Here is this week's speculative fiction prompt. I'm not labeling it this week, so take it whatever direction you choose. Have fun with it!
You have a superpower, but it only works when adrenaline courses through your veins.
Showing posts with label super heroes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label super heroes. Show all posts
Monday, November 14, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
#FridayFlash--He's Back
He's Back
by Eric J. Krause
He sat perched on the stony edge of the roof of the American United Banks building, looking every bit the iconic gargoyles he named himself after. Crime festered below, from the petty crooks shaking down helpless citizens to the mastermind costumed supervillains whose crazy schemes could net millions in a single night. They'd all grown complacent, cozy, in his absence, but that ended tonight. Tonight they'd remember the fear that compelled safety in the streets for so long.
Politics had driven him away. With no crime, less police officers were needed. With cutbacks looming, the officer's union sprang into action, condemning costumed vigilantes, as they called him. Once the darling of the police force, the Gargoyle now found himself ordered shot on sight. The union rallied the public into a frenzy with TV, radio, and Internet smear campaigns. It wasn't long before he had to endure taunts, boos, and heckles anytime he showed up to stop a crime. The hurled rocks and broken bottles came next, followed by pot-shots from .22s and bigger caliber guns. John Q. Public proved more hazardous than the actual criminals. So he gave them their way and left town.
Pleas from civic leaders started not two weeks later. "Save us, Gargoyle. We're sorry for how we treated you. Please come back." And on and on, over and over. He knew he'd relent and return, but first he let them stew in their own juices. Let them see how ineffectual the crooked police union had become. He considered a press conference to announce his return, but that was never his style. Next he thought about a fireworks and laser light show as he burst into action, but that was too flashy. No, it had to fit him, and what better way to come back than by simply showing up and stopping crime? The murmurs in the underground would scare a great deal many crooks into going straight before he ever had to face them.
He spread his oversized wings and launched into the night. It didn't matter where he landed; each street in the city had turned into a cesspool needing his immediate attention. First he'd clean out the vermin on the streets, then decimate the costumed heavies, and finally destroy the corrupt police union. This great metropolis deserved nothing less.
He was back. Evil beware.
by Eric J. Krause
He sat perched on the stony edge of the roof of the American United Banks building, looking every bit the iconic gargoyles he named himself after. Crime festered below, from the petty crooks shaking down helpless citizens to the mastermind costumed supervillains whose crazy schemes could net millions in a single night. They'd all grown complacent, cozy, in his absence, but that ended tonight. Tonight they'd remember the fear that compelled safety in the streets for so long.
Politics had driven him away. With no crime, less police officers were needed. With cutbacks looming, the officer's union sprang into action, condemning costumed vigilantes, as they called him. Once the darling of the police force, the Gargoyle now found himself ordered shot on sight. The union rallied the public into a frenzy with TV, radio, and Internet smear campaigns. It wasn't long before he had to endure taunts, boos, and heckles anytime he showed up to stop a crime. The hurled rocks and broken bottles came next, followed by pot-shots from .22s and bigger caliber guns. John Q. Public proved more hazardous than the actual criminals. So he gave them their way and left town.
Pleas from civic leaders started not two weeks later. "Save us, Gargoyle. We're sorry for how we treated you. Please come back." And on and on, over and over. He knew he'd relent and return, but first he let them stew in their own juices. Let them see how ineffectual the crooked police union had become. He considered a press conference to announce his return, but that was never his style. Next he thought about a fireworks and laser light show as he burst into action, but that was too flashy. No, it had to fit him, and what better way to come back than by simply showing up and stopping crime? The murmurs in the underground would scare a great deal many crooks into going straight before he ever had to face them.
He spread his oversized wings and launched into the night. It didn't matter where he landed; each street in the city had turned into a cesspool needing his immediate attention. First he'd clean out the vermin on the streets, then decimate the costumed heavies, and finally destroy the corrupt police union. This great metropolis deserved nothing less.
He was back. Evil beware.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
#FridayFlash--Her Past
Her Past
by Eric J. Krause
He dug through all the crap at the bottom of the closet, grimacing as he did. It was here somewhere. But, damn it, he couldn't find any sign. Hell, if she knew he was looking for it, let alone if he found it, she'd be pissed beyond reason. That made this a fool's errand, but he'd be the first to admit he was one of the biggest fools around.
Ever since they started dating, he knew she had a past. That was no surprise; everyone had one. Her past was different, though--it was hers and he loved her. He shouldn't care, shouldn't give a damn one way or the other. She loved him, and that's all that should matter. But he had to know. He'd heard too many rumors, too many whispers.
And that brought him to her closet. It all connected somewhere in here amongst the mess. Underneath all of the discarded sweaters, the once-used gift boxes and bags, and so much other assorted junk, he discovered it. He knew as soon as his fingers brushed against the sack. It was like an electric shock shot through his body and mind.
He pulled the bag--just a plain old paper one from the grocery store--from the closet and set it on the floor. He wanted to dive right in, figure out what it was, what her secret was, but he practiced a bit of patience, something he wasn't always good at. Whatever was in there was big--life-altering big. Was he ready for it? Probably not, but that wouldn't stop him.
He gasped as he opened it. An unnatural bright light shone out from the fabric inside. He reached in, expecting the worst, but when he touched it, nothing happened. It stayed lit, but no weird energies bounced through his body. He pulled it out of the bag and examined it from every angle.
A costume. Or uniform. Whatever. It was just as he feared.
The door opened, and she walked in. He looked up. Her face first obscured in confusion, and then hardened into anger. Before he could say anything--an excuse, an apology, anything--she clapped her hands. The costume disappeared from his arms and reappeared on her. She was. She really was!
Awesome Lady. The very one from the comic books. The one they made that television series about. Even that god-awful motion picture (but that wasn't her fault--that had script and casting problems from day one). And he was dating her. Her alter-ego anyway.
"Couldn't just leave it alone, could you?"
He tried to shake his head, tried to stand up, but couldn't move.
"Don't bother trying. I'm controlling you. For the first time in what I thought was an excellent relationship. But you had to dig. You couldn't be content with love. You had to figure out what made me tick, where I'd been, and all that bullshit."
She started crying, and the costume disappeared, leaving her in the clothes she walked in with. "Don't bother trying to follow me. You won't keep up. You won't be able to find me. In fact . . ."
She snapped her fingers, and he found himself at home, lying on his couch, with a baseball game on the tube. What the hell? Must've fallen asleep. And he'd had the weirdest dream. He'd been dating Awesome Lady. He chuckled. Too many comic books lately. He'd have to cut back.
by Eric J. Krause
He dug through all the crap at the bottom of the closet, grimacing as he did. It was here somewhere. But, damn it, he couldn't find any sign. Hell, if she knew he was looking for it, let alone if he found it, she'd be pissed beyond reason. That made this a fool's errand, but he'd be the first to admit he was one of the biggest fools around.
Ever since they started dating, he knew she had a past. That was no surprise; everyone had one. Her past was different, though--it was hers and he loved her. He shouldn't care, shouldn't give a damn one way or the other. She loved him, and that's all that should matter. But he had to know. He'd heard too many rumors, too many whispers.
And that brought him to her closet. It all connected somewhere in here amongst the mess. Underneath all of the discarded sweaters, the once-used gift boxes and bags, and so much other assorted junk, he discovered it. He knew as soon as his fingers brushed against the sack. It was like an electric shock shot through his body and mind.
He pulled the bag--just a plain old paper one from the grocery store--from the closet and set it on the floor. He wanted to dive right in, figure out what it was, what her secret was, but he practiced a bit of patience, something he wasn't always good at. Whatever was in there was big--life-altering big. Was he ready for it? Probably not, but that wouldn't stop him.
He gasped as he opened it. An unnatural bright light shone out from the fabric inside. He reached in, expecting the worst, but when he touched it, nothing happened. It stayed lit, but no weird energies bounced through his body. He pulled it out of the bag and examined it from every angle.
A costume. Or uniform. Whatever. It was just as he feared.
The door opened, and she walked in. He looked up. Her face first obscured in confusion, and then hardened into anger. Before he could say anything--an excuse, an apology, anything--she clapped her hands. The costume disappeared from his arms and reappeared on her. She was. She really was!
Awesome Lady. The very one from the comic books. The one they made that television series about. Even that god-awful motion picture (but that wasn't her fault--that had script and casting problems from day one). And he was dating her. Her alter-ego anyway.
"Couldn't just leave it alone, could you?"
He tried to shake his head, tried to stand up, but couldn't move.
"Don't bother trying. I'm controlling you. For the first time in what I thought was an excellent relationship. But you had to dig. You couldn't be content with love. You had to figure out what made me tick, where I'd been, and all that bullshit."
She started crying, and the costume disappeared, leaving her in the clothes she walked in with. "Don't bother trying to follow me. You won't keep up. You won't be able to find me. In fact . . ."
She snapped her fingers, and he found himself at home, lying on his couch, with a baseball game on the tube. What the hell? Must've fallen asleep. And he'd had the weirdest dream. He'd been dating Awesome Lady. He chuckled. Too many comic books lately. He'd have to cut back.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Two Short Stories To Read
I haven't done this in a while, but I recently heard that when I did, it was appreciated, so I figured I should start up again. Each week (or at least most weeks), I'll highlight two short stories that are in various free ezines or podcasts. I do this for two reasons: one, it gets me reading short fiction, which I've been lax on lately (the only short stories I seem to read anymore are #fridayflash stories, which are great, but I need to expand my horizons), and, two, I want to introduce others to stories they might not have seen. These won't be reviews, per say, but usually just a sentence or two on why I liked the story, or why you should read it. And as I said above, some of the stories are from free podcasts, so when I add those, I'll list both the URL from the podcast's web site, as well as how to find it on iTunes. I hope you enjoy these stories I'm sharing with you. And, no, I'm getting nothing from any of the ezines, podcasts, or authors. I'm doing this just to highlight short fiction I've enjoyed.
The first story this week comes from The Absent Willow Review. It's called Dust by Allison M. Dickson. This was an apocalyptic tale of killer moon dust that's brought back to Earth by the newly reopened lunar landing projects. I would have recommended this one simply because it was an excellent premise that was well executed by Ms. Dickson, but what sealed the deal was that there were a number of great lines throughout the story. I'm sure you'll find your favorite, but mine was: "The whole government threw down a steel curtain on Minos, and that left the news channels to do what they do best in the absence of facts: confuse and scare the living shit out of everyone." Love it! Check this one out.
The second story for this week is a podcast. It's from Escape Pod, and it's Episode 233: Union Dues - The Threnody of Johnny Turuko by Jeffery R. DeRego. You can also find it on iTunes. Search for Escape Pod, and download Episode 233. This one is from an ongoing superhero world created by Mr. DeRego, but it's not necessary to listen to what came before to get into this story. I've heard none of the others, and I enjoyed this one with no problems. It's about a group of teenage superheros who have actual powers, but also star in a TV series based on their lives. The main character of this episode is Johnny Turuko, the ladies man of the group. In real life, however, Johnny has a secret he wants no one to know: he's actually gay and in love with his male teammate. This story shows how this secret gets out, and some of the implications it means for Johnny and his team. Give it a listen!
I hope you take the time to check these out. And when you're there, check out the other stories in these great fiction depositories. You won't be disappointed. Until next time, keep reading and/or writing!
The first story this week comes from The Absent Willow Review. It's called Dust by Allison M. Dickson. This was an apocalyptic tale of killer moon dust that's brought back to Earth by the newly reopened lunar landing projects. I would have recommended this one simply because it was an excellent premise that was well executed by Ms. Dickson, but what sealed the deal was that there were a number of great lines throughout the story. I'm sure you'll find your favorite, but mine was: "The whole government threw down a steel curtain on Minos, and that left the news channels to do what they do best in the absence of facts: confuse and scare the living shit out of everyone." Love it! Check this one out.
The second story for this week is a podcast. It's from Escape Pod, and it's Episode 233: Union Dues - The Threnody of Johnny Turuko by Jeffery R. DeRego. You can also find it on iTunes. Search for Escape Pod, and download Episode 233. This one is from an ongoing superhero world created by Mr. DeRego, but it's not necessary to listen to what came before to get into this story. I've heard none of the others, and I enjoyed this one with no problems. It's about a group of teenage superheros who have actual powers, but also star in a TV series based on their lives. The main character of this episode is Johnny Turuko, the ladies man of the group. In real life, however, Johnny has a secret he wants no one to know: he's actually gay and in love with his male teammate. This story shows how this secret gets out, and some of the implications it means for Johnny and his team. Give it a listen!
I hope you take the time to check these out. And when you're there, check out the other stories in these great fiction depositories. You won't be disappointed. Until next time, keep reading and/or writing!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
#fridayflash--The Security Guard
The Security Guard
by Eric J. Krause
Why did this shit always happen after midnight? Garcia never had to deal with this crap. Todd reached for the distress button, but paused. Maybe it was just a drifter looking for a warm, dry place to bed down during the thunderstorm. Since the craze of super villains in trashy trench coats started, it was hard to tell them apart from the bums.
Last time he'd alerted the Hero Department, it turned out to be a simple vagrant. Luckily one of the level-headed ones answered the call, and no one had been hurt. As the masked man--Super Stud? Marvelous Man? Hell, he couldn't keep these guys straight--left, he'd admonished Todd, telling him his building had security sensors for a reason, and it wasn't to call heroes to give homeless guys the bum's rush. He'd felt dumb for a week, and thanked his lucky stars every night no one else had been here.
Tonight he wouldn't foul up. He watched the trench coat man stumble about in the huge lobby. Yup. Good call. Not a super villain, but a drunk. Todd grabbed a stun gun and his heavy-duty flashlight and headed downstairs. Hopefully this'd be an easy one and he could shuffle the guy outside. But, Christ, how had he gotten in? None of the perimeter alarms had sounded.
He reached the lobby floor and just about crapped himself. That wasn't some random bum, but an honest to god super villain. (Killbot McGee? The Masked Bandit? Dammit he was bad with names!) Todd turned to bolt back upstairs, but the villain spotted him before he could get away.
"Stop right there or I'll blast you. No one gets away from the Masked Bandit that easily."
Hey, the Masked Bandit. He'd gotten it in just two guesses. Though he doubted that would get him out of this jam.
"Which one did you call? Which mask is coming to thwart me?"
Todd shook his head. "I . . . I didn't call anyone. I was about to go back up and do that."
"Don't you lie to me!" The Masked Bandit pulled out a huge handgun, one that looked like it shot missiles instead of bullets, and shoved it in his face. The barrel was as big as his head.
Todd took a deep breath. "I'm not lying, I swear. I didn't call anyone."
The Masked Bandit lowered his oversized gun. "Yeah, right, like I believe that. You're just trying to buy time. So who was it? The Jailer? Wendell the Wonderkid? Corporal Awesome and the Awesome Brigade?" He turned and gazed out to the street. "Yeah, you probably realized you needed a whole team to deal with me."
"Or not." Todd pointed the stun gun, and before the Masked Bandit could react, shot him full of volts. The super villain flopped around for a few seconds, and then fell to the ground, unconscious.
He grabbed his cell phone and dialed 9-1-1. Maybe this superhero gig wasn't so tough. Maybe he could go vigilante. But who would he be? Captain Stun Gun? The Stunning Avenger?
Nah. He already had a gig to be proud of. He was . . . The Security Guard.
by Eric J. Krause
Why did this shit always happen after midnight? Garcia never had to deal with this crap. Todd reached for the distress button, but paused. Maybe it was just a drifter looking for a warm, dry place to bed down during the thunderstorm. Since the craze of super villains in trashy trench coats started, it was hard to tell them apart from the bums.
Last time he'd alerted the Hero Department, it turned out to be a simple vagrant. Luckily one of the level-headed ones answered the call, and no one had been hurt. As the masked man--Super Stud? Marvelous Man? Hell, he couldn't keep these guys straight--left, he'd admonished Todd, telling him his building had security sensors for a reason, and it wasn't to call heroes to give homeless guys the bum's rush. He'd felt dumb for a week, and thanked his lucky stars every night no one else had been here.
Tonight he wouldn't foul up. He watched the trench coat man stumble about in the huge lobby. Yup. Good call. Not a super villain, but a drunk. Todd grabbed a stun gun and his heavy-duty flashlight and headed downstairs. Hopefully this'd be an easy one and he could shuffle the guy outside. But, Christ, how had he gotten in? None of the perimeter alarms had sounded.
He reached the lobby floor and just about crapped himself. That wasn't some random bum, but an honest to god super villain. (Killbot McGee? The Masked Bandit? Dammit he was bad with names!) Todd turned to bolt back upstairs, but the villain spotted him before he could get away.
"Stop right there or I'll blast you. No one gets away from the Masked Bandit that easily."
Hey, the Masked Bandit. He'd gotten it in just two guesses. Though he doubted that would get him out of this jam.
"Which one did you call? Which mask is coming to thwart me?"
Todd shook his head. "I . . . I didn't call anyone. I was about to go back up and do that."
"Don't you lie to me!" The Masked Bandit pulled out a huge handgun, one that looked like it shot missiles instead of bullets, and shoved it in his face. The barrel was as big as his head.
Todd took a deep breath. "I'm not lying, I swear. I didn't call anyone."
The Masked Bandit lowered his oversized gun. "Yeah, right, like I believe that. You're just trying to buy time. So who was it? The Jailer? Wendell the Wonderkid? Corporal Awesome and the Awesome Brigade?" He turned and gazed out to the street. "Yeah, you probably realized you needed a whole team to deal with me."
"Or not." Todd pointed the stun gun, and before the Masked Bandit could react, shot him full of volts. The super villain flopped around for a few seconds, and then fell to the ground, unconscious.
He grabbed his cell phone and dialed 9-1-1. Maybe this superhero gig wasn't so tough. Maybe he could go vigilante. But who would he be? Captain Stun Gun? The Stunning Avenger?
Nah. He already had a gig to be proud of. He was . . . The Security Guard.
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