Chapter 14

Phoenix helped me into the car and again appeared next to me. This time I didn’t jump or hit my head�"I guess I was getting used to it. The car started with a roar and as we pulled out Phoenix grabbed my hand.

When we were a few blocks from the restaurant, making sure no one could hear, I leaned over to Phoenix and in a whisper asked, “why did Ryder get so upset when you told him what happened?”

His face went serious as he tilted it down to me. His lips kissed the top of my head. “My father used to beat us.”  I gasped. Larson Oreson, Mr. Perfect father and husband? He had amazing powers, to think what he could’ve done to all of them. “Do you remember the fight between Ryder and my father?” I nodded. The two fought above the city for hours. The Oreson’s had to pay million in damages. It still is one of the biggest internet video and news sensations around.

Phoenix got more serious. “It wasn’t Ryder,” he paused and looked me in the eye. “It was me.” He spoke harshly as his voice lowered. “That night Ryder was home alone with my youngest sister Jazz. Veronica, she was at college and my mom had gone shopping with the twins, when my father got home he ran over Jazz’s bicycle that had been left out by Jazz.  She was only four at the time. Larson marched in and commenced with beating her to nothing but a bloody pulp. Ryder caught him and ran for my sister. He fell in front of her and took the beatings. I had been at football practice most of the night and walked into this bloody mess. Ryder was swollen and bleeding but kept coming back for more from my dad�"all to save Jazz.” Phoenix paused. “Ryder called out to me, ‘help Jazz!’” Phoenix again paused and turned his face towards me and then back to the road. “You’ve never met Jazz, but you’ll soon realize that she is one of the most beautiful human beings and Heroes on this planet. She would never hurt a fly, let alone set up her bike so that my father would purposely drive over it.” another pause broke through his words. I could tell that this wasn’t an easy story for him to re-tell. “So I ran to her bloody body. My father had thrown her through a glass table.” I gasped. It’s amazing how people really are in the safety of their own home.

“I began pulling glass from her body and healing as much as I could. Now Ryder could focus on defending us. My sister has scars all up and down her arms and legs from the glass. She still carries one large slit above her right eyebrow. Remember, I just take the pain away and fix bones and skin, and Veronica was gone.” I nodded, showing him I was still listening. “I suited up and flew my sister to the hospital, I knew she was fine but she was away from my father. When I got home one of our large windows was broken out. Ryder laid there motionless�"lifeless. I drug him into the house and healed him also as well as I could. He was thrown back first through the window, so the only visible scar is one straight down his spine on his neck.” Phoenix still drove and was as serious as I’d ever seen him.

“Larsen had suited up and went out to the city. Ryder was a lot smaller at that time. We were about the same size and you know all of us look almost exactly the same, also with all the confusion I took Ryder’s striped mask.” The Oresons shared the same silver costume decorated with dark black belts and stripes. On their chest they wear a golden O for Oreson. They each have different colored masks, gloves, and boots, so they can be noticed differently. “As you know Ryder and my suits look the most alike.” Phoenix wore just black for gloves and boots, but his mask was shaped differently. Where Ryder’s was black pinstriped. “So I went up and beat my father as if I was Ryder�"you know that story.” I nodded.

Phoenix sighed, “My father’s hated me since. Ryder left as you know, and at 10 I too became my father’s sidekick. I didn’t want it and he didn’t want me next to him at all, but my mother would not let the seven year old Zane and Tex become the new sidekicks. My father has always favored those two. He got two for the price of one I guess.” You could almost see the disappointment radiating off of his face. Every little boy wants to be accepted by his father. This doesn’t change as you get older. I could see this now.  

Phoenix snorted away the disappointment. “When I leave they’re in for a lot.”

“So at ten you beat up one of the most feared Heroes ever?” I asked sounding like some entertained little boy.

He smiled boasting a little, “I sure did.”

The car turned and my mind went back to what we were doing. Ahead of us was a bright green sign that red Mcpiggys miniature golf. A pig in a kilt leaned against the letters. My heart sank in my chest�"miniature golf. This could not be a good idea. I was very, very uncoordinated. This would be an embarrassment

I laughed awkwardly as Phoenix pulled in. “We figured you humans would like it. We come out here, the three of us. We try to get out here once a week. It keeps us normal.” Phoenix put an emphasis on normal. We both knew that he could never really be normal.

We pulled into the gravel driveway and parked next to Veronica and Jackson. Veronica was bent over re-strapping her heels on. Jackson walked around his car to her side. They were so cute. You could see the love they had for each other in how they acted. Veronica was one of the most successful most famous women in the world and she was with the lowest key and average man around.

Jackson stroked the back of his hand down Veronica’s perfectly toned arm as he waited for her to finish strapping the tall heels. When she was finished his palm tilted up letting her grab it for support. She balanced in her heels on top of the uneven gravel with his help of support.

My door opened and I stepped out. Jackson had wrapped his arms around Veronica tightly and nuzzled his nose into the base of her neck�"she let him. We looked around to see no Ryder or Jo. They had left before us. Veronica huffed impatiently “find them please Phoenix.”

Phoenix’s eyes lit up making an illuminated circle around us. They quickly shut off.  Red appeared on the top of her soft cheeks, “We should start without them. They’ll catch up.” We all knew what he meant by the embarrassed look on his face.

We walked up to the booth. A young kid from our high school gave us our clubs and balls and we started on the first hole. Jokes flew as we each took a turn at the hole. Most of the jokes soared as I took my turn at swinging the ball.  As I swung a second time a large scream from tires rubbing against the pavement came from the road then the sound of a car sliding across gravel echoed in our ear canals.

“What a show off.” Veronica snorted�"it must be Ryder.

“No, something’s wrong.” We all soon felt the tension in the air as phoenix spoke his sentence we watched the entrance waiting for Ryder or Jo to come around the corner. Ryder ran onto the green carpet with Jo attached to his hand behind him. His eyes went to the others in the course. “Everyone get out of here. Get inside somewhere.”

My heart raced and I felt a sudden panic that the whole golf course felt. What was going on? Jo looked panicked and frightened almost as if she had seen a ghost. The people ran around in a wild frenzy they had nowhere to go�"nowhere to hide. A Hero was telling them to get to shelter that they didn’t even have. Ryder ran to us with a strange look in his eyes. I think it was almost excitement. “Wow,” Phoenix said rudely to his brother “you really haven’t done this for awhile.” Ryder glared at him as he realized the tone Phoenix was taking. I still had no idea what was going on�"no one did. Phoenix looked at the hysteric teenager from our school who trying to get control of the mass of people running about. “Kevin!” That was apparently the kids’ name�"I had no idea. “Is there an underground storage unit?” Kevin nodded quickly as he listened to Phoenix’s words. “Get everyone down there.” Phoenix smiled at the boy. 

Kevin hustled people around his shack and down underground the make-shift safety room. My attention went back to this circle we had now created with our bodies with the Oreson Heroes. All three pairs of eyes were lit up brightly like the stars in the sky. Ryder was the one talking, “Inferno has broken out of prison and is now, of course, attacking the city.”

“Wonderful!” Veronica sighed realizing her relaxing night may be over. “Where’s Larson?” Everyone looked at Phoenix who was already looking. All of a sudden the three Heroes turned to look back at the city. Phoenix stood in front of me and squeezed his hands around my wrists. All of a sudden each of their eyes illuminated even brighter.

Before I could even see what happened I was pushed to the ground. My back slammed against two warm hands. Phoenix had caught me before I hit the soft plush green ground. His body was only a few inches hovering above me. His breathing hardened and there was a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. A flash of light appeared above him and was followed by and earsplitting crash. My hands smashed my ears into the side of my head. The sound echoed painfully throughout my skull. The heat from the fireball radiated off of my skin. It hit very close to the miniature golf course. Inferno must’ve known we were here.

A smile twitched at Phoenix’s lips�"this was getting exciting for him. He stood and took my body with him. Jo and Jackson were both being pulled up the same time I was. The three siblings were now on a level us humans couldn’t come close to imagining. “He’s not there,” Phoenix finally answered with a smirk spread wide across his face.

The sibling’s eyes shot open. In an instant they started pulling off clothing. Both Ryder and Phoenix ripped their shirts open to expose the silver suit underneath. Breath escaped from my lungs into a gasp as I saw the silver suit up close. His suit was hardly ever seen unless you were the one being saved. I wanted badly to reach out and touched the fabric. Instead I just watched as he and his siblings got dressed. He pulled his gloves on along with his boots. The last piece was pulled from his belt built into the suit. The mask covered most of his face which made it hard to recognize him.

I looked around to see the other two Oresons fully clothed and masked. Jackson stood next to Veronica with his arms crossed on his chest as if he was bored. When inside of me, and I’m sure Jo, blood was racing making my whole body shake. The adrenaline pounded inside my head and I felt that at any moment I would explode with excitement.

Phoenix spoke, “I’m the only that can freeze Inferno so Veronica, you heal the wounded and hide the citizens, when they’re safe try to rebuild the city.” She nodded and wrapped her arms around Jackson tightly.

“Ryder, you of course will help me, especially if he’s brought help.”

“I’m with you one hundred percent, bro.” Ryder saluted him and then put his arms around Jo just like Jackson and Veronica.

Phoenix turned around to me. “You should get underground with the rest.” 

I was about to protest when from behind Jackson yelled, “You think I’m going to miss this one?” We all turned to him. Jackson had turned into the small circle we had created earlier and he stared at each of us. “Collin, Jo, if you want to come I’ll watch out for you.”

My eyes filled with joy and enthusiasm. “Fine with me,” Veronica chimed happily. She loved when she had an audience to cheer her on. “Come on boys it’s the first time we’ve ever worked all together�"alone. Let them see it. Inferno’s not a big threat at all. I could beat him with my eyes closed. now grow some balls before dad beats us there.”

Ryder and Phoenix shared a look that seemed almost embarrassed. I was beginning to realize that if Larsen didn’t run the family Veronica would. “Jackson, you must promise that if something happens you’ll call out to anyone of us.” Phoenix said sternly as his eyes glanced quickly over to me. He always had my safety in the front of his mind.

“Even if it means calling Jazz. I promise you Phoenix, that I won’t let any harm come to them.” Jackson patted Jo’s shoulder as he wrapped his arm around Veronica’s waist.

Phoenix sighed and returned his gaze to me, “Be careful,” he whispered to me again like he did the night he saved me. Ryder’s hand touched my shoulder and with a flash we were gone. 

Reviews

[Shayne Plunk]

I like this chapter, but I think a couple of them got swapped up. I think the one you put as chapter 7 was supposed to be after this one. *sweatdrop* I had to skip over it because I was confused.

Anyway, nice chapter. ^^