let it.” Both Hunter and Jimena looked to the floor as if in shame.

“I forever changed Steamblast’s life because of what I did on that day. I had always hoped we could reach him. Have him turn around. Not become a hero but want to change from his life of villainy. But I don’t think that will happen for as long as I’m alive. I did that to him.”

“Come on you three, let’s give Michael some time to rest. Hopefully the old cook won’t try and throw his life away so quickly next time.” Stick led the three of them out of the room and down to the café.

“You three all right?” Stick asked. She ordered them each a coffee. “They make the best coffees here. What milk?”

“Full cream for us,” said Silas and he pointed at Hunter.

“Almond for me,” said Jimena. They sat at a table and waited for Stick to bring their coffees.

“So he’s not perfect,” said Silas.

“Nobody is. But it’s the path you choose afterward that really matters. You don’t want to head toward that destruction.” Stick eyed each of them.

“I still want to find out what happened to my dad. I want to confront the one who betrayed him. He deserves that justice.”

“And I still want to find out what happened to my parents. I want that closure.”

“And that’s okay. But you can’t let it consume who you are. Keep yourselves in check, surround yourselves with good people. Learn to forgive.”