Age of Heroes: A Superhero Adventure (The Pantheon Saga Book 1) Read online

  “Come and show me,” Mom stated distractedly, her footsteps moving to the kitchen.

  Hugo focused on leaning against the wall, which kept his hearing at normal levels. The tactile sensation of cold steel beneath his fingers made Hugo’s skin prickle with gooseflesh like static shock. “Promise me you won’t freak.”

  “Why's your voice so low, Bogie?” AJ chimed in, annoyed.

  “Why would I freak out?” Mom’s voice sobered of grief. “I'm in no mood for pranks.”

  Hugo winced, heart thudding like a drum. “Mom, promise me.”

  “Why is he so weird, Mom?”

  “I promise,” Mom agreed, ignoring AJ’s ridicule.

  With that, Hugo inched down the stairs. He stepped around the corner into the living room. AJ turned around in his seat, still wearing PJs. Mom had on sweats in the kitchen, her eyes red from crying.

  She gaped at Hugo like a stranger.

  “Intruder!” AJ leaped over the couch, putting himself between Mom and Hugo.

  “What the hell are you doing in my house?” Mom cried, grabbing onto AJ for dear life. The TV blared in the background, citizens across the country reacting mournfully to Titan’s demise.

  Hugo raised his hands in peace, cautiously approaching his family. They look so little. One wrong move or word could make this worse. “Mom, AJ. It’s Bogie. You promised you wouldn’t freak out.”

  Mom shook her head. “You aren't my son!” Her terror was tangible as she pulled AJ with her into the kitchen. “What did you do to my son?”

  Hugo advanced, desperate for Mom and AJ to recognize him. “Something happened last night—”

  AJ snatched a frying pan off the countertop, hurling it at his older brother. “GET OUT!”

  Hugo froze. His little brother had a good arm, the large pan spinning at Hugo’s face.

  He jerked back to dodge, and everything around Hugo slowed to a crawl. The pan rotated past his face at a fraction of its former speed. He glanced at his brother; AJ's arm remained extended, his fierce expression and movements immobile. Mom’s terror was frozen on her face. The TV displayed the President, barely moving onscreen as he held a press conference discussing Titan.

  This might’ve been hilarious if Hugo wasn't baffled by this new superpower. As if heightened senses weren’t enough. “Huh.” Hugo saw the frying pan sailing toward a family portrait with Dad, shaggy-haired like him. He caught the pan, crushing it effortlessly in one hand like tin foil.

  Hugo halted in awe at his own strength. “Jesus!” The world abruptly accelerated back to normal speed.

  AJ and Mom gawked. “Holy shit,” his brother muttered. “He’s a super.”

  Hugo heard both relatives’ heartbeats spike.

  “RUN!!” Mom grabbed AJ and scurried past a stunned Hugo.

  “I’m not a super—” He paused, realizing he was in fact superhuman. The Samoan dropped the ruined pan and rushed after them.

  The world slowed again, and AJ and Mom paused in mid-flight while Hugo rounded them to intercept.

  Superspeed, Hugo realized. The world sped up again. He appeared before AJ and Mom. They frantically scrambled backward since he’d been across the living room moments before.

  Hugo raised his hands as if stopping traffic. “WAIT!” he roared.

  The whole room shook. Mom and AJ stumbled and fell on their behinds, clinging to one another in terror.

  Hugo didn’t mean to yell so loud. Another superpower? “Sorry about raising my voice.” He backpedaled to give his family space. Hugo stared pleadingly at Mom. He couldn’t bear her staring at him like a dangerous outsider. “I’ll prove I’m Hugo. Ask me anything only I'd know.”

  For several moments, his mother stared as if trying to peer into his soul. Despite AJ’s protests, Mom complied. “What’s my son’s real name?”

  “Bogota,” Hugo answered promptly. “Named after where you and Dad conceived me.” This fact never ceased to nauseate him.

  That reached Mom. AJ looked from Hugo to her, grossed out. “Really?”

  Hugo ignored him and sank to a crouch. “In kindergarten, kids either couldn’t pronounce my name or made fun of me, called me Booger Boy or Hambooger.” It surprised him how clear those memories were, like they’d occurred yesterday.

  Mom’s fear became disbelief. She relaxed her grip on AJ. “I remember.”

  Hugo smiled. Finally. He pointed at his slack-jawed brother. “AJ couldn't pronounce my name as a toddler. He kept calling You-Go-Tah until he was three. You and Dad decided to have me go by ‘Hugo’ in first grade. Only family or close friends call me ‘Bogie.’” He stood up. Intense recollections of when this family had been whole stung his eyes. “You and Dad only call me Bogota when you’re mad.”

  AJ’s eyes warmed in recognition. “Hugo,” he breathed out.

  Mom ran forward, fresh tears in her eyes and wrapped her arms around Hugo’s waist. AJ followed, bearhugging him from the side.

  Hugo towered over them both by several inches.

  He finally felt some normalcy after this morning’s chaos. His family’s drumming heartbeats and heavy breathing buffeted him.

  Hugo held his arms high. “I’d hug y’all back, but that might break you in half.” This superstrength alarmed him more than any of his new powers.

  “When the hell did this happen?” Mom demanded. “And how?”

  Hugo opened his mouth to explain, only for rhythmic percussions to break through the drone of heartbeats and Titan newscasts. Rap beats and Japanese rhyming grew closer, coupled with footsteps. Hugo sighed in relief and covered his ears right before someone knocked on the door.

  Mom and AJ leaped, eyeing the door in suspicion.

  Hugo waved off her concerns. “It’s Simon.”

  AJ frowned at him. “How do you know?”

  “I heard the underground Japanese rap in his headphones.”

  AJ did a double take. “You have superhearing?” he whispered.

  “I’ll send him away. He can’t see you like this.” Mom gestured at Hugo’s large frame frantically.

  “I called him,” Hugo insisted, burly arms folded across his burly chest. Weird. “We can trust Simon.”

  After Mom shooed Hugo far from the door, she answered. He recoiled at booming newscasts and driving cars flooding through the open door.

  “Hey, Mrs. M,” Simon said, stepping inside. “Hugo summoned me. He sounded…off.”

  “Yes, well.” Mom sounded understandably nervous. “You’ll see why.” Mom entered the living room. Simon followed, dressed in jeans and a Titan t-shirt, Bose headphones slung around his neck. He’d trimmed his Bruce lee-styled haircut. The Korean boy took one look at Hugo, head cocked sideways.

  He doesn’t recognize me.

  “Hi...” Simon turned to Mom. “There’s a large man wearing tiny clothing in your living room.”

  “Simon. It’s me,” Hugo announced. “This is why I needed you to come over.”

  Simon squinted, then flinched. “Bogie? What the six-packed hell?” He glanced at Mom and AJ for help.

  “I got Titan's superpowers overnight.” Hugo spread his arms out with a humorless smile. “Surprise!”

  “And apparently a second puberty,” Simon snarked in bewilderment. He looked like a small child next to Hugo. “Awesome! How?”

  Hugo explained the Titan dream. He left out key details, like downing two bottles of Nyquil and his plea to Titan about wanting out. The shame over his actions ran deep. Mom and AJ didn’t ever need to hear that. The only piece of dialogue he relayed was Titan saying he was needed.

  Simon, AJ and Mom observed him like a fascinating science experiment.

  “Titan gave you his powers, through a dream?” Mom repeated, barely believing her own words.

  Hugo paced around, avoiding everyone’s looks. He couldn’t believe this either. Everything felt so heightened; the power flowing through him, the vividness of his surroundings, Titan's death. “I know it sounds bonkers. But I can hear things all around this blo
ck.” By AJ’s dumbfounded expression, he hadn’t wrapped his brain around this new normal.

  Simon looked at him with that scrutinizing gaze when piecing things together. “What powers have you exhibited already?”

  “Superstrength, superspeed, and Hypersensitivity,” Hugo listed each off on separate fingers. “My five senses are like dialed to 100!”

  “You should also be resistant to injury. And heal fast if you do get injured,” Simon pointed out.

  Hugo recalled a lesser used ability of Titan’s. “I might have laser fingers, too.”

  Simon’s eyes sparkled. “And dude, you can fly!”

  Hugo jerked back, overly pleased. “That’s right!” Titan could fly at like MACH 5. Which meant he could too. “I can fly.”

  “You can fly!” Simon exclaimed, smiling with a face-eating smile.

  “I can fly!” Hugo bounced up and down with Simon, both shouting in wordless joy.

  AJ shook his head in disdain. “God, you guys are dweebs!”

  Hugo stopped bouncing and glared at his surly brother. “Suck it, Junior!”

  “Enough, you two,” Mom demanded, looking rightfully dazed by his transformation. Who knew what was going on in her mind? Hugo reached out and comforted his mother.

  A shotgun blast of cellphone rings knocked Hugo sideways, coupled with vibrations rolling up his left thigh. Jesus, that hurt.

  “What’s wrong?” Simon asked.

  Hugo waved him off and plucked the phone from his left pocket with ginger fingers. He looked at the Caller ID. Anxiety scorched up his spine before answering. “Briseis?”

  Mom shot to her feet with a warning look. Simon groaned.

  “Bogie! Thank God.” Brie sounded like she was inside a car by the boxed-in hum. Her relief quickly became outrage. “I’ve been calling and texting all morning! Why haven’t you answered?!”

  Hugo frowned at the phone. “I’m kinda busy.”

  Brie went on about her drama again, like she hadn’t stood him up last night. “I was a mess after hearing about Titan and everyone reacting on social media. Then I thought about you…and me flaking last night. I’m so sorry!”

  “It’s…” Annoyed as Hugo was at Brie, part of him couldn’t stay mad at her. Not with Titan’s death and these new powers. A weight settled on his shoulders thinking of the Central Coast Saint. Dead. “Don’t worry. I’m dealing as best I can. Mom’s taking it real hard.”

  “Poor Savelina.” Brie gasped. Rage overtook her tone again. “Fucking Lord Borealis. You were right about Titan trusting him.”

  Hugo raised an eyebrow. He’d forgotten telling her that. “Guess so.” The teen ignored Mom and Simon’s animated gesticulations to end the call. He had to make sure Brie was okay first.

  “I’m coming over,” Brie declared without invitation. “Give me twenty minutes.”

  Her presence was a floodlight in this chaos. “Sure, swing by.” As soon as Hugo said that, Mom, Simon and AJ mouthed “NO!” histrionically. His mother shook her head so vehemently, her head looked ready to fly off.

  The Samoan took another look at his new physique, finally grasping their concern. “Actually,” he continued hesitantly, “not a good time.”

  “Really?” Brie sounded surprised and a little hurt. “Why?”

  “I…” Hugo saw his mother point at everyone in the room. He waved her off in annoyance. “We’re not up for visitors. Not for a few days.”

  “Oh…okay,” Brie said in a small voice. “Maybe Wednesday?”

  “Call you later. Bye.” Hugo hung up without waiting for a response.

  Mom approached with that adamant look, about to lay down the law. “She cannot see you like this.”

  Hugo didn’t understand the problem. “Brie can keep a secret, Mom.”

  “And what if you hurt her?” Mom pointed to the crumpled frying pan on the floor.

  Hugo recoiled as if she’d slapped him. “I’d never hurt Briseis,” he murmured.

  Simon shook his head. “Not intentionally. You still don’t know the full limit of these abilities.”

  “Plus, anyone from school sees you, they’ll know you’re a super,” AJ added. “And you’ll be ID'd by OSA as an undocumented super.”

  Mom waved off any discussion of Hugo getting hauled off. “We’re getting you registered and off to one of those superpowered academies—”

  Fear jolted through Hugo. “No!” he stated adamantly. “Have you seen how being tagged ruins someone’s life?”

  “I’d rather you be alive than hunted,” Mom threw back, her voice rising. “Hiding from the world. And having Titan’s powers doesn’t mean you’re invincible. He wasn’t.”

  “Obviously, Mom.” Hugo scowled at her overtness. If Titan was invincible, he’d still be alive. “I didn’t ask for these powers. I mean I wanted to be like Titan, but…you know what I mean! Should I sit around not testing my limits?”

  “Not knowing his limits makes him more vulnerable,” Simon agreed. “Along with anyone close to him.”

  Hugo could have bearhugged his best friend. But at his current strength, that might prove problematic. “Remember Tyson Robert Allen, Mom?”

  The name sent a shiver through everyone. And for good reason. Allen had been a super with a vast powerset he didn’t learn to control. Never got a chance. Add to Allen being a Titan fanatic who wanted to be a hero like him created a hazardous combo. Within days of manifesting, Allen’s powers drove him insane. Almost 200 innocents died in Duluth, Minnesota before Titan was forced to kill Allen.

  Hugo shook off the vivid memories. Must be another side effect of his new powers. “Give Simon and me one month to get a handle on my powers.” He overrode Mom when she protested. “If I’m still like a bull through a China shop, we’ll register at some superpower school. If I do gain control, school next year shouldn’t be an issue.”

  Mom didn’t look entirely convinced. “Where will you be training?”

  Simon piped in when Hugo came up empty. “I know a few scrapyards and abandoned buildings outside town that never got demolished after the 1987 earthquake. We'll go at dawn or night to avoid being seen.” Hugo gave his friend a thankful look. Ride-or-die.

  “I’ll help too.” AJ raised his hand as if in class.

  Seeing the three boys stand in unison, Mom inhaled to steel herself. “Can’t believe I’m agreeing.” She walked toward Hugo and cupped his chin. “Be careful. All of you.”

  “We will,” Hugo replied. “And thank you.”

  She inspected her oldest son in distaste. “And wait until I get you a new wardrobe…”

  Hugo winced. “Done.”

  Mom wasn’t finished lecturing. “Do not tell anyone or post on your social medias.” She zeroed back in on Hugo with her adamant glare. “And don’t even think about becoming a superhero!”

  Hugo raised his hands innocently. “No superheroing.”

  Mom studied him for a long moment until she was satisfied by his compliance. “Good. Now let me get you boys some breakfast. And turn off that TV. I’ve heard enough.”

  As soon as Mom headed toward the kitchen, Hugo exchanged pointed looks with Simon and AJ.

  No one said anything, but the message was clear.

  Hugo possessed Titan’s powers. Becoming a superhero was unavoidable.

  And when I’m suited up, saving lives, Hugo beamed. I’ll tell Briseis my secret.

  Chapter 11

  “Good work on that Titan deep-dive, QB,” Jono McGowan noted. The Irishman, wearing too-tight skinny jeans, constantly seemed surprised by Quinn’s work quality.

  She had learned these past two weeks not to take it personally. “It was fun.” Quinn smiled and adjusted her white horn-rimmed glasses. She wore a red short-sleeved button-down with white polka dots and grey corduroy pants. “Thanks.”

  Most other reporters and content managers in Jono’s Superheroes Section offered praises. A few remained silent, annoyed by Quinn ‘stealing their spotlight’. She smiled in reply to their pettiness.<
br />
  Everyone sat on plush couches in one of SLOCO Daily’s open meeting spaces, which encouraged creativity and discussion or some New Age crap. Jono stood beside a 72” screen displaying Quinn’s article, scratching his stubble. “I keep forgetting Titan was Alaskan Iñupiat. Always saw him as American.”

  Quinn was shocked at his ignorance. “Jono, Titan is…” she winced and corrected herself. “Titan was American. Native American.”

  “Isn’t the proper term First Nations?” a content manager named Kevin Padilla remarked.

  Quinn rolled her eyes and sighed. “Whatever term is least offensive this week.” Countless documentaries and think pieces had covered Titan’s tragic origin. A Soviet loyalist bloc’s final defiance in the early 90s had been launching a nuke at Washington DC. The missile's guidance systems failed and it struck Alaska, decimating the northernmost populace.

  “This is a grand start to our Titan Timeline.” Jono swiped the screen to change from Quinn’s article. “Once we add his early government work before going public as Titan, we’ll have the complete picture.”

  Quinn beamed, pleased to do her part. During Titan’s career, he'd mentioned how losing his entire tribe shaped his need to save lives. But the superhero never discussed his pre-Titan life in detail. So Quinn filled in the blanks with an article describing Titan’s life before a mushroom cloud made him the last son of the Iñupiat Tribe. Quinn had gotten choked up reading about the Iñupiat for her article.

  Titan must’ve felt so alone, she realized. Even with millions around the world worshipping him.

  Work had been nonstop with one day off where she pretty much hibernated. Quinn loved the hustle, dour subject aside, as part of the Superhero Section. Reporters from other sections were temporarily loaned to support the workload from covering Titan’s death. But Quinn had done no Lifestyle & Culture work for two weeks. Thank God.

  Speaking of surprises, she didn’t expect to like working for Jono. Being in Superhero Section had challenged Quinn to produce good yet quick content. Yeah, Jono put his personal touches on her project, but he hadn't hijacked her work yet. And Quinn enjoyed the freedom way more than in Lifestyle and Culture.