Thrift Store Time!

Saturday and Sunday are supposed to be Mom's days off, or at least they were. With the rise in crime she ended up forgoing two days off a week and started doing a biweekly approach. It worked for a month I think, if she even made it that far. Before she even realized it she started pushing her days off even further. Nowadays it’s closer to one day off a month.

Didn’t help that she’s part of the first generation to grow up with, and around super powers. Mom turned seven, the Hubble space telescope was launched, and Adolescent Anomaly Aikido Aardvark’s got a live action movie, and The Rainbow appeared. The first public super powered person recorded on video. There had been rumors about them for a while, but he was the first one on camera.

It happened in the canal right here in Fort Lain. A paddle boat named the Crown McSherman started sinking. It was a horribly unlucky accident, an infestation of wharf rats had holed up in the engine room. They’d knocked over an old oil lamp in the captain's quarters while stealing his beef jerky. The lamp had started a small blaze on his bed and ended up burning through to the paddle mechanisms. The wood burnt away and the heavy metal bits fell down and punctured a hole straight through the hull.

A sinking boat is awful under normal circumstances, in the autumn or winter doubly so. The cold really doesn’t do humans any favors. For whatever reason its waters are always excessively turbulent. Swirling almost dancing water hypnotizes the eyes while you look at it, demanding your attention and almost pulling you in. Gramds always warned me to respect the canal when we’d eat our ice cream looking out at it.

“You fall in their Mel and you're a goner. You’ll be dead before I can even think about how dumb you are for falling in it.” he warned.

“You won’t save me Grands” I remember starting to choke up.

“Oh, no I mean. I’ll try and save you but I’ll definitely drown with you after jumping in. I’m way too old to be fighting the canal so Mel be extra care-” I remember crying really loudly and for a good while after thinking about Grands and myself drowning in the canal.

Grands was never one for subtlety, a bit too blunt for a five year old. Me being a crybaby and a Grandpa’s girl wasn’t helpful, poor guy. He did manage to make me remember to be careful around all bodies of water though. An irrational fear of drowning among a few others.

I can’t even imagine how scary it must have been that night on the McSherman. A sinking burning boat in the pitch black night spinning around in the canal.

The coastguard and news teams got there as quickly as they could. The ship had already sunk nearly halfway down as the coastguard started transporting people to shore. Most of which had ended up in the canal, jumping from the flames that were slowly consuming the boat. The few still on the boat were still weighing their options between freezing and burning. Personally I’d pick burning, I still can’t swim in a pool without an inner tube because of Grands.

There were too many people in danger that night. Rescuing the people freezing in the water and getting to the ones choking to death from the smoke soon to be burnt alive. A truly rotten day to be on the coast guard.

Luckily though, as all hope seemed lost. A rainbow was seen streaking across the sky. Emanating from the mouth of a middle aged man. Dark tanned skin, brown hair with hints of gray appearing, wearing what could only be described as a clown outfit and a masquerade mask, gold and covered in glitter. Looked like he found his outfit at the party store down the block.

“Fear not all! For you shall all be saved! Calmly remain on the boat!” While he spoke a blue light poured from his mouth. Its rays reached far out into the canal and illuminated the paddleboat.

After his final word a small rain cloud appeared above the boat. A calm and sudden rain, not expected by the meteorologists, emerged from the cloud. As the fire was contained and slowly put out by the rain the boat became still, no longer sinking or spinning in the canal. All in attendance victims, personnel, and onlookers continued on in silence. A tranquil ending to what seemed like a horrible accident in my city's history.

After all was said and done the next morning we found out that no lives were lost and no serious injuries accrued, except the boat captain. When he jumped off the boat his arm got stuck on a rope and ripped off. Actually that might be fake now that I think about it. How could there be no serious injuries but one guy's entire arm is lost. That might be a rumor.

The storm had come from a mundane natural source according to news sources. The boat's sudden stop at sinking was found to be a sand barge. The sand barge was also deemed to have been under the canal the whole time low enough to not impede travel by non-sinking ships. The news blew off the rainbow mouthed man as a very uncouth showman. Arriving at the best possible time. The fact that all of the stars had aligned to make his stunt a heroic one and not totally tactless.

That was all before the slow and steady appearance of others with powers that weren’t as debunkable as his, like Carburetor or Gigante El Pelicano. Took a good year or two for people to really mark The Rainbow as the first powered, there’s still some online debate whether or not he had powers or if he just happens to be a great street magician. The only reason that debate even still exists is his disappearance, or the lack of reappearance.

The rainbow mouthed man had disappeared as quickly and as unseen as he arrived that night. It’s been thirty seven years since then and he's never been officially seen again. Just rumors here and there on the web. Supposedly his last sighting was T'bilisi. No pictures or videos have surfaced though. He’s like the sasquatch in the Patterson-Gimlin film.

Unlike The Rainbow, other powered people couldn't stay out of the limelight. Nowadays it's not uncommon to see a costumed vigilante out and about during lunch. Helping after a car accident, clearing the streets during a storm.

Less commonly you’ll hear about a powered person committing a crime, a villain.

When that happens it always makes the news, it’s also the only reason that heroes are allowed to be vigilante.

Originally vigilantes were illegal, technically they still are, but they passed a costumed law. It’s called the Vigilante System, allowing costumed individuals to assist in fighting crime so long as they adhere to three rules.

1.Don’t get in an emergency personnels way, defer to them when able.

2.Appear before the city when summoned.

3.Give the city your secret identity.

Worded a little bit more legally. There’s a couple other parts to the law stating how property damage is handled, injuries, death, copyright, getting paid, taxes, and what have you. It’s amazing it got passed when you think about it. A law that lets random civilians with freakish powers do vigilante work legally. They’re given a license and boringly called Licensed Vigilante’s. Not really a vigilante anymore if you think about it?

The law took a while to get passed but was needed. For every vigilante out there they say three powered criminals exist. Fort Lain having a known hero count of 11, me included. That means there are about 33 criminals out there with powers ranging from night vision to kaiju creation, ironically that power appeared in Japan. The law enforcement had no choice but to acknowledge the powered who wanted to help to keep up with these now real super villains skulking about.

It’s especially bad in Fort Lain. With the boom in industry we’ve seen a boom in population and a boom in crime. Lots of gangs have been formed around powered individuals. They’re constantly fighting for control of different parts of the city and its surrounding towns.

If only my Mom didn’t work so high up in the city. I can’t go official with my heroics until I turn eighteen, technically no one can. I could register early with a parent's signature and get a chance to meet someone already on the job. Get some tips and maybe potential contacts. The biggest obstacle of heroics aside from criminals and danger is money. You have to either get help from another hero or strike lucky and get a sponsor. Kind of like online streamers. You either get a shout out/collab or make it big by going viral in some way. Popularity is a hero’s greatest triumph.

unless you just want it to be a hobby. Plenty of heroes just volunteer in their free time. Most heroes are just local people who drive around with the firefighters or walk around town taking pictures with kids. I kind of want to hit it big personally. Get a chance to meet the big names in heroing, like Cramblestein.

Of course I had to get a Mom who's afraid of letting me ride the bus and hates the vigilante system. If she finds out about this she’s gonna hire a bodyguard to stalk me 24/7 and take away everything I own, I don’t think she’d even leave me any books this time. I can imagine it so clearly. Me all alone in my room, totally empty aside from my bed, a dresser, and a guard watching me while I sleep. Realistically it’d probably be Mrs.Navarro our house keeper, I can’t imagine her trusting or paying a second person to be in her house.

At least if I wait to be caught or come clean when I’m eighteen I can run away to Grands. He’d let me be a vigilante through the system, he’d also let me keep my phone. I’ll be eighteen soon enough, better to worry about today.

The bus finally arrived at my stop, right in the center of the city. Fort Lain’s central hub surrounds a large octagon shaped building, the Emperio Building, the E.B. The ugly thing is one hundred floors high and covered in hexagonal windows. It has an odd appearance with black metal walls, and yellow windows. Apparently the city's prosperity and growth all owe itself to the building's completion. I can’t imagine how unpleasant it is to look out into the world through a yellow window.

I’m more interested in the shops surrounding it though. The shops closer to the E.B. are high class and flashy. A little further out they change to tourist traps styled stores with costumed performers and food carts lining up in front of them, desperately trying to make money from tourists. Then even further out you get to my favorite spot, the battle zone. Here the stores are more middle class styled. The rent is super high but so is the foot traffic. The stores here live in a constant state of high risk high reward, because of that there's always super competitive sales and new stores taking over for the recently deceased ones.

My favorite store among them all is Rebuyers, a thrift store that rents out a big old building. It’s huge, three floors each a hundred feet wide by 300 feet, I think. It’s crazy and full of weird stuff. Being located here in the center of the city they get so many donations, sometimes from the tourists even. I always find something to go home with when I come here. I could spend the entire day searching and finding treasure if it weren’t for my “curfew”.

Today's shopping goal is simple. I want to find some fluff for my costume. I want to add some cuteness to it, remember? Maybe a feather boa or some kinda weird scarf? Hopefully nothing cotton or whatever old people use to make couches out of. That stuff holds onto dust and smells funny.

It’s not really organized outside of the clothing and home goods section on floor one. Everything else just gets kinda crammed onto the shelves on the second and third floor. Seasonal stuff is crammed into a closet on the third floor. It’s nice to be able to find a pumpkin and a Santa hat off season, in case you need one.

First floor is awful. Clothes are boring to look at and there's a lot of people on this floor, about thirty today. Hard to walk around them with the small isles and whenever you actually find something to look at you’re in somebody else's way.

Luckily most of the clothes here are womens, not as lucky, nobody is my size. Saves me time I guess, finish the adult section fast and head to the kids. Plenty of coats and sweaters are in rotation. Nothing I really envision for my costume though. Nothing has that fluffy vibe I want.

Oddly enough, enhanced sight doesn’t help shopping much. Sure I can see the clothes from farther away and a bit “clearer”, but all that does is make me look like a weirdo standing still in odd locations in the store. Being able to perfectly see a shirt 60 feet away from you isn’t very useful when shopping.

My outfits tend to be old band Tees and ripped jeans. I’ve struck gold here more than once, but most of my outfits I have to get off of O-bay. The chances of finding a shirt that's in good shape, not a band that sucks, and for a child is hellish.

Not all that surprising, nothing is jumping out at me down here. Maybe they have a blanket with a fringe or something on the second floor. I don’t think I'll find anything near the cookware down here.

“The sticker says three dollars.” a middle aged lady in oddly tight neon pink pants with green and blue flowers yells at the clerk.

“I understand that Ma’am but it’s for a painting. It says so on it, somebody must have swapped the stickers.” the poor clerk responded half heartedly. He looks especially tired and uncaring. Nobody can get paid enough to be yelled at, well at least yelled at over a three dollar blouse.

“So you are just not going to sell me it at the price you have listed? It’s not my fault your store can’t keep things labeled correctly!”

“It’s the store's policy. We get to many kids in here everyday playing pranks like” his voice fading away as I head upstairs. Or it would if I didn’t have super hearing. Instead I’ve been learning how to ignore and block things out I don’t need to hear. It’s going okayish.

Not even halfway across the second floor and something catches my eye. Hanging in a plastic bag on the wall surrounded by knick knacks and toys trapped in plastic pouches. A big old bag of assorted yarns. Looks like seven or eight balls off it. None of the balls are the same type of yarn and over half of the colors I don’t want. But there's two really good bushels, a nice tan and this fluffy frazzly texture.

It’s a little dusty in the bag, but you can’t beat the price. All this yarn for three bucks is a steal. Over at the craft store this much yarn would cost at least eight bucks, and that's not even including all of the extra colors I'll have left over. PLUS all of the yarn I don’t use I can re-donate here if I end up not wanting it and get a 5% off coupon. You learn to be frugal when you're given such a small allowance and not allowed to get a job.

“I can’t believe I’m being treated like this! Do you understand I shop here all the time and you are telling me you won’t just let me buy it!” her voice raised an octave higher, clearly she’s starting to lose it, if she ever had it.

Glad I got Grands to buy me these earplugs, christ. Makes her screaming sound like she's speaking at a normal volume. Some people really just exist to make everyone else’s day worse. I didn’t plan on going to the third floor today but I really don't want to go wait in line behind her. Hopefully she’ll be gone by the time I finish looking through it.

Third floor consists of the weirdest of weird stuff. Some would eve call it garbage, they’d be wrong though. It’s more stuff that just hasn’t found its purpose yet. A lot of broken stuff in organized piles. There's a pile of microwave doors near the back that I’ve had my eyes on for years. Mom would throw them away if I brought them home. Soon my pile of doors. When I have an apartment I can make some kind of coffee table out of them. Or maybe a small shelf.

I don’t know what I’d find for my costume up here. Not really thinking of adding any appliances. Maybe some kind of armor out of trash can lids, or shin guards from a blender. Maybe just something shiny to hang in Penellope’s coop.It could always use more decorations.

Rummaging my hands through the metal bin is a little tricky. I’ve cut myself more times than I’d like to admit up here. The things I do for love~. My hands find something not sharp at all, not even metal. A small wooden box with a latch. Big enough to hold two VHS tapes maybe, It’s covered in scratches and the latch is a little finicky. I wonder why it's in the metal pile, maybe it's full of silverware.

I’m not proud of how much energy I needed to open it. The latch broke on me too, sucks. Inside was a bunch of metal cubes, gold bronze dice. Hollow dice made from soldering metal together and folding it by the looks. One of them fell apart actually, split in half making two little pyramids. Just big enough to put on the end of my finger like a little claw.

LITTLE!

CLAW!

These are perfect for my costume! If I cut them up into, what, fourths? I can attach them to the tops of my gloves like claws. Maybe even add some to my boots. They aren’t that reflective either so I wont lose much in terms of stealth. Man I should thank that crazy lady downstairs, these rule.

Not bad! Found what I was looking for plus some extra, and it only took 45 minutes. Man, sometimes even I shock myself with the efficiency I get things done with. Definitely one of the better traits I inherited from mom. Even if that lady is still in line I bet with me standing behind her she might get sick of screaming and I’ll be out of the store in 20 minutes at most.

Every step down towards the main floor released an ounce of stress from my shoulders. Even with all my planning and success I never feel fully confident. Anything could go wrong.

When I got to the main floor I noticed. Everyone was standing with their arms raised. The only people left not doing so are over by the register. The cashier, crazy lady, and a group of punks? Like literal band punks.

Four of them. One was a shorter Irish looking guy maybe 30, with a black shirt that said MURDER PIGGIES!!!!!!, denim jacket, pants, and a denim cowboy hat. He was peeking outside the front door window. Another member had just left and was blocking the doorway. She looked kind of like Arnold Schwarzenegger if he worked at a gas station, ripped jeans, a nondescript red shirt, and huge brown grease covered boots. An average built black kid, maybe 20, with bright pink hair slicked back and skinny leather pants was standing next to the cashier, he looked a little shaken.

The last member was a tall woman, maybe six feet. A large electric guitar hung over her back, looked custom, the body thick and metallic, blue. She is paler than most four piercings on the bridge of her nose, a screw in her left ear towards the top and two chain links on the bottom. A Mohawk that she wears down covering most of her right eye. The left side of her scalp shaved smooth showing a large blue stylized thunderbolt that wraps from the back of her head over her left eye. Another huge tattoo, of a crow, wrapped around her back. The wing onto her midriff and the cawing head onto the right arm. For clothes she had a yellow bikini top and an old ripped pair of jeans, the right leg totally gone, showing fishnets underneath.

Her fashion sense is totally wild, but I dig it. I don’t think most people can pull off the look but she works it. Oh and the kid has a gun on the cashier. Wait…

SHIT

Doesn’t that mean this is a hold up. Gotta get low, really don’t want them to see me. Can’t believe I’ve gotta get involved in this while out of costume and running against a timer. I wonder if they’ll be done soon. Should I call the cops? Honestly so long as the clerk gives them money and they just leave I really don’t have to.

If the police get involved while they're here this could take all day long and I’ll never get away. Plus if they do show up there's a greater chance they might actually fire the gun in desperation. I’ll just keep my finger on 911 in case they fire and we need an ambulance. Maybe I’ll take an ear plug out and hear what they’re saying better.

WAIT

If they fire their gun without my earplugs in I might pass out. Do they have a silencer? Yeah no way I’m taking these out. I’m not an idiot. Just wait and see most robbers are just down on their luck and want the cash, not to kill anyone. Unless they’re junkies and not thinking straight and … Damnit please just take the money and ditch. You’re ruining my day here.

The kid with the gun seems really nervous. Definitely not his idea. The two at the door seem cool and collected, and the giant. Dammit she seems really happy. I don’t like that. She doesn’t have the gun though that’s good.

The emergency exit is halfway through the first floor, behind a large coat rack. I bet I could crawl my way behind all of the clothes and make my way over there. I could sneak out. If I get out I could anonymously call the cops when I’m a bit down the street. Now that’s a plan I can get behind.

Alright slow and steady don’t let them hear or see you, only walk when they speak and stay below eye sight. Don’t touch anything. Sneak sneak sneak.

“C’mon man you tryna fuck with us!? What’s the holdup?”

“I’m sorry the register is old and sucks. I swear I wouldn’t mess around for a job like this man”

“Ya ha ha. Give him a break Zeke. Skeel and Kez have the front door on lock, not like there are any windows that’ll show your gun off.”

“Not my gun, but they might see the people all standing still with their arms raised as they walk by the front door!”

“Oh, yeah. huh. Good point, uh. Everybody! Unless you want me to snatch Zeke’s gun and go to town on y’all, move over to the right half of the building! Less visual, ya know?!” the giant woman motioned to the side of the building I was working my way towards.

Of course I got halfway there and now they’ll be looking this way. If my luck couldn’t be worse a middle aged guy came waddling my direction way too fast. Of course he didn’t see me and kneed me right in the face. He stumbled and fell into the book case nocking everything off of it. Why, why, why!? Stupid idiot use your eyeballs I know i’m crouching but I’m not that small for fucks sake. I hate him so much if they see me because of him, so help me i’ll cry.

“Oi what’s the problem tubbs!?”

“Uhm uh” he looked directly at me. Why!? Please are you really going to screw me over this hard tubbs! Just shut up, you tripped, you're scared, please! Don’t rat me out here!! I’m so close to bailing!!

“I uh, I tripped o-over the clothing rack.”

She chuckled “Try and be a little less clumsy idiot. Stand up and lemme see those hands again.”

Thank you Mr.Tubbs. Maybe I was too mean, he's not so bad. My plan’s still fucked though. There's no way I’m going to get out of here now. Her attention is completely trained this way. If only somebody made a distraction.

“This is ridiculous! Couldn’t you lott rob somewhere actually useful? The thrift store really? How much money do you think he has like 300 bucks? Why don’t you go rob a gas station or bank like normal people!”

There is no way. Is that the rude chick from earlier? She’s still in the store!!? Was she still chewing the cashier out when they came in? And now she’s actually being useful!!? I really need to thank her later. Maybe being crazy and rude has its perks. For me at least. While she screams I can open the door. Almost, almost.

“You're not even real criminals, just hopeless street urchins. Go back and crawl into whatever slum you came out of and steal the drugs you need. I’d like to get back to my home sometime soon and I still have a blouse to buy!”

Crazy is trying to get shot over a three dollar blouse. Don’t worry, I’ll send the cops over as soon as I get out. Maybe i should call an ambulance too, She’s not making me feel confident that nobody is going to get hurt. I really hate victim blaming but cashier man you gotta hurry the fuck up.

The door! I finally made it. So old, creaky, and filthy. Covered in more scrapes and dents than… Uhh, a not old door. Getting a little caught up in my excitement. Just gotta time my open perfectly and I can bolt.

“Dumb lady! Do you really think now is the time to be a badass!?” I can hear the giant lady walking over towards her, what else? She’s moving something, the guitar off of her back?

“What? Are you going to play us all a song on your guitar? Can you even play it? As far as I’m aware you need to afford lessons to get anywhere near being decent at guitar, or any instrument for that matter.”

Okay this seems like a good moment. As soon as the giant starts responding i'll swing open the door and bolt. Deep breaths. God why am I pausing here. A hero can’t be afraid to take action, just grab the handle.

“Oh I’ll play you all something, but i don’t think you’ll actually get a chance to hear it.”

“Is that some kind of threat you—

BOIIIING!!!!!! CRUNCH!

My fucking ears! Where’d my left ear plug go?

Thump…Someone screamed.

What was that….?

Don’t look. The doors open just leave.

Don’t look, don’t look, don’t look.

I looked…

Clearly visible from under the clothing racks I can see it. The crazy ladies head on the ground. Her face covered in blood, jaw dislocated… The back of her head looks okay. Maybe. The blood is all coming from the front. Her teeth sticking out of her upper lip. She absolutely obliterated her with that guitar. This is bad. I don't think she’s gonna just walk that one off, I gotta go get outside and call the ambulance.

“Ya ha ha! That’ll shut you up!!”

“Skekz, are you kidding!!”

“What? She deserved it, no worries.”

“Tell that to the customers! That one won’t stop bawling! And now the cashier is under the desk. Get back to it idiot she’s not the one who has you at gunpoint!!”

“Jeez man calm down. Better yet everyone calm down.” She sings slightly while flinging her guitar strap over her shoulder and getting ready to play it.

“Skekz wait a sec!!”

“Nah get ready idiots!! Call this one, Simmer Down Sunset ♪ ”

Nobody else heard it under all of the yelling. If I had a power that wasn’t so stupid I wouldn’t have either. The choking gurgles of a lady drowning in her own blood. My finger hit the call button I’ve been hovering over the whole time and my body ran towards her.

As I bolted towards her the music started. The guitar shrieked as the woman began to sing.

“♪♪ The sun drools over the horizon! We all see it fading! As it disappears from our view, ain't it something amazing! Time to drift away and wait for tomorrow! Another day ending with our heads sagging! See y'all tomorrow it’s time to start napping!!♪♪”

My eyelids started coming down as my legs fell from beneath me. My muscles are losing control. What the hell is this, I’m not moving right. It’s just so nice, I might fall asleep. The music feels so goooo-

THE MUSIC.

She has a power! Could this day get any worse. What does it do! Makes you tired, and lose motor control? But with a guitar that sounds like a harp? What about the others? Looking at them they’re all already down on the ground. Are they okay!? Looking at them through my half closed lids they’re breathing, asleep. All of them are asleep.

Why? I’m not asleep. I’m closer to her and can hear her better shouldn’t I be asleep too? Wait. The ear plug. I fumbled through my pocket, it’s not their. Right it was in. It fell out because of tubbs! It doesn’t work if you can’t hear it well? Jesus Christ where did it fall! I frantically looked around, my eyes darting all over and my head swiveling every witch way. If I don't find it she’s going to drown. Where is it! THEIR! In her blood pool! That’s too perfect! Something is going right!

I grabbed it! Now just to put it in my ear. Stupid music is making this impossible, hurry up! Slow and steady is the most annoying saying out there. Only because it’s so true. My hand missed my ear and I dropped the plug. I didn’t see where it fell. Where did you go! Please, I'm so close! But I'm starting to lose all control. Sinking to the ground, until.

The music stopped. She’s done? My body is back to normal in an instant. I'm fine now? Where’s the ear plug if She starts again… Wait… I don’t hear her anymore. The gurgles stopped.

NOOO!!! CRAZY LADY!!!

Bonus Facts!-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is the section where I’ll toss in extra lore or random things that I think help flesh out the world. Or just stuff that I feel like is interesting. It’s totally extra and not needed to read it, feel free to skip Bonus Facts!

This week's Bonus Facts! Cramblestein!

Cramblestein is a Hero currently employed in Green Bay Wisconsin. His power is the ability to create and brand of beer from his Ring fingers. He can create 7 gallons of beer from 1 ring finger every minute. He has a Love score of 89/100.

His costume is a custom made full body beer stein. His color scheme is brown and green. His large brown beard has a small braid at the bottom.