Chapter Two

New Day New Me

 

 

"It feels good to relax once in a while, another great feeling is that my sister is leaving me alone. But there is one thing that has been bothering me, why don't I feel sad? Is that my power from that orb, does killing supes give me my power and take away my emotion? Why am I not insane after killing my parents in cold-blooded."

Z relaxed on his bed with his arms behind his head and his eyes closed, he hummed a tune from his childhood. His clothes showed more skin, not trying to hide his muscle. With everything that happened, he wore a smile with the intention of his twisted joy going on in his head. Two days passed since the snap, and Zane's mental state changed completely, his pushover attitude has entirely faded away. The way he thinks is calculated to the point of his own personality is fabricated. "Since I am going to go to school in a good hour, I should put on a smile or maybe an outgoing personality."

Z: "*Sigh, I guess it is time for school."

Z sits up cracking his neck with relief, loosening up his shoulders, "I have a good feeling today."

Z: "What should I wear, oh how about a sweater blazer with a white t-shirt and cargo pants, Nah, something to show more. I think a tee shirt with loose shorts."

He picks his wares and gets ready, only bringing his body and clothes with him, "I need to buy a new backpack tomorrow."

The wheels start to turn inside his twisted mind, "What would I gain if I took a normal person's life, would it give me powers or nothing? A thought for another time."

Z opens his door to crying in the next room, Ruby weeping softly trying not to bother Z with her tears.

"Hmm, I don't feel anything towards her, a complete stranger. I guess playing the part would hide my true intentions better."

Z knocks on her door: "Hey, Ruby, you okay."

Z put on his best caring voice, working on all cylinders.

Ruby sniffling: "Oh, um, give me a minute!"

A ruckus can be heard from inside: "Come in!"

Z opens the door, Ruby is sitting on her bed with her computer on, she is wearing pajamas with cat ears. She tries not to make eye contact with Zane, looking away.

Z: "I heard crying in your room, are you okay."

A ball in Ruby's throat: "I-I, I'm fine Z, just don't know what to do."

She sniffs holding it in, trying not to cry. Z grabs the chair putting it under him, "I need to make sure I don't break anything. God, why didn't I realize I am showing Ruby my muscles, I haven't shown anyone yet, what happens if she gets suspicious? I think she is caught up in her emotions to realize."

Z: "I am not really good at this stuff but just know that they loved you and thought of you as the savior and protector of this world. So do them proud, and I will do my thing."

Z gets up from the chair, pushing it back in.

Ruby: "What do you think they thought of you?"

Z looks over his shoulder: "The mistake."

As he closes the door behind him, his attitude towards her shifts, but he hid it in his personality and heads to school. 

 

 

#

 

 

Z makes it to the entrance of the school, kids flowing in the campus through various ways of transportation. Everyone eyed him, not even hiding it, Zane ignored it looking at the new clubs with lines to sign up.

"Maybe I should be a jock, no, that will only get me so far with popularity, I need exposure, something to hide my true intentions."

Z spots a poster reading "school president competition" giving off a wild vibe as every kid steers clear of it. The crowded campus brought a sort of protection from the bullies waiting at the building's entrance. Z squeezes through the crowd making it to the other side, the sign-up for school president was a ghost town. Z walks up to a blonde hot head, she was playing with her flames snapping her fingers on and off. She looked up as if it was a nobody then took a double-take.

Hot blonde with a red headband: "Wait, aren't you that kid whose parents died."

Zane: "Yes, why do you ask."

Blondie: "You are the talk of the school, everyone is saying you killed your friend who has superpowers while you have none."

Zane: "Sadly, but he left me no choice, either family or friend, I made a choice and it was the right one."

Blondie: "Damn, that's hard, well I just wanted to say sorry for your loss and hope you can recover. Anyway, what are you doing here."

Zane: "I am looking to sign up for president."

Blondie is shocked: "Wow, surprising everyone today aren't we."

Zane: "Yup and I hope you will be voting for me."

Blondie charmed: "I might."

She slides the clipboard to him, Z reads the participants, "Rosy, Jon, Dennis, oh Jen, and sigh*, Ruby."

Signing the paper officially entering, he takes his leave, walking to the school building. Behind him Ruby lands in the middle of the school entrance with a superhero landing, her dark wine red hair covering her face. She takes everyone's attention from Zane giving him the chance to head inside. The three hoodlums disguised as students lay about the entrance, taking up space with their lives. "No one is looking, good."

Super strength scum: "Hey guys, the dud is back."

Zane slowly clap while ominously walking closer, stopping right in his face, followed by his last clap: "How, original."

X-ray scum: "You better watch it or-."

Zane: "Or what, you gonna hurt me, beat me, Kill me. I would like to see you try."

Super strength scum: "Oh yeah, take this!"

He swings with his right arm, has no muscle at all, and hasn't trained a day in his life. Z dodges right, gripping his arm and snapping the bone at the elbow. He screams, writhing in pain, his bloody scream for help frightens the two lackeys. Z passes the two without another glance, heading into the building humming a tune of his childhood. The swarm of teens turns their heads to the scene of the crime, the brute on his knees holding what's left of his bone into his body. Z can be seen walking down the hall, Ruby managed to see it play out with her supervision as did the blondie and Jen who was speaking to her. 

"Step one, intimidation, step two, popularity."

Z makes it to the first period, his classes rotate today, the first period is P.E. A easy class for Z, excelling at P.E. Everyone focuses on their powers in Frillmen High for the superpowered. The teens never focus on their human aspect leaving the most vulnerable areas exposed. "I do take pleasure in this class, see them struggle while I triumph over them, me, a simple human with no powers."

The lockers proved a troubling opponent before, now Z doesn't have to hide his virility, Z is the first one inside and first out as he lines up in the gym. Number seventeen is his spot, sitting fairly far away from the front. The teacher pushed open the double door to the gym, only a few others stood on their numbers. The rest were still taking their time, "Ah, the only class I take enjoyment in but one little hiccup, her."

Ruby walks in, her joyest attitude has seemingly faded away, "Come on Ruby, Be stronger than this."

Z looked with disdain as she walked over to her number one spot. The teacher sauntered over to the numbers, "Lily, a good teacher, and I hope good super. I will definitely need to figure out how to dispose of a speedster."

She walks up to Ruby asking her how she is and if she needs a day off from practice. Ruby refuses, the little chat with Lily brightens Ruby's mood only a little but a small smile stays. Ruby spots Z who is already stretching just realizing Z's hulking muscles. 

Ruby under her breath: "I never noticed how fit Z is, I always thought of him as a couped-up person who never gets out."

Z always wore jogging pants with long sleeve clothes during P.E. Hiding his body from the world, now upon revealing it, he caught many eyes. Ruby wanted to get back into things but found herself falling from grace as Z rose. Z walked to the front greeting Lily as Ruby stood and stared, watching Z change before her.

Z: "Hey Lil, How was the weekend."

Lily: "Z I told you not to give me a nickname."

Z: "Yeah well times change so do rules."

Lily: "Yeah they do, anyway, how are you holding up, it must be hard."

Z: "It was hard but I look to just put it behind me and move forward, That is what my parents would have wanted."

Lily: "Just, take it easy today, don't push yourself if you don't want to."

Zane: "Okay."

Z walked back, spotting Ruby's stare, she quickly turns away to look at the other kids walking into the gym. Everyone eventually arrives standing on their numbers, "I wonder if it is only the adults who can talk to each other or is it, everyone. If everyone here knows the plan then it leaves me no choice, everyone has to die."

Everyone stretches while gossiping about the twins unfortunately for Ruby she can hear everything they talk about, luckily it was about Z and his change but still gross that they say he is hot and what he would do with that body of his. 

Lily: "Today is takedowns and hand to hand. First laps come on let's go! Oh and no powers!"

She gets the class moving, and everyone groans except Z leaving everyone in the dust holding a grin. Z gets paired up with an overly confident guy, he gives Z the stink eye as they ready themselves. Lily stands in the middle with a whistle in her mouth. 

Confident guy: "Ready to go down loser."

Z: "Not as much as your mom coming down on me last night."

She blows the whistle, the guy rushes him, Z dunks to his waist sliding behind him with both arms around his gut. Pulling back Z picked him up from the waist, slamming him on his neck. Out cold. Zane throws the poor soul off him as he ragdolls to the side.

Zane: "Pathetic."

Z walks off to get a drink while Lily and Ruby check on the murder that just happened. Everyone gathered around the guy as Z leaned against the wall, "ha, he had it coming."

The kid eventually woke up, dazed he was walked to the nurse with two others. Z gets off the wall, "I guess I should say I didn't mean it."

Z: "Sorry Lily, I was just performing a takedown."

Lily patting Z: "Don't worry about it, they could use the rough training. Just get ready for hand to hand."

Z: "Okay Lil."

Lily: "How many times did I tell you to stop calling me that!"

Z: "I guess you are going to have to suspend me."

Z twirls around hiding his sinister smile; Ruby saw him fight, his borderline flawless takedown couldn't be learned even if you trained for years. A red flag brewed in her head, she tried to walk over but was stopped by Lily.

Lily: "Your turn Ruby."

"I will talk to him about it after school."

Ruby got into position, her arms out ready to grab ahold of her opponent. Lily blew the whistle, Ruby was inexperienced with normal combat, always relying on her powers. She aimed for the lady's leg, wrapping her arm around it and swinging her opponent to the ground.

Lily: "Good!"

It continued, Z took on everyone, man or woman, they all fell; until Ruby. 

Lily: "You two don't have to do this, we can move on to the next lesson."

Zane: "It's fine by me, how about you Ruby."

Ruby: "I don't know."

Z: "It is up to you."

His smile felt ominous, sending a shiver down her back, "This will be a, 'experience'."

Ruby: "Okay."

The two are ready, waiting for Lily to blow the whistle, she blows it beginning the match. Z narrows his eyes, focusing on her hands and legs. Ruby is too busy looking at his expressions, a fear-inducing opponent he is. She goes first, grabbing at his arm, Z smacks it away. Ruby aims for the leg, Z moves his leg away from her grasp, and retaliates, he puts his leg behind hers, kicking back as he puts his palm against her face and pushes down. Shoving her head into the ground as she collapses with a thud. Z uses his knee to support him, standing up, he smirks, walking away from Ruby without giving her a hand. "You are lucky I absorbed our parents or else I wouldn't care the slightest about your wellbeing."

One of the girls helps her up to her feet asking her if she is okay only to be blocked out by Ruby, her eyes focus on Z.

Lily: "That is enough, moving on to the next lesson."

Z takes another sip of water from the fountain.

 

 

#

 

 

P.E. was grueling for most of the classmates, everyone was sweaty and fatigued, hoping for the day to be over already. Z made his way down to the cafeteria, getting today's mediocre breakfast and finding a spot by himself at a table. His plan was slowly coming to fruition, all he had to do was wait. Speak of the devil, someone sits across from him staring at him with eyes filled with curiosity. "I knew she will want to talk to me sooner or later."

Z: "Hey Jen, what is it that you want, 'Friend'."

Jen got caught off guard by the 'friend' comment: "Oh, uh yeah, hey Z, how have you been? I heard what happen and-."

Z: "I am going to stop you there, you never came to me to ask how I was feeling so I am going to ask again, what is it, that, you, want."

Before she could be caught red-handed a group of students walked up to Z.

Popular guy: "Hey kid, what's your name."

Zane: "Z."

Popular guy: "Well Z, do you mind if we sit with you."

Z: "Not at all."

The group crowds around Z kicking out Jen from the tables, Z smirked at Jen as she was pushed back from the tables. 

A popular guy holds out his hand for Z to shake: "Tyson."

Z shakes his hand: "Zane, Z for short."

Tyson: "Sorry about what happened, it must be ruff."

Z: "Don't worry about it, I am just glad to be here still kicking."

Hype man: "Yeah! Kickass!"

Tyson: "Calm down dude, so I heard you broke that dumbass senior who hangs at the front."

Zane: "He deserved it."

Tyson: "Oh yeah, he sure did. I was just saying though, you should hang out with us sometime. It will be fun."

Zane: "I will think about it."

Tyson: "Alright, I will, wait why can't I find you."

Zane: "Probably because I don't have powers and so I can't communicate."

Tyson: "Right, sorry, well I will just find you at school if we are doing anything."

Zane: "Alright thanks."

They talk to each other meeting the other groupies around Tyson. Jen sat alone picking at her food, feeling ashamed of herself for playing with Z all those years before when his parents were still alive. She was wallowing in her self-pity that she failed to notice Ruby and that blondie at the sign-ups standing over her. 

Ruby tapping her shoulder: "Excuse me, excuse me."

Jen wiped her eyes: "huh oh hello Ruby."

Ruby: "May we."

Jen nods and the two take their seats, blondie is the first to break the ice.

Blondie: "So how do you know Ruby."

Jen: "I use to talk to her brother about things and he brings you up."

Blondie: "Sorry how rude, I am Faylin and you were talking about Zane right."

Jen: "Yeah."

Faylin: "What do you mean by use to."

Jen: "I kind of, and please don't be mad Ruby but I used him for homework and projects, and then he asked me out on a date. I said no. After that and what happened, I tried to talk to him and he gave me the coldest stare I ever got, from him. It was like he hated me with every fiber of his being."

Ruby: "Serves you right."

Ruby ate her lunch letting the two chat as she observed Z from afar.

Faylin: "Ruby is right, you deserve it."

Jen: "And I know that but now that he lost everyone, I want to be there for him."

Faylin: "Liar, you probably feel that way now 'cause he completely changed. Like just look at him, hanging out with the football players like he belongs there."

Ruby chimes in while still staring at the other table: "Stupid clout catcher."

Faylin: "Who was that directed at."

Ruby: "Jen."

Faylin brandishes her flame: "Well maybe if you ask him out then it will go differently."

Jen: "Hey Ruby."

Ruby still focused on her supervision: "Yeah."

Jen: "Is it okay to date Z."

Ruby: "Break his heart and I will break your neck."

Jen: "So is that a yes."

She doesn't answer, the two separate groups eat the rest of their meals and discard the rest in the trash. Ruby, Faylin, and the kids hanging out with Z leave for their other class. Z walks out of the cafeteria, and Jen catches up with him.

Jen: "Hey Z wait up!"

Z slows but doesn't come to a full stop.

Z: "What do you want Jen."

Jen: "Can you meet me in the schoolyard after hours."

Z: "Fine, BUT, it better not be about homework."

He walks off to his second class for the day leaving her to prepare.

 

 

#

 

 

 

The second period was learning weaknesses and strengths of supes and how they can be used for good and what jobs they could take. Time flew past, Z had no thoughts about the subject besides wanting to ask the teacher how to kill a certain type of super. The last class had nothing interesting for Z, it was a super-ranking class. It will tell you how high you will be put in their list of hierarchies. The teacher was usually more of an asshole to everyone compared to the other teachers. His power is super strength and he threw his weight around most of the time. "God would he ever shut up about how great he is. I swear even if you aren't planning to take over the world, I will still have my mind set on killing you."

The time has come, after class, the same time Z asked out Jen, at the same place with the same person. This time it was her that was waiting, he makes it to the spot. Z was completely uninterested as Jen stood before him, sweaty palms and something caught in her throat. 

Zane: "I am here, what do you want."

Jen: "Um I wanted to tell you that."

She takes a deep breath: "If you would go out with me."

Z: "..."

Z: "No."

He passed her, to the exit, she rushed in front of him.

Jen: "Why!"

Z: "You don't love me, You need to find someone you are truly happy with."

His smile showed sincerity but Jen didn't budge, at her wit's end, she pulled her ace, her power to charm anyone. Her eyes glowed pink as she stared into his eyes, looking for his love only to find his emotions completely disconnected. Jen's eyes widen as she realizes his smile is fake. Her powers do not affect him.

Z holding the smile: "You are nothing to me."

He walks away holding a sinister smile for himself to relish in. Jen was shaking to her core, he lost it, his humanity, it was gone, she was talking to an empty shell. A man she hurt and swayed him to become like this and all the fear was that he would kill her and not think a second thought about it.