Marvelous Bob
Chapter 2:
Part Two.
"I heard about the bank."
She always does this. It’s been two weeks, and now, over coffee, I’m going to get the Big Sister Lecture.
But that’s Maria.
"I know we’ve talked about this before. I thought we agreed that you weren’t going to kill people."
The bank wasn’t people. It was a guy like me, with powers, and if I didn’t stop him then and there, who knows the damage he could have done.
"But you didn’t have to kill him."
I try to explain that there wasn’t time to think of other options. He was slitting a little girl’s throat, she was going to die. I picked her life over his, and I’ll do it again when I have to.
She’s silent now. That means she’s pissed. She’s just looking at me.
Please don’t tell mom.
I say it in the say way I used to when I was five. It always worked then.
"I won’t."
But she’s still angry, there’s something else she wants to say.
"Bob..."
I’m fine.
"You don’t know I was even going to ask you anything. You said you couldn’t read my mind."
I don’t need to read your mind to see that you want to know about Laura. She’s dead. After her, I found three more, and each time I was too late to even watch them die, let alone try to save them.
"How did she die? It’s not in the paper, it just says she, and other people who know you, are dead."
Her heart exploded.
And it’s not "other people" it’s only women. So far.
I don't want to talk about this now.
So I ask about mom.
She’s still quiet. She wants to talk about it some more. She always does this.
She answers me anyway.
"Better. You should go see her."
I promise that I will.
"You should go see Frank, too."
This time I'm the one who's quiet.
Then I hear a scream.
"Go on, I’ve got this."
Shit, the check. I didn’t even bring my wallet.
But there’s still the scream.
I give her a look that says "I’ll pay you back" and she gives me one that says "I know you
won’t, and you don’t have to, either".
She always does that.
I follow the sound of the screaming, they’ve turned to cries now.
I can hear a voice asking God why.
I see a crowd of people, and they slowly part as I land.
Then it’s quiet.
She’s dead.
I can see inside her chest, it’s her heart, just like the others.
Hello, Linda.
Haven’t seen you in a while.
So how’re things?
But her corpse doesn’t give me any answers, and the flight to the morgue is a quiet one.
When I get home, there’s a message on the machine.
"Bob, hi, this is UltraVac... we met at that thing at the bridge last year? Only, I was MightyVac then. Anyway, a couple of guys and I were talking and we were thinking about putting a group together, and your name came up. So, if you’re interested... uhm, gimmie a call at 555-2952 and let me know."
I remember the thing at the bridge.
I also remember that guy’s costume.
I won’t be calling him back.
I check the fridge, grab a quick swig of milk, and head downstairs to see Jenkins.
My rent is late. Again.
He makes sure to remind me about the late fee. Again.
He’s a good man, though.
Over Christmas he had everyone in the building down to his place for a party.
I wasn’t there, there was something going on at the power station, but Laura said it was very nice.
Damnit.
Part Two.
"I heard about the bank."
She always does this. It’s been two weeks, and now, over coffee, I’m going to get the Big Sister Lecture.
But that’s Maria.
"I know we’ve talked about this before. I thought we agreed that you weren’t going to kill people."
The bank wasn’t people. It was a guy like me, with powers, and if I didn’t stop him then and there, who knows the damage he could have done.
"But you didn’t have to kill him."
I try to explain that there wasn’t time to think of other options. He was slitting a little girl’s throat, she was going to die. I picked her life over his, and I’ll do it again when I have to.
She’s silent now. That means she’s pissed. She’s just looking at me.
Please don’t tell mom.
I say it in the say way I used to when I was five. It always worked then.
"I won’t."
But she’s still angry, there’s something else she wants to say.
"Bob..."
I’m fine.
"You don’t know I was even going to ask you anything. You said you couldn’t read my mind."
I don’t need to read your mind to see that you want to know about Laura. She’s dead. After her, I found three more, and each time I was too late to even watch them die, let alone try to save them.
"How did she die? It’s not in the paper, it just says she, and other people who know you, are dead."
Her heart exploded.
And it’s not "other people" it’s only women. So far.
I don't want to talk about this now.
So I ask about mom.
She’s still quiet. She wants to talk about it some more. She always does this.
She answers me anyway.
"Better. You should go see her."
I promise that I will.
"You should go see Frank, too."
This time I'm the one who's quiet.
Then I hear a scream.
"Go on, I’ve got this."
Shit, the check. I didn’t even bring my wallet.
But there’s still the scream.
I give her a look that says "I’ll pay you back" and she gives me one that says "I know you
won’t, and you don’t have to, either".
She always does that.
I follow the sound of the screaming, they’ve turned to cries now.
I can hear a voice asking God why.
I see a crowd of people, and they slowly part as I land.
Then it’s quiet.
She’s dead.
I can see inside her chest, it’s her heart, just like the others.
Hello, Linda.
Haven’t seen you in a while.
So how’re things?
But her corpse doesn’t give me any answers, and the flight to the morgue is a quiet one.
When I get home, there’s a message on the machine.
"Bob, hi, this is UltraVac... we met at that thing at the bridge last year? Only, I was MightyVac then. Anyway, a couple of guys and I were talking and we were thinking about putting a group together, and your name came up. So, if you’re interested... uhm, gimmie a call at 555-2952 and let me know."
I remember the thing at the bridge.
I also remember that guy’s costume.
I won’t be calling him back.
I check the fridge, grab a quick swig of milk, and head downstairs to see Jenkins.
My rent is late. Again.
He makes sure to remind me about the late fee. Again.
He’s a good man, though.
Over Christmas he had everyone in the building down to his place for a party.
I wasn’t there, there was something going on at the power station, but Laura said it was very nice.
Damnit.