I'm a Super Hero

[chimeramimicry]

"I'm a Super Hero"
Who: Peter and...Peter?
When: After a visit to Nathan's office, Peter's older brother decides to take him out for dinner and a surprise.  The 'surprise,' it seems, is on Nathan though!  It's been about three months since that night and Peter's life is about to change forever...

I'm not having a very good day.  I don't know how I've let it happen, but I've been stuck into the pediatrics group.  I'm the only guy on the entire floor, minus two male OB/GYN doctors and various boyfriends and husbands that go to visit the nursery or track me down to help them find their nurse.  Boy, are they surprised when the guy in the baby blue scrubs is their nurse!

All I want to do is sleep.  But no.

No, of course not because there's someone in my apartment.  I know it's not the best neighborhood but I've never heard of a break and enter in my building before.  I don't even think to grab my cell, just the umbrella from the stand by the door and brandish it like a bat.

"HEY!"

Comments

[law-anddisorder.livejournal.com]

I can't believe the crap that my brother -- well, one of them, anyway -- is spewing right now. Shape-shifting? Flying? Incest? This is insanity. Thank God these walls are soundproofed, so at least the rest of the people who share this floor won't hear Peter's crazed miniature tirade.

Peter usually runs out of steam pretty quickly, and once he does, he kind of shrinks into the leather couch, palm pressed to his forehead. The other one, who is dressed in a long black coat and has a very short haircut, just stays quiet.

I reach into a cabinet behind me and pull out a bottle of Scotch and a glass. I don't bother asking either one of them if they're interested. Peter won't touch this stuff. I'm actually thinking of them as a collective. How are there two of him? They don't even look the same!

I refuse to believe I'm hallucinating all of this, because I haven't touched a drop of alcohol before right this minute. No, Peter is the crazy one. Apparently, in the not-too-distant future, my brother will be reserving himself a room in Bellevue. He's losing his mind, and the other one's already jumped off into the deep end.

What was he thinking, kissing me like that? It's disturbing to think that my own brother kissed me, and even more so that he was masquerading around as his own self's girlfriend. He made himself look entirely different, and I don't know how he did it. It was way more than a magic trick, that's for sure.

"All right. One of you want to tell me what the hell is going on?"

[chimeramimic.livejournal.com]

He never listens. Not to me. I stare at him as if he's gone crazy now too, tipping forward to catch my forehead on the heels of my palms. "I just--" Well no, I didn't really explain anything and to be honest, I'm curious too. I get up to stand with my brother. A united front against...err...me. My arms fold over my chest before I glance at the whiskey in Nathan's hand and swipe it. "I need this way more than you," I tell him, slugging down the whole thing. My face immediately reddens, I cough, and then thrust the glass back at him. "Thanks."

Actually, I do feel a little more relaxed so I clear my throat and tell my brother everything that's happened that evening, minus the little make out session with Vanessa in the back seat of the taxi. He doesn't need to know that and besides, I wasn't kissing myself at the time, I was kissing my dream girl. So that's absolutely fair game. So says we all.

"He broke the umbrella dad gave me, we flew around a bit and I knew you'd never believe me, so here we are. Proof of what I'm going to be able to do one day."

I gesture at the other me wildly... And then turn to Nathan, stricken.

"I'm not-- I won't...you know, what just happened... I'm not-- He's obviously insane. I won't be insane either, I promise! Or...hey." Now I've my own theory. "Do... When you change into someone, do you like literally become them? Because then I can understand all the kissing." A glance to Nathan. "That wouldn't be weird then, right?"

[fallen-empath.livejournal.com]

The tears are gone, and I can feel anger setting in. My past self just keeps on talking ridiculously, trying to explain a power that he has no grasp on whatsoever.

"Shut up!" I shout at him, flicking my wrist so that all the blinds flip closed. "You don't know anything!"

He's as in the dark as Nathan is about all of this. And I've screwed it up royally. How could I have thought coming to see Nathan was anything but a terrible idea? He's not going to believe me now. He thinks I'm certifiable.

I should have known I wouldn't be able to control myself. And I still can't.

With just a thought I pull the expensive Italian leather sofa forward, its casters grinding on the hardwood floor. Sorry, Nathan. I'm going for effect here. The sofa stops right behind them, hitting both of them in the back of their knees. Pushing them both down to sitting positions, still not having laid a finger on them, I growl, "Have a seat. Now you're going to shut your mouth, and listen to me. Your God damn world depends on it!"

Nathan's gone white in the face, and Peter looks like he's going to be ill.

They'll listen now. They have no choice. I've got their mouths sealed shut.

"Nathan, you can fly. Peter's been having some dreams about flying too. I suggest after the eclipse, you try it together. It'll avoid a lot of heartache. You two need to work together if you're going to save the world."

They're going to have questions. I guess I'll let them ask them.

[chimeramimic.livejournal.com]

It's fine by me that we're skipping the weird parts and that I'm not getting yelled at any more. I don't think I was ever shaken so badly as I was when he opened his mouth to scream at me. Not even being flung around -- I'm good at that now, a pro at having him treat me like a poseable doll -- scared me as much as his anger. It's like I could feel it too and I really didn't know why it was so bitter.

When I can open my mouth again, I do so. I've questions, he's got the answers and my older brother, who old read comics to appease me, has no idea how this time travel stuff actually works.

Of course, the first thing I have to say is to my brother, not myself. "See, you really are Superman." I'm fond of him. I give him such a fond look. This is when he'd grab the back of my neck and swing me in for a kiss to my temple!

He looks better off sitting there stupidly.

God, we're not getting anywhere here.

"Right, so we have to save the world...from what?"

[fallen-empath.livejournal.com]

Comic book references again? I give Peter a warning glare, like an irate teacher would to a particularly irritating student. That's just what he is. He knows nothing about the power that's going to fall in his lap in about half a year's time, and he has to be warned. If he can learn to control it, then nothing can possibly go wrong. Right?

"Actually, you're wrong. Nathan's not Superman. You are. You become indestructible. And that's why I'm not dead, and Nathan is."

That gets their attention all right. Nathan's about to interject, surely to inquire about this news. I don't let him.

"There is a secret compound in Odessa, Texas. It contains an extremely dangerous biochemical weapon. A virus. It's incurable, and it's going to wipe out most of the world's population if it gets into the wrong hands."

I'm pacing now, my mind now replaying to me every single attempt I've made to stop it. The virus is let loose on the world regardless, and millions of people die every time. Nathan dies every time.

My voice breaks, and I have to fight off tears again. "I've tried to change events to avoid it, but it keeps happening over and over. Something keeps going wrong. I'm about ready to give up. That's why I need your help."

[chimeramimic.livejournal.com]

He's not joking and my hand finds Nathan's as he sits half catatonic beside me. I understand the kiss. I understand all of it. Even the tongue. Especially the tongue. I use to dream about kissing Nathan. Nothing sexual, not really, I just wanted to be one of those girls he was always with so he'd actually stick around for me and not go wandering off.

By the time I was fifteen though, I did realize how weird that was. Still, it's sort of on my bucket list. Give him a kiss. A real kiss. The sort people give to those that're in love with.

Not that I'm in love with him-- We just have a complicated life together is all.

"So all we have to do is stop this virus from getting out." Easier said than done.

[fallen-empath.livejournal.com]

"The only way to do that is to destroy it, and you're the only one who can."

When my past self touches Nathan's hand, I can feel it, that he understands just how dire this situation is. If he doesn't pay attention to what I'm telling him, it's just going to happen all over again. Yet another failed attempt that leaves millions of lives lost, and the world in ruins for those that do survive it. And we'll both be alone in the wake of it all.

"Here, take this," I tell Peter, removing a silk cord from around my neck and slipping it over his head. From the cord dangles a little pendant. He doesn't recognize its significance, and maybe he'll never have to. All it needs to be is a reminder of what's happened here today.

"I'm going to see you again soon. Until then, mind everything I've told you. Take care of each other."

[chimeramimic.livejournal.com]

The weight of the pendant in my hand is grounding and I swallow. Right, all I need to do is hold onto this, we'll stop the virus, Nathan will be alive and there will be no more tears in this room. I look at the piece of metal in my hand just before he tells us that he's leaving and when I look up again, he's already gone.

Without this cord, I'd have thought it was a dream. I quickly put it on and knot it around my neck, doubling it securely because, God help me, if there's one thing I can't lose, it's this.

I still have so many questions. I don't know when he'll return. But that's not important right now.

"Nathan--" I have to snap my fingers in front of his eyes for him to blink. "Nathan, Jesus, snap out of it."

[law-anddisorder.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I'm all right." No, I'm not. My voice doesn't really sound right, a little too dreamy and groggy, like I just woke up hungover from a long night of drinking.

I test out my limbs to see if I can move them, and I immediately pinch the bridge of my nose and take a few deep breaths. I just sat and listened to a futuristic version of my brother tell us we can fly. He threw us around like rag dolls without even touching us, preached about Doomsday, and then just blinked out of existence. Am I getting all this right?

"Peter."

I turn to him, and place my hands on his shoulders. I have a strange need to make sure he's solid and really there. To assure myself that I'm not the next one in line for Bellevue.

"What the hell just happened?"

[chimeramimic.livejournal.com]

"We...we're super heroes." Not what he wants to hear. I can tell already by the look of genuine disgust he gives me. I wince and after he moves away from me, I dance right back to him again. He's not getting away. You don't just return from the future to get yourself to fix it for nothing! "Less you're putting more than whiskey in those tumblers, we can fly!"

Everything else aside, that makes me giddy. I thought he'd be giddy too, but no, no, I can see it in his eyes. He just wants to be another lawyer turned politician when he can be a real life Super Man! Well, minus the heat vision and super strength. And he probably won't be able to fly around the world so fast that he reverses time, but not everyone can be perfect!

I put my hand to his chest, lightly stroking his tie. It's one I gave him. I wrote my name on the back of it after stealing it from dad's closet, effectively ruining the fine Italian silk. I always like it when he wears it.

"We've got to go to Odessa!"