Sorry it took so long to update. Hopefully I can write more on this soon(ish).

The Adventures of Dish Man

Part Two

Chapter Six: Set Free

How did I end up in this mess? I didn’t ask for any of this. I’ve left the Powers and the Nefarious wants me. But all I want is to be away from this mess…even if only for a short while.

I truly wanted to escape when I was trapped in Darius’ home but now I sometimes feel even more trapped. I know my power is greater than some others but I want nothing to do with this feud between the Powers and the Nefarious.

Siding with the Powers would suggest that I support their decisions, that they were right to place me as a Guardian instead of a Superhero. To side with the Nefarious would be like betraying what my parents worked for. My father defected from the Nefarious just so he could be with my mother.

I can’t make a decision…not now.

“Just let me go. I don’t want to be a part of this.”

“Come now, Liana. We know that’s a lie. There’s always been a part of you that has craved having power and attention. You can’t deny that,” the deep voice said from the dark corner to Liana’s right.

“I can and I do deny it.”

“Well, you always did like to lie.” He stepped out of the shadows and Liana looked up at him. Then she gasped.

“What are you doing here?” she asked. Her blue-green eyes were wide as she gazed up at him.

“I am fulfilling my destiny.”

She shook her head. “A few years ago you told me that your destiny was with your father, helping people. Why’d you turn your back on them?”

“They were weak; they didn’t see my true potential.”

“And the Nefarious does?”

He nodded. “Yes, I actually believe they do. I have steadily moved up their ranks since I defected from the Powers. Now I hold a rank in the upper echelon for the Nefarious. Join us, Liana. This is where you belong.”

“Please, Marek. Just let me go. I want nothing to do with this. I just want a normal life, one away from the Powers and the Nefarious. I’m tired of all of this.”

He sighed. “If I let you go they’ll keep searching for you. The Nefarious isn’t just going to let you go. They want your ability to help amplify the power they already have.”

“I can’t…not now. I just want to ignore all of this for a while.”

He walked over to her and waved his hand over her restraints. They popped open and fell to the floor. Liana stood up and gazed up into Marek’s dark blue eyes. “Go…I’ll try to keep them from finding you for as long as I can but there’s no guarantee that they won’t find you eventually.”

“Why?”

Marek moved closer to her. “Because I’m hoping that you’ll make the right decision on your own. It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

She looked up at him. He was so close to her; she could reach out to touch him. After a few moments she cleared her throat and backed away.

“Goodbye Marek.”

“Not goodbye; see you later.”

No Marek, it needs to be goodbye this time. You’ve changed and I’m not that girl you thought you knew years ago. I don’t have the same ambitions I did before. This will all end soon enough and you will forget all about me. I’m nothing that can’t be replaced; you’ll find someone else, someone better. You always do.

“What? So we’re not even going to try and find her?” Garen asked. “I think that’s a little harsh, don’t you?”

“No, Garen. She made her choice. We have to respect her wishes and let her go. If we’re lucky she’ll come back but Liana is stubborn and you can’t force her into anything. You should know that by now.”

He shook his head. “That’s not acceptable. I’m not just going to stand around and let her go off by herself. They are looking for her. Without help, who knows what they’ll do to her.”

“Just let it go. There’s nothing any of us can do for her. We need to concentrate on what’s happening here. Darius and Nikolai are dangerous and unless we’re focused they will rip you guys to shreds. They’ve had a lot more time to hone their abilities.”

“This was never the path I chose for myself,” Jeb commented. “Nobody ever asked me if I wanted to be a Superhero. They just assumed that I would follow in my parents’ footsteps. Well I can’t do that. I’m not them, and maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe it will keep me alive. I don’t see a point in all this.”

“So you’re just going to sit back and watch the Nefarious destroy your home?” Sue questioned. “That sounds like a great idea…but it will only end in a lot of people dying. People need superheroes, whether they think they do or not. Most don’t even realize how easily their lives could be altered or destroyed. They don’t know how often they are actually saved because of something a Hero does, unnoticed by the general public.”

“Then let some other Superhero worry about it,” Jeb answered. “I know you’re trying Sue but really, this doesn’t feel like a battle I’m very confident about. Therefore, I would rather just walk away now.”

“You’re quitting?

Jeb nodded. “It seems like the best thing to do. Sorry to disappoint you but that’s just how life goes.”

“You know, it’s no wonder Liana decided to leave. Garen, I don’t even think you could live without Liana, you’re so far up her ass…and Jeb, you are quite possibly the biggest pansy I have ever seen in my entire life. No wonder you were the loser in school. It’s not that hard to push you around and you give up way to easily. Maybe the Powers were wrong when they thought they found Heroes with great potential. All I see is a couple of nobodies.”