HERODUDE KAGE: Chapter 34
Six Years Ago.
We see Kage in fourth grade. He sits at his desk with in silence while people around him are talking, making noise, some are even running around in the class room.
The teacher yells for quiet. Class was about to start. The teacher starts rambling on about a subject, but their is no memory of what she was even talking about. Even though it looked like Kage was paying attention, every word went completely through his ears.
It was like he was frozen. Stuck inside his own mind. It was like he was replaying a memory in time over and over and over and over and over—-
Just like that, school was over. He walks back home gripping his bookbag tightly as he speed walks home. But not fast enough. One of his friends was able to catch up to him.
"Aye! Kage!! What's up, bro? You been mad quiet for the past few days!"
Silence
"Kage? You good? Something's on ya mind, bro?"
Silence
"Kage… you hearing me?"
Silence
"Bro. My man, you ok?"
The friend snaps his fingers in Kage's face. And then Kage snaps back to the present.
Present Day
Kage starts blinking as if he woke up from a deep sleep. He sees Jamila snapping her fingers across his face.
"Uhhh what's up, Jamila?"
She's still snapping her fingers
"You can… you can stop now. I can see you."
She continues to snap her fingers
"Jamila…"
She laughs and Jumps out of Kage's bed
Kage looks around and sees Quadeem leaning against a wall with his arms crossed.
"Back to reality, my man?"
"Uhhh yeah. Yeah, now I am."
Quadeem sits down in Kage's gaming chair and rolls closer to him.
"Been a while since you zoned out like that. A few years, right?"
"Think so."
Quadeem nods
"Yeah… anyways, sooo. Now I know Jamila is mom's favorite 'cause she never yelled at her!"
"Yeah, 'cause I'm a good girl! I go to school, listen to Mom and Dad, AND I get good grades. Did you see the grades I got for my math tests? it's a 100 after 100 after 100!""
Quadeem smirks and rubs her head
"Yeahh, that's good. for middle school at least"
"Don't ruin this moment!"
"Sorry. Sorry. having a 100s in 6th grade is soooo cool."
Jamila pinches Quadeem's ear.
"OW, OW, OW SORRY!
Jamila laughs and Kage smirks
"Is uhh... Mom still yelling down there?"
Quadeem rubs his ear after Jamila lets go.
"Heh. Naw, Pops calming her down. Their watching a movie as we speak."
"That's what's up."
Silence
"Alright."
Quadeem rolls closer
"You gonna cut the BS or should I?"
"You not funny, bro"
"Look, Kage I can see that argument did a lot to ya."
"Bro. I just... said what I wanted to say. I'm older. And in my situation.. it's like... it can't be yes Mom or yes Dad all the time."
Quadeem chuckles
"You know, the rebel teen phase usually starts at 14."
"You still laughing…"
"Naww 'cause bro, that's crazy! You really think you a grown man! We gotta start giving you some bills!"
Kage stands up.
"NO! SUCKA, that's not what I'm trying to say. I know I'm young and I'm still growing. And I'll always listen to Mom and Pops…."
"..But it's just like…everybody thinking that this is just some cosplay s**t man, Like… I take this seriously 'cause someone has to."
Quadeem gets serious
"Yeah, naw, I feel you, bro. At the end of the day, you're doing a good thing. It's just a big adjustment, that's all. All of this is. New state, new house, new schools and stuff. I mean I know we been here for a few years, but... I'm just not getting that same feeling."
Kage grabs one of his action figures before his sits down and starts playing around with it.
"I just wanna go back to the good days, man. When we was back at PA. With all our friends, Rochi and them. Life was good back then. Before the Reality Sorcerers. Before any adjustments. Before…that."
Quadeem notices that last line as Kage continues
"You know, when all these sorcerers are gone, and I'm the only one standing. Once I get that all powerful wish from Araxion…Imma tell him to leave us the hell alone. Give all of us our normal lives again. And if he has a problem with that… Imma kick his a** so he won't do this to any reality ever again.
Quadeem tilts his head slightly. Kage notices
"What, you don't believe in me?"
No, no, no, I do. But Kage. When you said… "before that", you sure there isn't some deeper reason into why you wanna save people?
"What you mean—"
Ring Ring. Kage reaches for his phone.
"Ohhh shoot. It's Miss Missy."
What? She your girlfriend or something?"
Bro, what? No! Look. You remember where we put that knocked out assistant?"
"We? You mean you? I ain't have nothing to do with….oh. Oh my gosh Don't tell me.."
"…..yeah"
Jamila pops up outta nowhere.
"Oooooo Kage's in trouble again!"
30 Minutes later
Kage (who is now in his HeroDude outfit), and Quadeem both exit the elevator of an apartment complex.
HeroDude walks up front while Quadeem walks behind him with a mask on and his hands in his pockets.
"I'm confused. How in the world do you know where Miss Missy's apartment is? We was in a dang studio when we did that little podcast!"
HeroDude turns around while walking.
"Well. You know. Before the podcast, me and her… talked.
Quadeem raises a brow as Kage scratches the back of his head
"Talked... about the podcast. Ya know like, trying to get to know each other more and yeah… professional.. stuff..."
Kage keeps walking as Quadeem stops for a moment.
"Oh, you really do think you're grown."
Inside Miss Missy's Apartment
Miss Missy lays on her bed while on the phone with her friend. She rants to her about the situation she is in right now.
"Girl, This really crazy 'cause these sorcerers really out here thinking they can do what they want!"
"Girl, what happened?"
"What happened? Ok, so boom. I'm out here heading home after a long day in the studio with this podcast and s**t. I head home hoping I can get some sleep and then outta nowhere I hear a big THUD near my closet….."
"You said stud?"
"No, a THUD like you hitting your head a a wall or something. Anyways, that's not the point though. So I'm like, what the hell, right? I open my closet. And then boom! A whole knocked-out NPC is in my closet. So I'm like, who the hell put a damn random in my closet. I connected the dots and I figured out that the only person that knows where I live and would pull this stunt would be—"
She hears a knock on the door.
"'Bout time. Hold up, girl imma call you back"
She rushes to the door. She opens it to see HeroDude and Quadeem
"Heyyyyy, Miss Missy."
He slowly stretches out his arms to offer a hug. Miss Missy just looks at him with her arms crossed.
"Hey, Quadeem"
"Oh, what's up."
Miss Missy walks back into her apartment as Quadeem whispers
"Should've brought some flowers"
"Bro, I'm telling you it's not like that."
END OF CHAPTER