San Diego, California
La Jolla Shores
The ocean never looked so beautiful; so at peace. Blue Kelso hadn’t experienced this for quite some time. Blue dropped to her knees just short of the shoreline, taking off her shades and looked out into the night sky with tears welling up in her eyes.
“He’s really gone…” she spoke softly to herself, almost out of breath. So softly in fact that she barely heard it said out loud.
Blue hadn’t even known how long she had been running but she knew that was all she could do once she saw it. Where she was or where she planned on going to was irrelevant.
Sobbing, Blue collapsed completely to the ground falling asleep on the cool sand.
“Are you OK?”
Blue’s eyes fluttered open as the suns rays welcomed her to a new morning. Adjusting to the light, her tear stained pupils made out a figure standing over her looking down. The figure extended a hand.
“Who are you?!” Blue shot up in a blur to her feet, startling the other person. Looking at them, she saw a young brunette woman around twenty four wearing a brown leather jacket, a hot pink tee-shirt and Capri denim jeans. She looked genuinely concerned and not at all phased by the sudden speed Blue had just showcased.
“It’s OK, I’m not here to hurt you. I just want to know if you’re alright. My name’s Amy Jo, my friends call me A.J.,” said the woman, extending her hand again towards Blue. “Do you need me to call an ambulance or something?”
Blue furrowed her brow assessing the situation fervently. She shook her head slowly never once suppressing her gaze on Amy Jo.
A.J. got to her feet, “Do you know where you are?”
It suddenly came to Blue’s attention that she hadn’t a clue where she was. She knew she must’ve looked like a mess but her pride refused to show that she didn’t know where. With one eye locked firmly on A.J., Blue began to look around herself hoping for a semblance of her current situation. Faster than a flatscan could even see, Blue surveyed her immediate surroundings in a flash and saw a sign in the near distance:
La Jolla Shores, the Ocean Jewel of San Diego!
“I’m in La Jolla, San Diego?” Blue exclaimed suddenly. By the tone of her voice however it seemed she was just as shocked to say it. San Diego? Blue thought, How did I get all the way here?
A.J. raised an eyebrow. Blue knew she wasn’t convinced. She needed to leave and fast. Thankfully, being fast wasn’t hard for her to do. In a mere moment, Blue again activated her super speed, this time running across the beach leaving a trail of cerulean waves where she once was. However, just as fast as she ran she quickly stopped and fell to the ground, exhausted. She was still much too tired to do anything.
“Oh my God!” yelled A.J., running toward Blue yet again. She knelt down and began helping her up. “You’re coming with me.”
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Downtown San Diego
Gaslamp Quarter
For one of the busier parts of downtown San Diego, Gaslamp Quarter on a Tuesday morning wasn’t exactly that thriving with life. Then again the area itself was more popular as a hangout at night with a plethora of bars and clubs to attract some of the more social residents. But then again, there was still some noise coming from the sidewalk as Krista Kenny made her way out of her downtown apartment home. Taking out a small digital camera, a small white and purple helmet and orange shades from her backpack she very swiftly placed the helmet and shades on her head and turned the camera on.
“Hey guys, Screwball here. Pretty boring out here today, honestly but y’know your girl’s got the fix right?! Right now I’m heading down to the trolley that will take me to Cowles Mountain so I can film myself running up AND down that puppy in ten minutes flat. You asked for it and who am I to say no to you lovely people? Remember if we hit 100,000 subscribers by next week I’ll be jumping across each of the buildings here downtown! Short video today, just wanted to remind you guys what’s coming up. Make sure to hit that like button, comment and most importantly subscribe to see Spider-Man eat his heart out. Later!”
Krista’s smile dissipated as quickly as it appeared once the camera’s record button had stopped and she put away her belongings into her backpack. Walking towards another apartment complex, she lingered on the steps leading up to it impatiently as a young man walked out of the vestibule and into Krista’s line of sight. Wearing a wife beater, a do-rag and green khaki pants, the young man held out his arms as soon as he saw her.
“’Eeeeeyy, Krista, how’s my star today?” said the man walking towards her for a hug. His voice was almost stereotypically obnoxious, almost ripped straight from a cheesy sitcom. Krista rolled her eyes and folded her arms resisting his embrace.
“Bored,” Krista said matter-of-factly, “This Cowles Mountain thing is amateur hour, Josh. I want to do something BIGGER. This isn’t going to get me anymore subs its just going to waste my time.”
Josh frowned, “This is a slow burn thing, Krista. Screwball’s gonna be huge, you just got to have patience and we can make this work together. Don’t you trust me?” Josh leaned in cheekily, his eyes butterflying with abandon.
Krista laughed sarcastically, “No. The last few parkour events you’ve booked me on have been breaking even or hitting lower and lower views. Something’s not working and it sure as hell isn’t me.”
“What did you have in mind then?” Josh asked with a tone of annoyance in his voice. “Gymnastics?” He snickered at the thought. Krista turned away from him, seemingly hurt by that response. She hit him across the face instantly surprising Josh.
Taking out her helmet, shades and camera out once again, Krista composed herself shaking off Josh’s comment. Turning on the camera once more, her smile seemed more genuine this time; almost menacing.
“Hey guys! Screwball’s back and she’s got a surprise for you today. Stay tuned for my live stream at 4 PM where Screwball’s gonna screw over the establishment. What’s that mean? All you need to know is it’s gonna be BIG. See you then!”
This time Krista’s smiled remained on her face as the camera shut off. Josh looked at her with an inquisitive stare.
“What does that even mean?” Josh said, rubbing his cheek gingerly.
“It means we’re gonna rob a bank live on stream and get away with it.”
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
La Jolla, California
Villa La Jolla Condominiums
Blue Kelso’s eyes opened once again albeit more slowly this time around. Adjusting to her surroundings she found herself on a couch in a small living room covered under a pink blanket. The living room seemed to continue into a spacious patio to overlook the rest of the condominiums in the complex. The view drew Blue to her feet as she hobbled slightly towards the glass sliding doors that impeded her progress.
“Oh good you’re up.”
Blue jumped at the sound of the voice as she turned to face Amy Jo walking from a hallway behind her into the living room.
“Here.” Amy Jo handed Blue a mug steaming with hot coffee before taking a drink of her own. Blue’s nostrils flared as she instantly grabbed the hot mug to sip into caffeine filled bliss. She walked back to the couch she awoke from and melted into it comfortably. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. If you hadn’t woken up soon I would have probably had to take you to the hospital. Had a feeling you didn’t want to go there after you kind of tried to bail.” Amy Jo took a seat on the other side of the couch from where Blue had seated and took another sip of her coffee. Blue’s eyes studied her intently.
“Why are you helping me? Who are you?” Blue asked genuinely interested. “No one is this nice or this trusting to anyone…at least not to me.”
“You already know my name, told you it at the beach. Why can’t someone just be helpful?”
Blue cocked an eyebrow, “Because it’s the twenty-first century. And helping unconscious super speeding strangers on a beach isn’t exactly the pinnacle of safe.”
Amy Jo shook her head, “While you’re right, if I was hurt, I would want someone to check on me to see if I was OK. It’s the right thing to do. Besides,” she takes another sip of her coffee, “I can handle myself just fine.”
Blue blinked her eyes, staring directly at Amy Jo. “Again, who are you?”
Amy Jo sighed, “Amy Jo Hart, A.J. to friends. I teach gymnastics to high school girls in the Gaslamp Quarter for a living. Now I told you my name twice and even added a bit more. The least you can do is share a bit about yourself.”
“Doubt you’d believe me, then again I’m not exactly sure I believe you,” Blue said.
“’Least you can do is tell me your name and why you were exhausted to the brink of unconsciousness on a beach.”
Blue folded her arms and began to speak, “Blue Kelso. I’m a mutant and former Avenger called Bluestreak from an alternate reality.”
Amy Jo moved uncomfortably in her seat for a moment before steadying herself. “Y...you’re from an alternate reality?”
Blue grinned, “Yup! You must think I’m beyond crazy, some drugged out yahoo who…”
“I believe you.”
Blue cocked an eyebrow. Before she could even open her mouth to respond, Amy Jo placed her coffee down on a nearby end table and got up from her seat. Walking toward a wall near the patio doors she stopped and drew her attention to a large white composite bow that hung motionless next to a quiver of arrows. Blue’s eyes followed her to this spot looking at the bow admittedly not even noticing it was there until now.
Amy Jo turned back to face Blue and smiled, “You probably think I’m weird, right?”
“Among over things,” Blue said with a snap.
“Why don’t you come to my gymnastics class with me? I can show you who I am like you asked plus it would be great for the girls to see a real life superhero!” Amy Jo said excitedly.
“As amazing as that sounds I’m afraid I’m going to have to pass on that offer. Once I feel a hundred percent I’ll be out of here.”
“Oh c’mon, you don’t have anywhere else to go. You barely knew you were in San Diego back on the beach. Why are you here in San Diego anyway?”
Blue turned away visibly uncomfortable. She hadn’t thought about why she had ran so far since this morning but was now suddenly thrust back into the memories that caused everything to spiral out of control. She always had to run away.
“What time is your class?”
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Downtown San Diego
Gaslamp Quarter – Coral Gymnastics
Gymnastics was never an activity Blue Kelso ever had an interest in when she was in school. She was quickly labeled the tomboy as a young girl and was fairly active in her school’s softball and track teams. That all ended however once her mutant ability of super speed finally kicked in and ended her dreams of being in the Olympics. But of all things that are traditionally “girly”, Blue appreciated gymnastics as one of the few that she could tolerate. It was at least active.
Blue walked into the Coral Gymnastics Center behind A.J. and marveled at the size of the facility.
“Whoa, you work here?” Blue asked even though she already knew the answer. A.J. simply nodded.
“Yup, been about two years. It’s incredible.” A.J smiled. Blue could tell she was being genuine in just her tone of voice. “The girls are going to love meeting you, but there’s one in particular I want you to meet.”
“Wait, I thought I was just watching, you want me to talk to these kids?!” Blue panicked; teenagers meant being obnoxious and dealing with trivial drama that meant nothing three months later. Running away suddenly seemed more and more enticing as she thought about it.
“These girls are amazing. They’re driven, determined to win and they persevere regardless of their own insecurities and flaws. There’s one though…she could definitely use some more guidance. I thought maybe since you’re a bit tough that you can maybe whip her into shape a bit?”
“Listen,” Blue started to say, “I am not into kids, let alone teen…”
“Here they are! Hey girls!”
A group of teenagers suddenly came into view as A.J. ran up to them and began greeting them. Blue stood back, her arms folded, the thought of running far, far away still at the forefront of her mind. Surveying the girls, Blue’s eyes landed on one girl in particular. She had short violet hair, green eyes and looked just as annoyed as Blue herself did. Blue seemed to find a kindred spirit.
“Ok girls, we have a guest in class today. She’s a true to life superhero called Bluestreak! Give her a Coral Welcome!”
Blue tensed herself up a bit before awkwardly waving in their direction.
“I’ve never heard of her,” said the violet haired girl, “What can you even do?”
“Krista Kenny!” A.J. reprimanded, “Don’t be rude.”
“Nah, it’s alright,” Blue smirked before running towards Krista at super speed sending her falling backwards on a nearby mat, “Sorry, didn’t hear you underneath all that teenager sass. What did you say again?” Blue then bolted around the facility in cascading waves of blues and whites, jumping on balance beams and around other equipment with ease. In a flash she was back in front of Krista with her hand outstretched to pull her back up. “Answer your question?”
Krista glared at Blue as her fellow classmates roared in applause. The young girl reluctantly grabbed Blue’s hand and pulled herself to her feet.
“Hmmph,” muttered Krista. The young girl took out her phone and began pretending to be too busy to care. She hastily grabbed her gym bag and began furiously texting before walking out of the gymnasium in a huff. Blue turned to A.J. and simply shrugged her shoulders.
“Krista! Where are you going?” A.J. yelled, following her. Blue slowly shadowed A.J., immediately regretting her theatrics if it hurt the young girl’s feelings.
“I got somewhere to be. If you guys want to play superhero, I’ll come back when you actually do your job and teach,” Krista spat. Blue could see A.J. trying to reason with her however the talk didn’t last very long. A.J. returned to the gymnasium a bit flustered over the sudden change of events.
“Sorry, A.J., I didn’t mean to get Little Miss Drama all ruffled,” Blue apologized. While she did feel bad she was a tad annoyed at the young girl as well. A.J. shook her head.
“Don’t be sorry, Krista was the one that I wanted you to see. She’s…she’s just not a hundred percent here when she’s here, y’know? If she didn’t have this excuse today I’m sure she would have left early for another reason.” A.J. sighed, feeling a bit defeated but she managed to force a smile as she made her back to the rest of her students.
Blue thought for a moment before speaking up, “I’ll go after her.” Immediately after saying the words out loud she regretted it but she knew she had too. It was partially her fault after all…even if the kid was a brat.
A.J. beamed, “Thank you!” She rushed in for a hug but Blue stepped back defensively.
“No need for a hug. I can search for people without embracing.” Blue quipped.
Blue walked out of the Coral Gymnastics building, looking around the busy early evening streets of downtown San Diego. Peering down the streets, she spotted Krista’s figure quickly taking a sharp turn down an alleyway and out of view. Inquisitive, Blue stealthily made her way down towards the alley and peeped in. What could a teenage girl possible need in an alleyway?
Blue’s eyes widened as she saw Krista change into a silvery white jumpsuit, a white and pink helmet and orange shades and took out her cell phone once again. Tapping furiously on its touch screen she eventually faced it toward herself and smiled.
“HEY GUYS! How’s it going? Screwballs here and we’re going live early with our bank heist. Give me some love in the comments!”
Blue couldn’t believe her ears but shook it off instantly before rushing into the alley. Screwball looked up, a bit taken off guard but pointed her phone towards Bluestreak.
“See? We already got a superhero trying to stop me! Let’s see if she can catch us!”
“Wha..?” Bluestreak looked at Screwball, seeing her bounce at fast speeds up the sides of the alleys walls up to the very top in an almost Spider-Man styled fashion. She stuck her tongue out playfully looking back down at Bluestreak.
“Catch me if you can loser!”
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
As quick as Bluestreak was at many things, processing what she just saw was taking a minute. She knew she had to stop this girl but she was still feeling under the weather from the previous show she put on at the Gymnastics Center. Not to mention of course that she ran cross country the night before.
Running back into the Gymnastics Center, Blue ran up the emergency staircase in a flash and found herself on the roof. Screwball was already several buildings away in the distance as she leaped with expert level finesse.
“Krista, get back here!” Blue shouted. Screwball had traveled so far along the rooftops that Blue couldn’t even make out her response. Doubling backwards to gain some momentum Bluestreak sprinted towards the edge and jumped onto the next building with a thud. Regaining her composure she began to feel winded before leaping again towards another building. This time however she jumped too early and barely caught herself on the side of the building. Frightened onlookers gasped as they saw the young mutant dangling. “Nothing…ugh…to see here…!” Blue managed to quip in between baited breaths. She was able to pull herself up but she was still incredibly exhausted. She had to get to Krista before she did something she would regret.
Heading into this building’s fire escape, Blue sped down onto the street below and decided to keep up with her from the ground. Pushing herself to the limit, Bluestreak expertly evaded pedestrians and cars on the streets below Screwball. In a blur of azure waves, Bluestreak found herself looking up at her target. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the building Screwball was standing on.
“Don’t do this! You’re going to regret it!” Bluestreak shouted.
Screwball smiled as she turned her cell phone’s camera towards Blue. “Superhero thinks I care. Cute. C’mon guys, donate if you want to see me kick this girl’s butt in!” Screwball leapt down onto the street expertly, wall clinging on the sides of the building and the adjacent one to slow her descent. In mere moments from her landing, Screwball easily rushed up towards Bluestreak landing a clean punch across her face. Blue doubled backwards in shock as she shook off the hit.
“Stop this!” Bluestreak shouted again, advancing towards the young girl this time without her signature speed. She lifted her fist to connect a punch of her own but Screwball maneuvered her head away from the blow with ease. The young gymnast countered quickly seeing Bluestreak in range and kneed her in the stomach sending Blue to the ground, holding her abdomen in pain. Screwball laughed as she ran towards the entrance of the building and kicked it open.
By this point a crowd had begun to gather around the two. Bluestreak shook her head trying to collect her thoughts. She was much too exhausted to even try to use her super speed but this girl was no ordinary girl. She was good…too good for a regular gymnast. She needed to be stopped. Blue turned towards the crowd, “Everyone call the police and steer clear of this building!”
Rushing into the building, Bluestreak was immediately sent backwards into the glass doors from which she came by a surprise punch to the cheek. Knowing full well where it came from Bluestreak got to her feet and slid to the ground towards Screwball extending her foot and connecting with Krista’s knee. Krista buckled from the pain allowing Blue to uppercut the young girl and send her backwards. Krista landed with a thud. Shaking off the pain, she swiftly got to her feet.
“All the money in the bag! NOW!” Screwball yelled running toward the bank teller with her camera’s phone facing his reaction. Bluestreak rushed towards her and grabbed Krista’s wrist and with a bit of effort activated a bit more of her super speed allowing her to quickly grab the cell phone. “NO! GIVE THAT BACK!”
Bluestreak attempted to catch her breath but was interrupted by an enraged Screwball advancing towards her. All Krista could see was red.
“Sorry guys! Show’s over!” Blue smiled into the phone’s camera and slammed the phone to the ground, cracking the screen and ending the live stream indefinitely. She then hovered her foot above the phone as Krista stopped in her tracks. “Come any closer and I drill this phone into the ground.”
Krista looked anxious, her eyes nervously viewing her surroundings. She extended her arm and cried out, “No! Don’t! Don’t touch my phone! DON’T!”
“Let everyone out of this bank right now and I’ll consider it.” Blue said her voice clearly labored. Krista gritted her teeth.
“Everyone, get the fuck out right now!” Screwball shouted and pointed towards the door. The bank goers didn’t hesitate to sprint towards the doors leaving the two young women alone. “Now give it back right now! You ruined everything!”
Bluestreak grabbed the phone from beneath her heel and held it firmly in her grasp. Her eyes studied Screwballs movements intently finally finding the tide of the battle in her favor. “What the hell is wrong with you? What kid films herself robbing a bank?”
Screwball ignored her. “Give me back my phone! GIVE IT BACK!” Krista suddenly advanced towards her but Bluestreak maneuvered out of the way easily noticing how desperate Screwball’s actions were. She was flustered and emotional now.
“Why do you care so much about your phone? Are you that much of a millennial that you can’t live without Snapchatting a bank robbery?” Bluestreak said with a hint of annoyance in her voice. In the corner of her eye she could see police vehicles and siren flashes outside the glass doors.
“It’s all I have! Please, just give it back, please…!” Krista pleaded pathetically, annoying Bluestreak even more. Angrily, Bluestreak threw the phone towards the teller’s desk, shattering it as it hit the marble. Screwball screamed and rushed towards it with tears welling in her eyes. “No…! How could you…the only people that care and you destroyed them…!”
“Um, just get another phone.” Bluestreak rolled her eyes. She no longer cared about this girl. Amy Jo was wrong; Krista was beyond help if she was this invested in something as trivial as followers on a website.
Krista’s tears dried and her face that was visible beneath her helmet began to show a tint of crimson. “I hate you. I HATE YOU!” She turned towards Bluestreak holding the remnants of her phone before rushing out the doors of the bank into the police’s view.
“FREEZE!”
Screwball leaped superhumanly up the entire length of the building surprising the onlookers and police into gasps. She looked down for a split second before jumping onto each adjacent building causing the police to follow. Bluestreak exited the bank and looked up but knew she couldn’t catch her in her condition.
“Damnit!” Bluestreak shouted.
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
La Jolla, California
Villa La Jolla Condominiums
Amy Jo had been relatively quiet upon hearing the news of her student. She sat in the living room looking at the night sky from the couch she had spoken to Blue earlier in the day. Bluestreak walked into the room, feeling a tad awkward, but feeling the need to speak to her.
“A.J,” Bluestreak began, “How are you feeling?”
Amy Jo didn’t look away from staring at the night sky. “You’re leaving aren’t you?”
Blue was taken aback but she was right. She had every intention of finally leaving. Blue remained silent.
“Y’know,” Amy Jo said breaking the silence, “Krista’s a mutant, like you.” She still gazed out into the night sky, transfixed.
“What?! How do you know?” Blue stammered.
“She told me. She was kicked out of her gymnastics team at her high school when she accidently leapt off of a balance beam and into the bleachers destroying them. She had Olympic dreams, all dashed in a moment.
“I gave her a place to still practice what she loved to feel normal because when I was her age, I wasn’t normal either.” She turned her gaze towards the white composite bow hanging on her wall then back outside. “She told me she started a YouTube channel and she was using what she learned in my class in her urban parkour stunts. I thought she was moving past the self pity she felt from being a mutant but I didn’t know that it was enveloping her to the point of insanity. She’s lost a lot more than just her dreams. Her family abandoned her, her friends. I hoped that we’d be that family that she needed in that time.”
Bluestreak felt disgusting. She knew exactly how Krista had felt at her age. Wanting to be in the Olympics was something she had always wanted that her mutant abilities took away. She didn’t even give Krista a chance.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Blue struggled to say.
“I promised her I would never share her secret. Now…now I know that keeping who she was a secret was wrong.”
A.J. finally turned to face Bluestreak, “You’re someone who is proud to be who they are. You showcase your abilities to people you barely know. I thought maybe if Krista saw someone like that it would wake her up from her delusions. I should have told you and I’m sorry. Sorry for involving you in all of this craziness.”
Both women stayed in silence for a moment absorbing it all in. Blue walked slowly towards the couch and sat next to Amy Jo and gazed out at the night sky herself. It was beautiful and Krista was out there somewhere.
“Well you’re wrong.” Blue said suddenly, confusing A.J. “I wasn’t leaving. I just wanted to ask…if I could stay a bit longer? Help look for Krista?”
Amy Jo smiled and put her hand on Blue’s knee. “Thank you.” She pulled Blue in for a quick hug.
Bluestreak was one of the fastest mutants on Earth. But for the first time today she was finally ready to slow down. She was ready to stop running.
END
La Jolla Shores
The ocean never looked so beautiful; so at peace. Blue Kelso hadn’t experienced this for quite some time. Blue dropped to her knees just short of the shoreline, taking off her shades and looked out into the night sky with tears welling up in her eyes.
“He’s really gone…” she spoke softly to herself, almost out of breath. So softly in fact that she barely heard it said out loud.
Blue hadn’t even known how long she had been running but she knew that was all she could do once she saw it. Where she was or where she planned on going to was irrelevant.
Sobbing, Blue collapsed completely to the ground falling asleep on the cool sand.
“Are you OK?”
Blue’s eyes fluttered open as the suns rays welcomed her to a new morning. Adjusting to the light, her tear stained pupils made out a figure standing over her looking down. The figure extended a hand.
“Who are you?!” Blue shot up in a blur to her feet, startling the other person. Looking at them, she saw a young brunette woman around twenty four wearing a brown leather jacket, a hot pink tee-shirt and Capri denim jeans. She looked genuinely concerned and not at all phased by the sudden speed Blue had just showcased.
“It’s OK, I’m not here to hurt you. I just want to know if you’re alright. My name’s Amy Jo, my friends call me A.J.,” said the woman, extending her hand again towards Blue. “Do you need me to call an ambulance or something?”
Blue furrowed her brow assessing the situation fervently. She shook her head slowly never once suppressing her gaze on Amy Jo.
A.J. got to her feet, “Do you know where you are?”
It suddenly came to Blue’s attention that she hadn’t a clue where she was. She knew she must’ve looked like a mess but her pride refused to show that she didn’t know where. With one eye locked firmly on A.J., Blue began to look around herself hoping for a semblance of her current situation. Faster than a flatscan could even see, Blue surveyed her immediate surroundings in a flash and saw a sign in the near distance:
La Jolla Shores, the Ocean Jewel of San Diego!
“I’m in La Jolla, San Diego?” Blue exclaimed suddenly. By the tone of her voice however it seemed she was just as shocked to say it. San Diego? Blue thought, How did I get all the way here?
A.J. raised an eyebrow. Blue knew she wasn’t convinced. She needed to leave and fast. Thankfully, being fast wasn’t hard for her to do. In a mere moment, Blue again activated her super speed, this time running across the beach leaving a trail of cerulean waves where she once was. However, just as fast as she ran she quickly stopped and fell to the ground, exhausted. She was still much too tired to do anything.
“Oh my God!” yelled A.J., running toward Blue yet again. She knelt down and began helping her up. “You’re coming with me.”
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Downtown San Diego
Gaslamp Quarter
For one of the busier parts of downtown San Diego, Gaslamp Quarter on a Tuesday morning wasn’t exactly that thriving with life. Then again the area itself was more popular as a hangout at night with a plethora of bars and clubs to attract some of the more social residents. But then again, there was still some noise coming from the sidewalk as Krista Kenny made her way out of her downtown apartment home. Taking out a small digital camera, a small white and purple helmet and orange shades from her backpack she very swiftly placed the helmet and shades on her head and turned the camera on.
“Hey guys, Screwball here. Pretty boring out here today, honestly but y’know your girl’s got the fix right?! Right now I’m heading down to the trolley that will take me to Cowles Mountain so I can film myself running up AND down that puppy in ten minutes flat. You asked for it and who am I to say no to you lovely people? Remember if we hit 100,000 subscribers by next week I’ll be jumping across each of the buildings here downtown! Short video today, just wanted to remind you guys what’s coming up. Make sure to hit that like button, comment and most importantly subscribe to see Spider-Man eat his heart out. Later!”
Krista’s smile dissipated as quickly as it appeared once the camera’s record button had stopped and she put away her belongings into her backpack. Walking towards another apartment complex, she lingered on the steps leading up to it impatiently as a young man walked out of the vestibule and into Krista’s line of sight. Wearing a wife beater, a do-rag and green khaki pants, the young man held out his arms as soon as he saw her.
“’Eeeeeyy, Krista, how’s my star today?” said the man walking towards her for a hug. His voice was almost stereotypically obnoxious, almost ripped straight from a cheesy sitcom. Krista rolled her eyes and folded her arms resisting his embrace.
“Bored,” Krista said matter-of-factly, “This Cowles Mountain thing is amateur hour, Josh. I want to do something BIGGER. This isn’t going to get me anymore subs its just going to waste my time.”
Josh frowned, “This is a slow burn thing, Krista. Screwball’s gonna be huge, you just got to have patience and we can make this work together. Don’t you trust me?” Josh leaned in cheekily, his eyes butterflying with abandon.
Krista laughed sarcastically, “No. The last few parkour events you’ve booked me on have been breaking even or hitting lower and lower views. Something’s not working and it sure as hell isn’t me.”
“What did you have in mind then?” Josh asked with a tone of annoyance in his voice. “Gymnastics?” He snickered at the thought. Krista turned away from him, seemingly hurt by that response. She hit him across the face instantly surprising Josh.
Taking out her helmet, shades and camera out once again, Krista composed herself shaking off Josh’s comment. Turning on the camera once more, her smile seemed more genuine this time; almost menacing.
“Hey guys! Screwball’s back and she’s got a surprise for you today. Stay tuned for my live stream at 4 PM where Screwball’s gonna screw over the establishment. What’s that mean? All you need to know is it’s gonna be BIG. See you then!”
This time Krista’s smiled remained on her face as the camera shut off. Josh looked at her with an inquisitive stare.
“What does that even mean?” Josh said, rubbing his cheek gingerly.
“It means we’re gonna rob a bank live on stream and get away with it.”
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La Jolla, California
Villa La Jolla Condominiums
Blue Kelso’s eyes opened once again albeit more slowly this time around. Adjusting to her surroundings she found herself on a couch in a small living room covered under a pink blanket. The living room seemed to continue into a spacious patio to overlook the rest of the condominiums in the complex. The view drew Blue to her feet as she hobbled slightly towards the glass sliding doors that impeded her progress.
“Oh good you’re up.”
Blue jumped at the sound of the voice as she turned to face Amy Jo walking from a hallway behind her into the living room.
“Here.” Amy Jo handed Blue a mug steaming with hot coffee before taking a drink of her own. Blue’s nostrils flared as she instantly grabbed the hot mug to sip into caffeine filled bliss. She walked back to the couch she awoke from and melted into it comfortably. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. If you hadn’t woken up soon I would have probably had to take you to the hospital. Had a feeling you didn’t want to go there after you kind of tried to bail.” Amy Jo took a seat on the other side of the couch from where Blue had seated and took another sip of her coffee. Blue’s eyes studied her intently.
“Why are you helping me? Who are you?” Blue asked genuinely interested. “No one is this nice or this trusting to anyone…at least not to me.”
“You already know my name, told you it at the beach. Why can’t someone just be helpful?”
Blue cocked an eyebrow, “Because it’s the twenty-first century. And helping unconscious super speeding strangers on a beach isn’t exactly the pinnacle of safe.”
Amy Jo shook her head, “While you’re right, if I was hurt, I would want someone to check on me to see if I was OK. It’s the right thing to do. Besides,” she takes another sip of her coffee, “I can handle myself just fine.”
Blue blinked her eyes, staring directly at Amy Jo. “Again, who are you?”
Amy Jo sighed, “Amy Jo Hart, A.J. to friends. I teach gymnastics to high school girls in the Gaslamp Quarter for a living. Now I told you my name twice and even added a bit more. The least you can do is share a bit about yourself.”
“Doubt you’d believe me, then again I’m not exactly sure I believe you,” Blue said.
“’Least you can do is tell me your name and why you were exhausted to the brink of unconsciousness on a beach.”
Blue folded her arms and began to speak, “Blue Kelso. I’m a mutant and former Avenger called Bluestreak from an alternate reality.”
Amy Jo moved uncomfortably in her seat for a moment before steadying herself. “Y...you’re from an alternate reality?”
Blue grinned, “Yup! You must think I’m beyond crazy, some drugged out yahoo who…”
“I believe you.”
Blue cocked an eyebrow. Before she could even open her mouth to respond, Amy Jo placed her coffee down on a nearby end table and got up from her seat. Walking toward a wall near the patio doors she stopped and drew her attention to a large white composite bow that hung motionless next to a quiver of arrows. Blue’s eyes followed her to this spot looking at the bow admittedly not even noticing it was there until now.
Amy Jo turned back to face Blue and smiled, “You probably think I’m weird, right?”
“Among over things,” Blue said with a snap.
“Why don’t you come to my gymnastics class with me? I can show you who I am like you asked plus it would be great for the girls to see a real life superhero!” Amy Jo said excitedly.
“As amazing as that sounds I’m afraid I’m going to have to pass on that offer. Once I feel a hundred percent I’ll be out of here.”
“Oh c’mon, you don’t have anywhere else to go. You barely knew you were in San Diego back on the beach. Why are you here in San Diego anyway?”
Blue turned away visibly uncomfortable. She hadn’t thought about why she had ran so far since this morning but was now suddenly thrust back into the memories that caused everything to spiral out of control. She always had to run away.
“What time is your class?”
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Downtown San Diego
Gaslamp Quarter – Coral Gymnastics
Gymnastics was never an activity Blue Kelso ever had an interest in when she was in school. She was quickly labeled the tomboy as a young girl and was fairly active in her school’s softball and track teams. That all ended however once her mutant ability of super speed finally kicked in and ended her dreams of being in the Olympics. But of all things that are traditionally “girly”, Blue appreciated gymnastics as one of the few that she could tolerate. It was at least active.
Blue walked into the Coral Gymnastics Center behind A.J. and marveled at the size of the facility.
“Whoa, you work here?” Blue asked even though she already knew the answer. A.J. simply nodded.
“Yup, been about two years. It’s incredible.” A.J smiled. Blue could tell she was being genuine in just her tone of voice. “The girls are going to love meeting you, but there’s one in particular I want you to meet.”
“Wait, I thought I was just watching, you want me to talk to these kids?!” Blue panicked; teenagers meant being obnoxious and dealing with trivial drama that meant nothing three months later. Running away suddenly seemed more and more enticing as she thought about it.
“These girls are amazing. They’re driven, determined to win and they persevere regardless of their own insecurities and flaws. There’s one though…she could definitely use some more guidance. I thought maybe since you’re a bit tough that you can maybe whip her into shape a bit?”
“Listen,” Blue started to say, “I am not into kids, let alone teen…”
“Here they are! Hey girls!”
A group of teenagers suddenly came into view as A.J. ran up to them and began greeting them. Blue stood back, her arms folded, the thought of running far, far away still at the forefront of her mind. Surveying the girls, Blue’s eyes landed on one girl in particular. She had short violet hair, green eyes and looked just as annoyed as Blue herself did. Blue seemed to find a kindred spirit.
“Ok girls, we have a guest in class today. She’s a true to life superhero called Bluestreak! Give her a Coral Welcome!”
Blue tensed herself up a bit before awkwardly waving in their direction.
“I’ve never heard of her,” said the violet haired girl, “What can you even do?”
“Krista Kenny!” A.J. reprimanded, “Don’t be rude.”
“Nah, it’s alright,” Blue smirked before running towards Krista at super speed sending her falling backwards on a nearby mat, “Sorry, didn’t hear you underneath all that teenager sass. What did you say again?” Blue then bolted around the facility in cascading waves of blues and whites, jumping on balance beams and around other equipment with ease. In a flash she was back in front of Krista with her hand outstretched to pull her back up. “Answer your question?”
Krista glared at Blue as her fellow classmates roared in applause. The young girl reluctantly grabbed Blue’s hand and pulled herself to her feet.
“Hmmph,” muttered Krista. The young girl took out her phone and began pretending to be too busy to care. She hastily grabbed her gym bag and began furiously texting before walking out of the gymnasium in a huff. Blue turned to A.J. and simply shrugged her shoulders.
“Krista! Where are you going?” A.J. yelled, following her. Blue slowly shadowed A.J., immediately regretting her theatrics if it hurt the young girl’s feelings.
“I got somewhere to be. If you guys want to play superhero, I’ll come back when you actually do your job and teach,” Krista spat. Blue could see A.J. trying to reason with her however the talk didn’t last very long. A.J. returned to the gymnasium a bit flustered over the sudden change of events.
“Sorry, A.J., I didn’t mean to get Little Miss Drama all ruffled,” Blue apologized. While she did feel bad she was a tad annoyed at the young girl as well. A.J. shook her head.
“Don’t be sorry, Krista was the one that I wanted you to see. She’s…she’s just not a hundred percent here when she’s here, y’know? If she didn’t have this excuse today I’m sure she would have left early for another reason.” A.J. sighed, feeling a bit defeated but she managed to force a smile as she made her back to the rest of her students.
Blue thought for a moment before speaking up, “I’ll go after her.” Immediately after saying the words out loud she regretted it but she knew she had too. It was partially her fault after all…even if the kid was a brat.
A.J. beamed, “Thank you!” She rushed in for a hug but Blue stepped back defensively.
“No need for a hug. I can search for people without embracing.” Blue quipped.
Blue walked out of the Coral Gymnastics building, looking around the busy early evening streets of downtown San Diego. Peering down the streets, she spotted Krista’s figure quickly taking a sharp turn down an alleyway and out of view. Inquisitive, Blue stealthily made her way down towards the alley and peeped in. What could a teenage girl possible need in an alleyway?
Blue’s eyes widened as she saw Krista change into a silvery white jumpsuit, a white and pink helmet and orange shades and took out her cell phone once again. Tapping furiously on its touch screen she eventually faced it toward herself and smiled.
“HEY GUYS! How’s it going? Screwballs here and we’re going live early with our bank heist. Give me some love in the comments!”
Blue couldn’t believe her ears but shook it off instantly before rushing into the alley. Screwball looked up, a bit taken off guard but pointed her phone towards Bluestreak.
“See? We already got a superhero trying to stop me! Let’s see if she can catch us!”
“Wha..?” Bluestreak looked at Screwball, seeing her bounce at fast speeds up the sides of the alleys walls up to the very top in an almost Spider-Man styled fashion. She stuck her tongue out playfully looking back down at Bluestreak.
“Catch me if you can loser!”
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
As quick as Bluestreak was at many things, processing what she just saw was taking a minute. She knew she had to stop this girl but she was still feeling under the weather from the previous show she put on at the Gymnastics Center. Not to mention of course that she ran cross country the night before.
Running back into the Gymnastics Center, Blue ran up the emergency staircase in a flash and found herself on the roof. Screwball was already several buildings away in the distance as she leaped with expert level finesse.
“Krista, get back here!” Blue shouted. Screwball had traveled so far along the rooftops that Blue couldn’t even make out her response. Doubling backwards to gain some momentum Bluestreak sprinted towards the edge and jumped onto the next building with a thud. Regaining her composure she began to feel winded before leaping again towards another building. This time however she jumped too early and barely caught herself on the side of the building. Frightened onlookers gasped as they saw the young mutant dangling. “Nothing…ugh…to see here…!” Blue managed to quip in between baited breaths. She was able to pull herself up but she was still incredibly exhausted. She had to get to Krista before she did something she would regret.
Heading into this building’s fire escape, Blue sped down onto the street below and decided to keep up with her from the ground. Pushing herself to the limit, Bluestreak expertly evaded pedestrians and cars on the streets below Screwball. In a blur of azure waves, Bluestreak found herself looking up at her target. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the building Screwball was standing on.
“Don’t do this! You’re going to regret it!” Bluestreak shouted.
Screwball smiled as she turned her cell phone’s camera towards Blue. “Superhero thinks I care. Cute. C’mon guys, donate if you want to see me kick this girl’s butt in!” Screwball leapt down onto the street expertly, wall clinging on the sides of the building and the adjacent one to slow her descent. In mere moments from her landing, Screwball easily rushed up towards Bluestreak landing a clean punch across her face. Blue doubled backwards in shock as she shook off the hit.
“Stop this!” Bluestreak shouted again, advancing towards the young girl this time without her signature speed. She lifted her fist to connect a punch of her own but Screwball maneuvered her head away from the blow with ease. The young gymnast countered quickly seeing Bluestreak in range and kneed her in the stomach sending Blue to the ground, holding her abdomen in pain. Screwball laughed as she ran towards the entrance of the building and kicked it open.
By this point a crowd had begun to gather around the two. Bluestreak shook her head trying to collect her thoughts. She was much too exhausted to even try to use her super speed but this girl was no ordinary girl. She was good…too good for a regular gymnast. She needed to be stopped. Blue turned towards the crowd, “Everyone call the police and steer clear of this building!”
Rushing into the building, Bluestreak was immediately sent backwards into the glass doors from which she came by a surprise punch to the cheek. Knowing full well where it came from Bluestreak got to her feet and slid to the ground towards Screwball extending her foot and connecting with Krista’s knee. Krista buckled from the pain allowing Blue to uppercut the young girl and send her backwards. Krista landed with a thud. Shaking off the pain, she swiftly got to her feet.
“All the money in the bag! NOW!” Screwball yelled running toward the bank teller with her camera’s phone facing his reaction. Bluestreak rushed towards her and grabbed Krista’s wrist and with a bit of effort activated a bit more of her super speed allowing her to quickly grab the cell phone. “NO! GIVE THAT BACK!”
Bluestreak attempted to catch her breath but was interrupted by an enraged Screwball advancing towards her. All Krista could see was red.
“Sorry guys! Show’s over!” Blue smiled into the phone’s camera and slammed the phone to the ground, cracking the screen and ending the live stream indefinitely. She then hovered her foot above the phone as Krista stopped in her tracks. “Come any closer and I drill this phone into the ground.”
Krista looked anxious, her eyes nervously viewing her surroundings. She extended her arm and cried out, “No! Don’t! Don’t touch my phone! DON’T!”
“Let everyone out of this bank right now and I’ll consider it.” Blue said her voice clearly labored. Krista gritted her teeth.
“Everyone, get the fuck out right now!” Screwball shouted and pointed towards the door. The bank goers didn’t hesitate to sprint towards the doors leaving the two young women alone. “Now give it back right now! You ruined everything!”
Bluestreak grabbed the phone from beneath her heel and held it firmly in her grasp. Her eyes studied Screwballs movements intently finally finding the tide of the battle in her favor. “What the hell is wrong with you? What kid films herself robbing a bank?”
Screwball ignored her. “Give me back my phone! GIVE IT BACK!” Krista suddenly advanced towards her but Bluestreak maneuvered out of the way easily noticing how desperate Screwball’s actions were. She was flustered and emotional now.
“Why do you care so much about your phone? Are you that much of a millennial that you can’t live without Snapchatting a bank robbery?” Bluestreak said with a hint of annoyance in her voice. In the corner of her eye she could see police vehicles and siren flashes outside the glass doors.
“It’s all I have! Please, just give it back, please…!” Krista pleaded pathetically, annoying Bluestreak even more. Angrily, Bluestreak threw the phone towards the teller’s desk, shattering it as it hit the marble. Screwball screamed and rushed towards it with tears welling in her eyes. “No…! How could you…the only people that care and you destroyed them…!”
“Um, just get another phone.” Bluestreak rolled her eyes. She no longer cared about this girl. Amy Jo was wrong; Krista was beyond help if she was this invested in something as trivial as followers on a website.
Krista’s tears dried and her face that was visible beneath her helmet began to show a tint of crimson. “I hate you. I HATE YOU!” She turned towards Bluestreak holding the remnants of her phone before rushing out the doors of the bank into the police’s view.
“FREEZE!”
Screwball leaped superhumanly up the entire length of the building surprising the onlookers and police into gasps. She looked down for a split second before jumping onto each adjacent building causing the police to follow. Bluestreak exited the bank and looked up but knew she couldn’t catch her in her condition.
“Damnit!” Bluestreak shouted.
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
La Jolla, California
Villa La Jolla Condominiums
Amy Jo had been relatively quiet upon hearing the news of her student. She sat in the living room looking at the night sky from the couch she had spoken to Blue earlier in the day. Bluestreak walked into the room, feeling a tad awkward, but feeling the need to speak to her.
“A.J,” Bluestreak began, “How are you feeling?”
Amy Jo didn’t look away from staring at the night sky. “You’re leaving aren’t you?”
Blue was taken aback but she was right. She had every intention of finally leaving. Blue remained silent.
“Y’know,” Amy Jo said breaking the silence, “Krista’s a mutant, like you.” She still gazed out into the night sky, transfixed.
“What?! How do you know?” Blue stammered.
“She told me. She was kicked out of her gymnastics team at her high school when she accidently leapt off of a balance beam and into the bleachers destroying them. She had Olympic dreams, all dashed in a moment.
“I gave her a place to still practice what she loved to feel normal because when I was her age, I wasn’t normal either.” She turned her gaze towards the white composite bow hanging on her wall then back outside. “She told me she started a YouTube channel and she was using what she learned in my class in her urban parkour stunts. I thought she was moving past the self pity she felt from being a mutant but I didn’t know that it was enveloping her to the point of insanity. She’s lost a lot more than just her dreams. Her family abandoned her, her friends. I hoped that we’d be that family that she needed in that time.”
Bluestreak felt disgusting. She knew exactly how Krista had felt at her age. Wanting to be in the Olympics was something she had always wanted that her mutant abilities took away. She didn’t even give Krista a chance.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Blue struggled to say.
“I promised her I would never share her secret. Now…now I know that keeping who she was a secret was wrong.”
A.J. finally turned to face Bluestreak, “You’re someone who is proud to be who they are. You showcase your abilities to people you barely know. I thought maybe if Krista saw someone like that it would wake her up from her delusions. I should have told you and I’m sorry. Sorry for involving you in all of this craziness.”
Both women stayed in silence for a moment absorbing it all in. Blue walked slowly towards the couch and sat next to Amy Jo and gazed out at the night sky herself. It was beautiful and Krista was out there somewhere.
“Well you’re wrong.” Blue said suddenly, confusing A.J. “I wasn’t leaving. I just wanted to ask…if I could stay a bit longer? Help look for Krista?”
Amy Jo smiled and put her hand on Blue’s knee. “Thank you.” She pulled Blue in for a quick hug.
Bluestreak was one of the fastest mutants on Earth. But for the first time today she was finally ready to slow down. She was ready to stop running.
END