No Such Thing as Super-Heroes

[midst_of_threads]

There is someone in her forest.

Flynn runs her hand over her creature's back, and then sends it fluttering away into the trees with a flick of her wrist.


Her first creation, her guardian, lets out a small growl.
"I know," Flynn says.
"Go. Get rid of them."

It slinks into the forest, feline features molded from broken glass.
It quickly vanishes from site and Flynn pushes down a flash of loneliness.

Comments

[midst_of_threads]

"Flynn. What are you doing here? How did you-" Flynn points to the wound in her creature's side, "do that?"

[there_is_no_such_thing_as]

"We were working at the Stanley Hotel nearby," Henry said "repairing during the off season. While the other workers were away there was a landslide, they are fine, but we got stuck in the hotel, which wouldn't be that bad but Gabe got sick and delirious with fever. He managed to sneak out while I wasn't looking and... We found you and your creature. I have no clue how I did that. I just sort of pointed and... something came out of my hand."

Henry will keep his hands quite obviously not pointing at Flynn while he says that.

"What is your story?" Henry then asks.

[midst_of_threads]

"A few months ago I accidentally made a creature, the one you killed." Flynn says, with a pointed glare at Gabe.
"After that, it kept happening, and I couldn't figure out how to stop it. I needed somewhere we wouldn't be noticed and I came here."

[there_is_no_such_thing_as]

"Do you have any idea why it happened?" Henry says.

A cold breeze sends a chill down everyone's spines.

"We should come back to the hotel, so Gabe doesn't get sicker" Henry says "Can you control your... power, now?"

[unadalturedstrength]

"I am actually cured," Gabe said "but... you are inviting her to come with us?"

[there_is_no_such_thing_as]

"Yes," Henry said "If she want to come with us. I want to figure this whole thing out and she could get a shower and warm food in exchange of a conversation."

[midst_of_threads]

"I can't control it, but I can tell them not to hurt you. And I would really appreciate a shower."

[there_is_no_such_thing_as]

"Okay, I will lead," Henry said observing the surrounds for a few seconds "that way," he points before starting to walk

Gabe follows giving a wide berth from the large creature and walks next to Henry.

"All your creatures are like that?" Henry asks after a moment.

[midst_of_threads]

Flynn shakes her head, "I didn't have much time to plan this one. Usually they make more sense."

[there_is_no_such_thing_as]

"And the others are... around?" Henry asks tentatively.

[midst_of_threads]

"A few, but they're mostly harmless. Here..."
Flynn pauses and holds out her arm.
A few moments later a small, avian creature lands on her wrist.
It's the size of a robin and seems to be formed from leaves. It's wings have the delicate veins and shape of a maple leaf. Small branches grow downwards to form talons and it's beak and torso are formed from hundreds of tiny, overlapping leaves.
It lets out a small trill that sounds like leaves rustling in the wind.

[there_is_no_such_thing_as]

To himself, Henry thinks this is at least ten kinds of impossible, and a part of him responds with disdain that it took him this long to realize it."

"It is... pretty," Henry says tentatively "it is... alive? I mean it looks like a bird, it acts like one too?"

[midst_of_threads]

"I think it's alive. I've never seen it eat, but it seems to understands what I say."

[there_is_no_such_thing_as]

Henry looks at the larger creature with a hole he made. He looks at his hand for a moment, once again the weird warmth.

He is so confused.

[unadalturedstrength]

There is a long moment of silence and then Gabe finally says

"Can you make something like... a horse?" Gabe asks "So we don't have to walk all the way back?"

[midst_of_threads]

"I've never tried."
She closes her eyes, "I need to concentrate."
After a few seconds, a shape rises from the ground.
"I guess, that's sort of a horse? Maybe? Or it could be an elephant. Or a giant dog."
The creature stares at her with large liquid eyes, and she pats what she can reach of it's nose.
"No, you're perfect. Just not what I was expecting."

[unadalturedstrength]

"Why are you acting like it has feelings?" Gabe asks sounding it very bewildered.

[midst_of_threads]

"It does have feelings. Don't you?"
The creature lowers it's head and gently butts her side.
"See?"

[there_is_no_such_thing_as]

Henry is desperately wants to point out that the thing has no brain, or if it has a brain it clearly doesn't work like human or animals brains, with the chemical reactions that are what ultimately are the cause of emotions, and the closest explanation for the thing to do what it does, it is some sort of force pulling it together... that isn't a explanation at all, and "creature made of inanimate matter with emotions" isn't all that impossibly sounding once you already have a "creature made of inanimate matter" in the first place.

Quiet, he then notices again the warmth in his hand, he waves it around then tries the other (switching the rifle first).

"I am sensing this warmth," Henry says "in my hand, it seems strongest when my palm faces myself or Gabe, but Flynn is quite warm too, and the creatures are perceptible, but only barely."

[midst_of_threads]

"Do the trees have it?"

[there_is_no_such_thing_as]

Henry didn't try to face a specific tree before, just the general forest, he tries that now, picking something the largest one in view. Then he tries a boulder just to see what happens.

"Nothing on both occasions," Henry says.

[midst_of_threads]

"It's probably because we're all magic."

[there_is_no_such_thing_as]

"Magic..." Henry started saying before his mouth abruptly interrupted himself.

[unadalturedstrength]

"Magic isn't real," Gabe says, starting in the exact moment Henry did "wait a minute you didn't finish that, are you sick? are you hurt? It's shock, isn't it!? We need to... give you a blanket, they do that on TV" Gabe is obviously very worried.

[midst_of_threads]

Flynn inspects Henry closely, "I don't see what you're seeing. He looks fine."