Fool's Gold Part Three

Part Three: Canned Heat

The invitation came as quite a surprise to Mike and it was evident on his face.

“Wow, I just, wow.” It took a great deal to get the blonde to demonstrate his capability of being inarticulate. He was speechless, stunned, happy, pleased but concerned and worried all the same.

“Don’t you think we should, I don’t know,” Kevin frowned, pulling Ben up and off to the side. “Get to know this guy a little more?”

“What’s to know? He’s got the powers, he’s got the gear,” Ben reasoned.

“Kevin’s right, actually.” Mike sighed.

Three pairs of shocked eyes stared at the would-be addition though none displayed as much disbelief as Kevin’s. The muscular youth never would have thought the person in question would agree with him. There had to be a reason behind it, Kevin just wasn’t sure what it was. “What am I right about, exactly?”

“I have to be honest about my powers.” He began with a wan smile, “Everyone in town thinks my powers are energy displacement like shooting rays and flying. But they’re just a side-effect as is the glitter, unfortunately.” He laughs in embarrassment. The fact that he left a sparkling trail when he flew past hasn’t escaped him.

“So what is your real power?” Gwen asked, gently placing a reassuring hand on the blonde’s shoulder.

Mike seemed hesitant, no one else knew of his powers, not even his own mother and certainly not his stepfather. But as he looked at the faces in the room, the genuine concern on the cousins and the understandable suspicion on Kevin’s urged him on to reveal the truth.

He held out his hands, palms faced upwards to reveal nothing out of the ordinary. And slowly, thinly faint, matching scars appear: A line, cut from the tip of his wrist and ending just below his middle finger. But the flesh on his hands began to pull apart, the line opening, widening into twin gaping mouths with jagged teeth.

“I’ve never told anyone else but my real power is actually siphoning energy from a living being.” He explained; his eyes downcast as if he had just admitted to committing some unspeakably despicable act. “I don’t knock out bad guys or beat them into submission like other heroes. I just drain them of their energy until they can’t fight back. And it’s their energy that I use when making energy blasts or flying.”

The process in itself was painless but the end result always repulsed Mike, they made him feel like a sham. Heroes weren’t supposed to leave their enemies withered and gaunt; they weren’t supposed to depend on the life force of others to do the job. Which was why Mike did everything he could to at least look the part of the hero, even if he felt deep down that all he was doing was perpetrating a lie.

“Now that you guys know what it is I really do, I can understand if you wouldn’t want me on the team.” The mouths are sealed shut as he closes the flesh back over them.

“We’ve seen stranger things,” Ben shrugged good-naturedly. Mike’s abilities didn’t sound too different from Kevin’s powers when they first met as kids. “And your powers can still come in handy.”

“Even if I’m useless once I run out of energy?” Blue eyes blinked uncertainly.

“You seem to know a lot about the Plumbers and how to work their stuff.” Gwen added. “We could use an assist on that front.” Knowledge and information were what they sorely lacked on missions but with Mike on their team that would no longer be a problem.

“Speaking about their stuff,” Kevin motioned to one of the monitors currently flashing red. He didn’t like how chummy the conversation had turned and was glad for a distraction.

Mike was instantly at the controls, fingers flying over the keyboard to understand and decipher what the alarms were about. An image appeared; surveillance footage from a warehouse being broken into by a group of denim-clad thugs wielding chains and firearms. A dragon insignia was stitched on their armbands.

It didn’t seem all that important until a blindfolded and bound man appeared onscreen, along with several crates of explosives. Golden brows knit together in concern, “I should go check this out.”

Gwen rose to her feet, “We’ll help.”

The look on the cousins faces makes it clear that neither of them would take no for an answer. Only Kevin’s begrudging glare tempted Mike to refuse. The blonde smiled, grateful but hesitant, “Thanks.”

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The four got into Kevin’s car, Mike had offered his own vehicle but with it seating only two people it didn’t make for a practical means of transportation. Not to mention Kevin didn’t like the idea of Gwen being alone with just the blonde.

“What exactly happens to the people when you borrow their energy?” Gwen asked, deciding that the term draining was unpleasant.

“Apart from leaving a mark where I touch them? It depends on the type of person really,” Mike began carefully.

“Define type,” Kevin demanded, staring suspiciously at the blonde with the rearview mirror.

“Males and females.” He replied, “When I siphon energy from males they usually just become listless and weak. With women...” he trailed off, purposely avoiding Gwen’s gaze. “With women they sometimes end up a little enamored with me.”

“Enamored?” Ben looked over from the passenger’s seat.

He nods, cringing at how awkward and bizarre this all must sound. “Yes, they seem attracted to me when they regain their strength. Which is why I never get energy from girls unless absolutely necessary.”

Instinctively Gwen looked at her hand and arms, nothing but smooth skin. At least she could assure herself that she was genuinely starting to like the blonde and it wasn’t a result of him borrowing her energy when they first shook hands. Gwen chuckled, amused at how Mike’s cheeks flushed a deep crimson. “And you’ve never once tried to get yourself a date that way?”

“It would defeat the purpose of going out on a date at all, wouldn’t it?” He returns the gesture. “I mean, why else would I want someone to go out with me if it wasn’t for me?”

“I get why a person would end up weak but why would a girl suddenly have the hots for you just because you sucked out some of her energy?” Kevin bristled, wondering if this was the reason Gwen had been ignoring him in favor of Mike.

Mike often questioned the results himself, “I don’t really know. All I’m certain of is that the few times I’ve borrowed energy from a girl I felt much stronger than with energy from a guy. Maybe it’s because of the differences in our physiological make-ups or wave-lengths and signals but,” he looks out the window, feeling heat tinge his cheeks. “I don’t know. I like to think it’s because a woman’s strengths make up for my weaknesses.”

“That’s a rather romantic way of looking at it.” Gwen remarked with a smile. And strangely, Gwen found herself sneaking a glance at the dark-haired boy driving to secretly compare him with the blue-eyed youth seated beside her.

The latter seemed so mature and responsible, he obviously wasn’t afraid to make his thoughts and intentions known even about things he was shy or embarrassed about. He was polished and sophisticated and gentlemanly, like he knew what etiquette was and practiced social graces. They had only known each other for a short time but she could sense there was potential with him.

The former was on the opposite end of the spectrum, wild and brash, definitely far too stubborn and prideful to be willing to admit the possibility he was wrong. He was rough around the edges and arrogant and cocky even when he had no reason to be. He could infuriate her without trying, make her worry without batting an eye, but he could also make her laugh, make her smile, make her feel safe.

Gwen knew that while the blonde was a nice guy, she still would have preferred Kevin with all his faults over Mike any day of the week. And she supposed that it was her own fault for assuming (maybe even wishing) that the feelings were reciprocated. She hoped that as the night went on, Kevin wouldn’t give her a reason to reconsider her opinion about Mike.

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They arrived at the warehouse and found it was eerily quiet. They hadn’t picked up any kidnapping reports or drug busts on the police scanners. Maybe this was a gang-related thing? Whatever it was, Mike didn’t like it and neither did the other three individuals he was with.

As they quietly approached the building, a blood-curling scream rang out from the warehouse. Without thinking, Mike blew the doors open to reveal the gang huddled over something or someone. The circle broke as they turned to face the intruders, revealing a mahogany-haired youth groaning on the ground. The thugs brandished chains and broken pipes, some drew out blades while other cocked their guns or pushed in a fresh round of bullets.

The largest, stockiest of the group stepped forward, taking a long, deep drag of the cigarette in his mouth. He was the leader of the gang it seemed, “If you got beef with the runt, you’re more than welcome to take a few swings.” He laughs while exhaling smoke.

“Let him go and I’ll go easy on you.” Mike offered; fists clenched while hovering in midair. It was difficult to be taken seriously when you looked like a golden glitter factory just threw up all over you, but Mike somehow managed to project a menacing air about him. Especially when he was flanked by a slender girl with glowing hands, a moth-like creature who chilled the very atmosphere and a muscular guy who was made out of concrete.

“Oooh big words, Goldie, let’s see what you’re really made of.” The leader snapped his fingers and gang swarmed the four teens.

Now the gang in itself was relatively new, granted they had notoriety in these parts. But what were a few pieces of metal and regular firearms compared to oversized, prehistoric creatures, multiple-limbed beings and the more recent slime-spewing aliens? The four made short work of the gang.

It was Gwen who ran up to the injured brunette who had been taking in everything with his gray eyes. “It’s okay we’re the good guys.” She promised him as she helped him to his feet.

“The place is wired to blow,” he winced.

“Do you know where the explosive is?” The red-head demanded, maybe she could contain the blast.

“Explosives.” He coughed blood and gestured to several points in the building.

“Guys! There are bombs set up in the building.” Gwen yelled out and pointed to the same spots the brunette she held had seconds ago.

“On it!” Ben nodded, spreading his wings and promptly freezing the bombs solid.

Mike and Kevin tossed the unconscious thugs onto a pile before tying them up with the very same chains they used to attack with.

“I am so grateful for you all,” The gray-eyed boy thanked as he limped towards them with Gwen’s aid. “I owe you my life!”

“What was this all about?” Mike asked.

“Money. I owed them a great sum of money and they told me if I didn’t pay them by tonight they’d make an example of me. I just thought they’d beat me up, I never thought they’d blow me up.” He shuddered. “I’m Percival, by the by.”

“We’ll inform the authorities about the whole matter, Percival.” Ben offered as he switched back to normal.

“Would it be possible if I’m not mentioned? I’m in a bit of a sticky situation with the law myself.” Percival begged. It didn’t escape Kevin or Mike how realization flashed in the injured brunette’s eyes when he spied the Omnitrix.

“I don’t see why not.” Mike smiled, pretending he didn’t notice a thing.

The brunette gave a sigh of relief, “Much obliged. Anyway, I’d best be going.”

“Don’t you need medical attention?” Gwen blinked.

“Indeed, but that’s why I’m off to my sister’s. She’s a nurse, nurse-in-training to be precise, and she’ll have me patched up in no time.” Percival promised, hurriedly limping out of the warehouse.

“Let’s go before the cops get here.” Kevin suggested.