Omega Kid

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the Kick-Ass comic or film written by Mark Millar, or any guest characters from other Kick-Ass fanfic's they are owned by their own writers and creators. However, all original characters in Omega Kid belong to me.

Note: The following is a rough outline of what was to happen in this chapter. I apologise for not being able to write the full chapter as intended, however, life has proven hectic and along with my plans to start writing original stories, I don't have the time needed to finish all my stories. I didn't want to leave them abandoned, so I decided to give a rough outline of the story's events so that you could see how it would have progressed and ended. I hope that you understand. Maybe one day I might come back and fully finish them as intended, but as that's up in the air, I thought that I'd end things this way rather than leave unfinished. Thank you for your time.

Chapter 60 (Rough Outline)

Friday 3rd June 2011

It should not have taken me twenty minutes to put on one shoe, even if my mind was plagued with grotesque demons.

No matter how hard I tried to play last night's events out like a bad dream or another one of Rainbow's hallucinating colour-drugs, it came to a point where I couldn't deny it…last night, we fought against literal monsters. Their jagged teeth and hard flesh were etched into my skull. Even the foul smell of their breath still made me winch.

With Douglas finally out of the picture, Toxin disbanding into nothingness, and supervillain attacks becoming less frequent, this was the last thing we needed after things felt like they were calming down. I don't know why this felt so jarring for me. It's not my first account with something supposedly supernatural. I still have nightmares about Houdini, and I'm dreading Halloween this year. Although, after last night, I say Halloween's come early.

I hissed in pain as I slipped my bad foot into my shoe after the fiftieth attempt. Sitting on the edge of my bed, I rolled my foot around until the strain around my ankle faded slightly. I cupped my hand around my neck, shuddering as my fingers grazed over the bruised skin. Maybe if I'm clever, I can pretend that the mark was a hickey.

That'll never work, I'm a terrible liar.

I almost jumped out of my skin when my bedroom door opened. Even Jenna seemed taken back by my sudden flinch. She held up her hands and waited a moment by the doorframe. ''It's just me.''

My cheeks flushed. ''Sorry. Guess I'm still feeling jittery after last night.''

''I'm not surprised,'' she remarked as she walked over and sat next to me on the bed. The dark rings under her eyes were faint but noticeable. I hate that I kept her up all night, worried sick wondering if I was still alive. Her mood didn't lift when I returned, not after I explained to her what my team and I faced. She brushed her hand gently through my hair. ''You need a haircut soon.''

The comment was so out of nowhere that I couldn't stop myself from laughing. It was just what I needed. ''It's not that bad.''

''Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you when your head is sweltering in the summer heat.''

''Summer heat? In London? That's a wild dream,'' I joked.

We were quiet once again. There was no point trying to pretend that there was nothing to talk about. This was something we were both going to have to get used to now that there were no more secrets between us. She cleared her throat and clapped her hands together. ''I can call the school. You don't have to go back in today.''

I smirked. ''As much as I would like that, I'm going to have to decline.''

She slowly nodded. ''I get it. You'll want to talk with the others.''

''That, and I think I'm on the verge of an unwanted school record of most absent days for a student who didn't get expelled.''

It wasn't false. Just because I don't like school, it doesn't mean that I want to deliberately bunk off. Especially when I'm so close to leaving Hallblock anyway. But, Jenna's assumption was the correct one. We can't delay our talk about what to do next. We don't know if this demon attack was a one-off deal or the first of a new wave of terror.

You know, after being a superhero for this long, I can't believe I haven't realised until now how dramatic I make everything sound.

''Honestly,'' Jenna spoke up. ''I'm glad. I'd rather you be in school then out there where those things might be rampant.''

While I agreed with her, the cynical part of me took over, causing me to shrug. ''Who knows? Maybe someone from my school is a demon? I bet its Mr Hoggins. He never liked me anyway.''

Jenna opened her mouth to quell my theory, but I beat her to the punch and held up a single finger to silence her.

''Don't act like it wouldn't happen. Because knowing my luck it could.''

She rolled her eyes. ''At least at school, you'll have your team to look after you.''

And I was eternally thankful for that. I'd be dead a hundred times over if it weren't for them. However, something then clicked in the back of my mind. I know that I'm going to be in school and mostly safe. What about Jenna? My heart dropped at the thought of her possibly being a target while walking to and from work. It was a one-in-a-million chance, but it was a chance that I didn't want to take.

''You should call sick!'' I blurted out.

I half-expected her to laugh. Instead, she took my worry seriously and seemed to have already contemplated that idea. ''I wish I could, but I owe work a few days back. I can't afford to take any more sick leave.''

''But…''

Now, it was her turn to silence me by cupping her hand over my mouth. I tried to argue, but my words could only be heard as incoherent mumbles. I narrowed my eyes at her, frustrated that she wouldn't let me speak. That's when her lip curled slightly upwards into a sly smile. ''I'll be safe. I've got some pepper spray on me.''

I pushed her hand away. ''You think that pepper spray will do anything against demons?''

''They had eyes didn't they?''

''Yeah…'' I hesitated for a moment. ''I think they did. They were slits like…''

''Then I have something to use against them,'' she said confidently. ''I doubt it'll come to that anyway. I promise to stay in a crowded area at all times.''

''Since when did you carry pepper spray?''

''Since I discovered my little brother was a superhero.'' She grinned.

I still didn't like it. I remember the number of hits those things took and yet they kept coming relentlessly. If a truck couldn't bring them down, then I don't think a can of pepper spray could offer much help. Still, it's not like I was in any position to argue with her.

She could probably see the irritation in my face as she tried to suppress a giggle. ''Now you know what it's like when you never listen to me and my words of concern.''

''Yeah, it sucks,'' I muttered.

We became quiet once again. After a gentle shared look, we both moved forward and hugged each other. I hated that every time we said goodbye, we feared it might be our last farewell. Then again, who knows?

I felt like a celebrity walking through the front doors of the school as dozens of eyes fell onto me. Students stared in disbelief like they had seen a ghost. I couldn't blame them. I was absent so much I'm like an ominous figure that would haunt these halls on occasion. It's hard to believe that I used to be the most forgotten person in the school at one point. Despite the attention, no one came to greet me. All I got were curious glances, disgruntled sneers or unenthusiastic shrugs. On second thought, things haven't changed all that much.

I'm trying to remember when I last came here. It had to be just before we faced Attila and Hun. That felt so long ago.

Turning the corner of one corridor leading towards the playground, I could see Rachael staring off into the distance. Stella and Megan were standing by her side. The girls were in the middle of a deep conversation. They didn't even notice me until I was practically standing right next to them. Megan saw me first, tilting her head towards me, gesturing for the others to acknowledge me. The timid girl kept a protective arm curled around the waist of her girlfriend, refusing to let her take a step away. It was pretty cute to see.

The next thing I knew, Rachael practically flung herself onto me. Her arms coiled around my body. I gladly returned her embrace, smelling the faint scent of fresh apples in her hair. When we pulled apart, her eyes fell downwards and they almost bulged out of their sockets when she spotted the mark around my neck. ''Oh my God,'' She whispered and reached out to gently stroke it.

''I'm okay,'' I said, taking her hand in my own. ''I've had worse.''

''That's supposed to make me feel better?''

Aren't I smooth like a quilt? I thought with burning sarcasm while I pummelled myself mentally with a giant fist. ''No, I-I meant…sorry, I shouldn't have said that.'' I stammered.

''When I saw your text this morning, I feared the worst,'' she glanced at Stella, in particular, the small cut above her eye. ''I can't imagine what you all went through last night.''

Stella gave her a reassuring grin. ''We're all alive, that's the important thing.''

''Amen,'' I stressed.

Timidly, Megan stepped forward. ''But…did you guys really fight monsters of some kind?''

Stella and I exchanged unsure looks. I licked my lips and turned away from them, keeping my eyes firmly on the ground as I explained. ''We don't know what we saw. It wasn't human. That much we know.''

Rachael gulped. ''So, there's no chance of it being a gang who wore masks?''

''If those were masks, they were pretty damn convincing,'' I replied. ''They're also strong. Harry knocked one over with the truck and it was back to attacking me as if nothing happened. It brushed it aside like a sneeze.''

''That's crazy,'' Rachael said. ''Do you know what they were after?''

I shook my head. ''I don't know if they could even speak.''

Considering I came to the fight late, I wasn't the best person to be asked that question. I looked over at Stella. She seemed just as lost as I was. ''I think we were just at the wrong place at the wrong time,'' She admitted. ''They came out of nowhere and attacked like wild animals.''

''But where did they come from?'' Rachael pondered, rubbing her chin. ''How have we not heard about them until now?''

Before anyone else could answer, another voice called out. ''Because we have!''

Turning around, we saw Alex and Steph rushing over towards us. Well, I say rushing, more like limply marching while trying to hide their yawns behind their hands. They almost bumped into each other a few times, and Steph looked on the verge of resting his head on his brother's shoulder and using him as a pillow. Though, I think he feared that if that happened, he'd get a sharp smack on the back of his head.

They stopped in front of us and Alex opened his mouth to speak, only for another yawn to roll out. It was infectious, as Stella and I repeat the action.

''Glad to see you two made it,'' I said.

Alex groaned and gestured to his brother. ''Yeah, well, we would have been here earlier if this idiot didn't make me think about counting sheep.''

''Shaun the Sheep was on.'' Steph defended.

''How old are you?''

''Old enough to still watch Shaun the Sheep.''

They looked ready to break out into an argument. I stopped them by clicking my fingers and dragging their attention back towards me. ''You were saying? We've heard of these things before?''

Alex half-heartedly nodded. ''Yes and no.''

I rubbed my face agitatedly, peeling some sleep out of my eyes in the process. ''Alex, please! I'm a zombie right now. Don't make riddles.''

He looked like he was going to verbally answer. He quickly sealed his lips and then went to retrieve his iPhone from his pocket. After unlocking the screen, we gathered round in a circle and watched as he scrolled through a dozen different tabs mentioning monsters, cryptozoology and other urban legends.

I felt bad about my outburst now. After I got home last night and told Jenna what happened, I got at least two hours of sleep afterwards. By the looks of it, Alex remained awake throughout the rest of the night trying to figure out what we were up against. Just when I think about throttling him, he reminds me of how awesome he is.

Megan stared at him. ''Do you know what they are?''

He sighed and shook his head. ''Not exactly. I tried finding anything that fitted their description. But, nothing was coming up.''

I arched a brow. ''Was?''

''Until I found this article with this leaked CCTV picture.'' He tapped the screen of the device and we all gasped at the sight. ''The photo's grainy, but there's no mistaking it. That's our demon. Or one of them.''

He was right. There was no way I could forget a face like that. The photo looked down onto a street, showing a hooded figure walking down a darkly lit street. While much of their face was obscure, we could see the lower half of the face, seeing the razor-sharp teeth that jutted from its jaw. The clothing was casual and discreet, and the demon didn't brandish a weapon of any kind. Still, a chill crawled up my spine.

As we remained transfixed on the picture, Alex continued. ''I tried cross-referencing this photo online. This is the only photographic proof, but I did come across a few stories of people claiming that they saw people with demonic faces walking around at night.''

''Doing what?'' I asked.

''Nothing. Just…walking around. They don't seem to want to draw attention to themselves,'' He paused to release another yawn. ''It's like reporting on the existence of El Chupacabra. We may think we're the first to have undeniable proof, but others have been coming forward with stories like this as well. I looked through the comments of the article, and all the highest voted ones were made by people who commented that the photo is fake and gay.''

Megan growled like an annoyed rabbit. ''Of course.''

Rachael straightened herself and folded her arms over her chest. ''Yeah, but there's a big difference between a rapid animal roaming the wild, and a gang of hooded monsters walking around one of the most packed cities in the world. Shouldn't there be more proof?''

''Maybe a cover-up?''

''But, why would there be a cover-up? How can such a thing even be covered up?''

Every possible answer that we might have was just leading to more questions. It didn't help that most of us were beyond tired and falling asleep on our feet. Steph was about an inch away from sleeping on Alex's shoulder, and Stella needed to pinch herself to stay awake. I wasn't faring much better. My eyes were heavy like led. I patted my cheeks firmly, both in an attempt to stir my conscious and get everyone's attention. ''Guessing about what we might be facing isn't going to do us any favours.''

''So, what will do us favours?'' Alex questioned.

''If, though I'm afraid it'll be when, we find these demons again…we might need to capture one.''

Everyone baulked at the suggestion. I couldn't say I was surprised by this reaction.

''How can we do that?'' Stella asked.

''We try to corner one-off and use their own weapons against them. They seem to love chains. So, we'll use that to take one and hopefully get answers from it.''

Rachael pouted. ''You said you weren't sure if they could speak. What if that doesn't work?''

''Then we'll find another way,'' I assured them. ''Rachael's right. They've gone this long without becoming nationwide news yet. That means they're not mindless beasts. Either they have some sort of intelligence that we can use to get answers. Or, someone is pulling the strings and keeping them in the dark.''

I could tell that no one was sure which scenario was better.

Lessons afterwards almost felt like a relief to counter all of this demon talk. The only trouble I had was trying to keep myself awake. I couldn't help but stare around at the classroom and look and the other students, jealous over how blissfully unaware they were that demons were walking the streets of London. Then again, I think I would rather know ahead of time than have them sneak up on me when I'm clueless.

The only other exciting thing to happen during the day was the Kevin situation. It's only when I see him moping around the school that I remember that the world still believes Omega Kid to be dead. I haven't done anything that's put me back into the spotlight, and I have a feeling that these demons aren't going to strike with the sun out. I couldn't think about Omega Kid's grand return yet. Everyone thinking I'm dead might give me the edge I need if any of my past enemies try something. Though, seeing Kevin become more dejected with each passing day did get to me…albeit, a small degree.

I'm looking forward to the day I somehow bring Omega Kid back from the day and see his face at the news. If I'm not demon food before then.

As the day ended, I was getting ready to pack my stuff when I saw someone approach me. Before I could even look up to see who it was, the person placed a leaflet down on my desk. I glanced up to see Chloe with a spark in her eyes.

''What do you think?'' she asked me.

She drummed her fingers against the leaflet she wanted to show me. I quickly read it. It's a sheet to sign up to join the school football team for a competition…in Brazil?

I had to read it twice to make sure I was taken in the information properly. I knew that the school went to different tournaments, but I didn't think there'd be something overseas. It would be held during the summer holidays, meaning I would technically be with Hallblock for a few more weeks. But, this was an incredible thing to participate in. Although…how long is a flight to Brazil? I shuddered at the thought.

At that moment, as if my body wanted to taunt me, the pain around my ankle returned. The memories of the last time I was trusted to be with the team flashed before my eyes. I put myself before the others and tried to play through my injuries. The last thing I needed was to repeat that mistake on a grander scale. As much as I thought it would be an awesome experience, I was nervous to risk it.

Chloe could probably sense my hesitation. ''Think about it over the weekend. You know where to find me if you decide to apply. But hurry, places will fill fast.''

''I will think about it. Thanks.'' I smiled and took the leaflet.

My team and I watched the setting sun together. It was happening later with the summer upon us, and while we did need the extra bit of sleep, it was nice to just hang out. There was always the chance that demons could surprise us at any moment. But, I felt more confident with everyone around me. If they caught me at night alone, I would be dead.

Alex was busy looking through his phone, scouting online to find any more articles about demons sightings that might prove useful. We could see his heavy eyes close and open over and over again. He was doing his best, so I didn't want to poke fun at him. Stephen didn't wait to doze off, using Patricia's shoulder as a pillow while the superheroine was busy fixing a new lens onto her camera.

''Do you think if I get a picture of one, we could post it and warn people about these demons.'' She inquired.

Harry scoffed. ''Great idea, but how many people will believe it? Anything can be manipulated on a photo these days.''

With this topic going nowhere, we shifted to more casual conversations about school and future plans. Silver was the only one who didn't join the group banter. It was strange because she was usually the first to throw a quip or a dirty joke in the middle of a sentence. She wasn't acting differently, but she wasn't acting her usual self either. I thought about asking her if everything was okay. I guess she was still trying to comprehend this idea of fighting real demons.

By the time night had fallen, the cold wind challenged us to quit and go home. We persisted. There was something in my gut telling me that something was going to happen tonight. By now, I've learned to trust that gut feeling.

''Hey, Thomas,'' Alex called over to me. ''Did you sign up for that football tournament in Brazil?''

''I'm still thinking it over.''

''What?'' he gasped. ''Come on, it'll be sick. Plus, it might be the last chance we get to hang out all together like school mates. Even Steph has signed up. Hell, Stella and Megan are going.''

I glanced over at Stella, arching my brow. She smiled and shrugged. ''We're going with the medical team.''

''Does Megan know about that stuff?''

''Not really, but we didn't tell the coach that.'' She winked. Her smile then faltered slightly. ''We'll both be going to different colleges after the summer. It'll be a nice vacation before then.''

My lips remained sealed. The others could read me like a book. Even Dee seemed to be questioning my reluctance as she came over to sit next to me. ''The best school trip my school could offer was a tour of the new cafeteria that had been set up before it was demolished due to miscommunication with the construction team. I think you should go for it. What have you got to lose?''

''Any hope of leaving Hallblock on good terms. I think there'll be a bounty put on my head if I mess up with the school team again. I said I'll give it some thought. I just feel like I might…'' I stopped talking, instinctively reaching down to clutch my sore ankle. I resisted the urge to rub it, but I noticed the way Stella was watching me. I did not doubt that she suspected something was off.

Suddenly, the city is plunged into darkness as all the lights go off. Everything from the lamps on the streets to even the bulbs flickering in houses died. We all jumped to our feet and grabbed our phones to use them as lights. This wasn't going to be suitable for long. As I began to wonder if it might just be a city-wide power outage, a new beam of light shone from a couple of streets beyond us. It almost looked like a rave walking through the streets. It even sounded like one too with music blaring loud enough to make my insides rumble.

We quickly hurried towards the light, keeping our distance, just in case we were dealing with not-so-friendly people.

Peering around the street corner, we spotted a large group of people wearing neon-lit hoodies and masks marching down the streets with baseball bats and machetes. They held aloft a banner proclaiming themselves as 'The Reapers.' The thought did occur to me that they could be demons, but this was the complete opposite of the secrecy my friends and I talked about earlier today. I could see onlookers watching the march through their windows, even recording it on their phones. It wasn't a coincidence that this flashy group arrived just as the power in the city switched off. They wanted to be noticed.

''Should we leave them?'' Dee asked me. ''They don't seem to be causing trouble yet, other than the power outage.''

She was right. They weren't damaging any public property or squaring off against another group. It just felt like a protest that wanted to get its message across. The only problem was we weren't sure what that message was.

''Let's follow them for now,'' I said.

While we did our best to follow them at a manageable distance, we were forced to retreat when the police showed up the quell the Reapers. Despite being met with an opposing force, the flashy mob did nothing to spark violence.

''What is the point of all this?'' I questioned. ''There's no clear idea over what they're protesting. There has to be a reason they've gone through all this effort…''

''Guys…'' Harry interrupted. I turned to see he was glancing through the scope on his bow towards an alleyway. ''We've got company.''

And there it is.

Our friendly neighbourhood archer had spotted something emerging from the shadows to take members of the Reapers. They would reach around and cup their hands around their mouths and drag them away before anyone could notice. The ambushers were cloaked in dark hoods, but the chains wrapped around their arms gave us a clue on who they were.

''I think we've waited long enough,'' I said and we immediately jumped into action to rescue those who were abducted by the demons.

We weaved through the alleys and snuck up on the demons, taking them by surprise and freeing the captive Reapers, who were already being beaten into bloody pulps. The demons were as deadly as before. I couldn't even tell if this was the same ones we've already faced or if this was a new batch, not that it mattered because they were just as determined to smash our heads in.

As we fought against them, one pinned me against a wall. Looking down, I spotted one of the Reapers discarded machetes next to my foot. I grabbed it and swung just as the demon threw a punch at me. The blade carved into its knuckles, blocking his attack. Red blood poured from its hand onto the floor. However, it continued to press against me, not caring that the machete was slicing deeper into its flesh. The machete was now being pushed towards me. It was inches from my face before Silver kicked the demon away and freed me.

Much like before, it didn't matter how hard we hit them, they would keep getting back up. Bobby, Harry and I hurried to drag some of the injured Reapers away from the fight. One of them grabbed my arm, coughing up blood. ''What are they?''

''We don't know,'' I replied.

The Reaper pulled down their mask. She looked younger than Steph. ''I thought we could take them ourselves.''

''You were trying to draw out the demons?''

She nodded weakly. ''We've known about them for months. They've been attacking people. It doesn't matter how many of us report what we saw, no one will believe us. So, we created a group and planned to fight them.''

''And you had to knock out the power in the whole city to do that?''

She flinched at my words. ''We didn't cause the power cut.''

As we fell silent, an explosion from the street almost shattered my eardrums. I turned around and dashed out of the alley to see what had happened. One of the police cars was up in flames. Riots had broken out between the police and the Reapers. If the Reapers were only interested in the demons, why would they start attacking the police all of a sudden? I had my answer soon enough when I saw something illuminate in the background. From out of the shadows, a demon had set off what looked like a Molotov cocktail and tossed it at another police car. This explosion knocked some people back. Bodies caught fire. I could see people try to help, but the chaos was too overwhelming for any kind of order to be restored.

The demon prepared to throw another cocktail.

''Someone stop it!'' I shouted, hoping anyone would hear me.

Thankfully, Harry was one step ahead. He fired an arrow, hitting the bottle in the demon's hand, causing it to reign fire all over its monstrous body. A ghastly shriek echoed throughout the night as it ran away before any of the police could take notice.

That seemed to be the demon's cue to retreat. They crashed right through us and ran in all directions. We couldn't even apprehend one of them. Hearing more police sirens in the distance, we knew that we couldn't stay. The Reapers' numbers dwindled as the police started to take control of the situation. There were still brawls happening around, but we couldn't do anything about it. Once Stella made sure that the Reapers we saved were okay, we made our exit.

''I thought you were dead!'' The Reaper I helped save cried out.

''Not yet,'' I called back. ''And we'll find out what these things are. I promise.''

I hope that doesn't come back to bite me in the ass.

Saturday 4th June 2011

It was all over the news the following day.

Of course, there was no mention of us or the demons. All the blame for the riots and the power outage was placed on the Reapers, who were seen as nothing more than a bunch of thugs trying to start trouble. We knew that it had to be the demons who were the culprits behind the power cut. They robbed the city of light so that they could work in the shadows. The good news was that there were no mentions of casualties. If we hadn't arrived, I don't think those Reapers who were taken by the demons would have survived.

Still, all the talk was about the damage to police vehicles and the officers who were taken to hospital with severe burns. The media saw it as another crazy day in London where we were at the mercy of supervillains and gangs.

This gave MP Isabel Ciara another chance to take a swipe at the Prime Minister for failing to ensure the safety of everyone. I was almost starting to feel bad for the guy.

''Hmm…'' Jenna hummed so quietly I almost missed it. We were sat together in the living room watching the news. ''That's the last thing Milo White needs after a vote of no confidence.''

I agreed. The timing seemed to be too perfect for his downfall. I did not doubt that he was going to lose his seat as Prime Minister. And while several candidates could succeed him, it was clear that the public liked the take-charge attitude of Isabel. But, from what I can remember, there is someone already in line to take over should Milo step down.

At that moment, something clicked in the back of my mind. ''Jenna, if Milo goes, who takes over?''

''I think it's Judith O'Hare. She's in the same party as Milo. Why?''

''Because I'm now convinced the demons aren't wild animals. I've got a feeling they want to sink their teeth into the next election.''

To Be Continued…