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SUPER HERO CHRONICLES - CITADEL: RISE OF THE HEROES (PART 6)

In an alternate universe, where superpowers are realised, the city of Citadel, Australia, finds that we all have choices; while some take the hard path of the hero, others stray down the dark path of the villain.

By Travis BerketaPublished 2 years ago Updated about a year ago 26 min read
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RECAP: Kimberly Hopper is seeking help for her daughter, Anika, after the violent kidnapping of her husband, Professor Samuel Hopper. Padrick Panthia III is still on the hunt for the Talisman of Sekhmet, while its current owner, Jennifer Hans, attempts to come to terms with its power. Using their newfound abilities, Attila and the Axemen begin to make a name for themselves in the music scene and Courtney Maize is juggling her relationship, career and the unfortunate event that has her leaving the apartment each night.

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Eight Years Ago…

Dr Cooper’s Office

Ringwood East, VIC Australia

22nd September 10:02am EST

"She's like this all the time, Doctor," Kimberley added in a worried tone. [Image by Travis Berketa]

“So how are we feeling today, Anika?” Doctor Cooper asked, with a look of concern.

“Good,” Anika stated, showing no real emotion.

“She’s like this all the time, Doctor,” Kimberley added in a worried tone.

Anika glanced sternly at her mother and then smiled at Doctor Cooper. Anika Hopper had been attending these therapy sessions each week for a whole month, after her father had been abducted and the rest of her family had been violently beaten. Her mother had fainted during the attack and was cleared by the doctors to return home on the same night, which Anika was grateful for. Her sister, Lilly, was treated for a concussion and was out of hospital within days. Her brother, Shannon, had just come out of hospital last week after some severe head injuries, but the doctors had assured her mother that he would be alright.

Doctor Cooper shifted in her chair. “Mrs. Hopper, could I please talk to Anika privately.”

Kimberley looked from Anika to the doctor and then put a protective arm around her daughter. “Uh… we’ve never done this… uh…” She removed her arm from around Anika and picked up her handbag from the floor, holding it tightly into her. “Um… well, if you think that it’ll help.”

“It might,” Doctor Cooper said, rising to lead Kimberley into the waiting room, before closing the door behind her and returning to her seat.

Anika looked at the doctor and smiled.

“Okay, Anika, how’s your week been?”

“Good.”

“Did anything exciting happen at school?”

“No.”

“How’s Shannon and Lilly?”

“Good.”

Doctor Cooper shifted in her seat with frustration. “Is there anything that you want to tell me about your emotions this week? Have you been happy, sad… angry? What have you been feeling?”

Anika looked at the doctor and thought, before shaking her head.

“Do you miss your dad?” Doctor Cooper asked, deciding to get straight to the point.

The thin smile disappeared from the twelve-year-old’s face, as she shrugged her shoulders.

“It’s okay to be upset about it, Anika,” Doctor Cooper said reassuringly. “Your mum’s worried because you haven’t cried or even been angry, since your dad disappeared. It is okay to cry – even adults cry sometimes.”

Anika turned to look out of the window, but noticed that the blinds were closed.

Doctor Cooper noticed this and sat back in her chair to take down some notes. Anika craned her neck to inspect the doctor’s scrawl, but could not see clearly from her vantage point

“What are you writing?” Anika finally broke the silence.

“Just some notes about our meeting,” Doctor Cooper replied with a smile.

“Is mum coming back in soon?”

“Do you want her to come back in?”

“Yes,” Anika said, while rising from her chair, “I want to go and get lunch. I’m hungry.”

The doctor put her notepad and pen down on her desk. “Okay. But you’ll just have to wait out in the waiting room and I’ll have a talk with mum first.”

“Alright, I’ll get mum,” Anika said; her sweet smile returning as she made her way out of the room.

The Terminal Night Club,

Citadel, VIC Australia

22nd September 11:17pm EST

“I’m Chico Lobos, they call me ‘Chop-Chop’. I’m the drummer.” [Image by Travis Berketa]

“How did you get A.T.A. Girl to play here?” Chico Lobos asked the woman that was leading the four members of Attila and the Axemen through the nightclub, “Aren’t they meant to be touring America or something?”

“I thought it was Europe,” Attila Hackett stated.

“We get many acts that others only dream of getting. Mister Martin is a very influential man,” Their guide stated.

The woman took Attila and his band through several security checks to the back of the night club, where the VIP room was found. Amongst the various celebrities and celebrity wannabes, the band was escorted to the back of the VIP area through to a cordoned off room, where Attila noticed a pale, lanky middle-aged man sitting in a booth talking to two women who were visibly tipsy, if not drunk.

“Mister Martin,” the guide interrupted the nightclub owner in a firm, authoritative voice, “I have Attila Hackett and his band here to see you.”

“Very good, Ms. Green, I’ve been expecting them,” Martin said with a smile, before turning to the two ladies in the booth, “I am sorry, girls – I have business to attend to.”

The ladies appeared upset that the band had interrupted their conversation, but they moved out anyway.

“Come and take a seat.” The club owner gestured, “I’m glad that you could meet with me, especially after the accident.”

“No problem,” Chico responded, extending a hand to Martin, “I’m Chico Lobos, they call me ‘Chop-Chop’. I’m the drummer.”

Martin shook Chico’s hand, “Which one of you is Attila Hackett?”

Attila stepped forward and shook Martin’s hand. “That’s me, sir. I’m on lead guitar and vocals. Thanks for meeting us, Mister Martin. I can’t believe that you actually called us – we’ve only been doing The Citadel Pub and a few other little gigs. I didn’t think we’d ever get noticed.”

“Yes, well… I’ve heard some interesting stories about your small time performances – something about a laser show or something?” Martin questioned, ignoring Attila’s statement.

“Uh… yeah,” Attila responded, “Most people think it’s a laser show and we let them think it.”

Martin feigned uncertainty, “So if it’s not a laser show, how do you explain it?”

Attila looked at Chico, who shrugged his shoulders. “Um… well it’s kinda hard to explain.”

“Something to do with the accident?” Martin fished, seemingly knowing exactly what had happened to them.

“Whoa! It’s like your reading our minds, man!” Chico shouted, as he took a seat next to Martin.

Martin shifted himself uncomfortably.

Attila looked at the people wandering around the VIP area, before returning his attention to the night club owner. “Look, I’ll let you in on the secret, but can I get a drink first?”

Martin looked at Attila, and it was clear that the man’s patience was wearing thin.

“Please,” Chico added, as though he thought that was what Martin was waiting for.

Martin looked at the drummer blankly.

“He means can we have a drink, please?” Chico reiterated, “Cola will do.”

Martin sighed and signalled to the assistant, standing a short distance from the table. “Ms. Green, can we please have four cola soft drinks brought to the table?”

The assistant nodded and made her way to the bar. It was at this time that a dark-haired woman entered the cordoned off area. She looked over the band members and then her gaze shifted to the nightclub owner.

“Sorry, I didn’t know you had guests,” she said and Attila thought he saw her eyes glow green. “I just needed to get away from the house for the night. Do you want me to come back later?”

“That’s alright, my dear, come and join us,” Martin rose from his seat, with obvious relief, “These are the members of a new band that I might be getting in – Attila and the Axemen. Gentlemen, this is Miss Jennifer Hans.” He allowed the woman to squeeze in between him and the drummer. “Jennifer, this is Attila, the leader of the band…” Attila greeted Jennifer with a nod and a smile. “This is Chico Lobos…”

“Chop-Chop,” Chico said with a grin.

“Uh… and these two are the brothers… Jayden and Joshua Tripp,” Martin announced, though he had pointed them out in the wrong order.

Jennifer considered them like a bored feline and then began looking around for Ms. Green.

“That’s a righteous necklace!” Chico declared, hoping to make some conversation with the beautiful woman beside him. “Where’d that come from?”

Jennifer clutched at the talisman around her neck. “It’s a family heirloom.”

“Your drinks, Mister Martin,” Ms. Green interrupted, as she placed the tray on the table, “How are you Miss Hans?”

“I’m well, thank you.” Jennifer responded.

“I took the liberty of ordering your drink for you,” the assistant explained, as she placed a glass in front of the woman, “I saw you coming in.”

“Jennifer, Mister Hackett was just about to explain how their light show works,” Martin stated aloud, in an attempt to try and move the conversation back to the topic he wanted to focus on.

“Oh, yeah, man,” Attila said, picking up the glass. “Okay, check this out.” His hand began to glow and within seconds a small beam of light came from the palm of his hand. The beam widened and began to affect the glass, emanating coloured lights around the table.

Martin looked at the colours somewhat impressed.

“Is that it?” Jennifer laughed mockingly and her eyes shimmered into a bright green, as she stood up and scanned the room. Seeing that they were the only ones currently within the cordoned off zone, she turned her attention back to the band. “You believe your powers are more impressive than mine?”

“I don’t even know what you can do,” Attila said with some contempt.

“Place your glass on that table over there,” she gestured with a nod of her head.

Attila did as he was asked, as the rest of the band and Mister Martin watched on in anticipation. Once Attila returned to the table, Jennifer gave a Cheshire grin and her hand began to glow. Soon a fireball took shape in her hand and she released it at her target. The glass exploded, showering fragments around the area. Martin looked about cautiously, as the table caught fire. The assistant, Ms. Green, knew exactly what to do and left to grab a fire extinguisher.

“Holy…” Jayden sat with his mouth agape. He looked at his brother and then at Attila.

Not wanting to be outdone, Attila grabbed Tripp’s glass of cola and emptied it over the few flames that burned on the table. “That didn’t do much. Here’s how it should be done.” Attila proclaimed, as he focused his energy on the glass in his hand. Once more it glowed, but this time the lead guitarist took it further and the glass vibrated with a purple aura. He threw the glass at the table and an explosion ensued. In the aftermath, they all looked at the table and found a gaping hole in the wood.

Jennifer sat down and raised an eyebrow to show her appreciation of the guitarist’s demonstration, before taking a drink of her cocktail.

Martin allowed himself the feeling of amazement for only a few seconds, before composing himself and giving a little clap of his hands. “Although I do not approve of you destroying my nightclub, I am very impressed, Mr Hackett.”

“You want to be impressed?” Chico questioned, as he rose from his spot. He eyed the people around the table with a grin. Attila and the Tripp boys slid their chairs back, prompting Martin and Jennifer to do the same. “Check this out, man!”

Chico raised his arm in the air and with a sudden burst of green light; he brought it down on the table. The drinks that remained splashed everywhere, as the table split in two and the steel support in the middle was crushed. Chico dusted his hands off proudly.

Martin stood in awe.

“How’s that for impressive?” The drummer questioned.

Jennifer gifted him with a wry smile.

“So that’s why they call you Chop-Chop.” Martin said somewhat happily.

“Nah, not really, they called me that before… on account of my drumsticks.”

Martin turned to the Tripps. “And what can you boys do?”

Jayden looked at the destroyed table, then at his brother and then at Martin. “Um… I just play guitar, bro.”

Josh nodded in agreement.

Dr Cooper’s Office

Citadel, VIC Australia

15th October 10:00am EST

"She's started to do some silly things, Doctor." Kimberley interrupted. [Image by Travis Berketa]

“So how are we feeling today, Anika?” Doctor Cooper asked.

“Good.” Anika replied.

“She’s started to do some silly things, Doctor.” Kimberley interrupted.

Anika looked at her mother and then at Doctor Cooper and smiled.

“What sort of things?” Doctor Cooper asked, directing the question to Anika.

Not recognising who the psychologist was talking to, Kimberley replied, “She’s been caught running across the road at the school on several occasions without using the crossing. Her principal has had to speak to me on several occasions about that and fighting in the playground. She never used to do any of that.” Kimberley glanced at Anika and then continued, “And last Monday, I caught her on the roof of the house… we have a two-storey house! Apparently she climbed up the gum tree in the front yard, jumped onto the kitchen roof and then climbed up from there! When I asked Anika why she climbed up there, she just shrugged and said ‘because’.”

Anika frowned at her mother. The doctor caught the look. Anika realised what she was doing and looked back at Doctor Cooper with a smile.

“Mrs. Hopper, could I please talk to Anika privately.”

Kimberley stood up to leave. “Yes, I’ll just be in the waiting room,” she said, without directing the comment to anyone in particular.

“Thank you,” Doctor Cooper responded, as Kimberley left the office, closing the door behind her.

“Okay, Anika, how’s your week been?”

“Good.”

“Has anything exciting been happening at school?”

“No.”

“How are Shannon and Lilly?”

“Good.”

Doctor Cooper shifted in her seat. “Is there anything that you want to tell me about how you’ve been feeling? Have you been happy, sad or angry? What have you been feeling?”

Anika looked at the doctor and thought, before shaking her head.

“How do you feel about dad – do you miss him?” Doctor Cooper asked.

Anika had prepared herself for this question, “Yes.”

“Are you angry at him?” Doctor Cooper questioned. “Your mum’s worried because you’ve been making some silly choices since your dad disappeared. And you do know better than that, don’t you Anika?”

Anika nodded.

“So, are you angry at dad?”

Anika sat in silence.

Doctor Cooper began taking down some notes. “You are going to have to talk about this at some stage, Anika; whether it’s with me or your mum, or even your brother or sister. You will need to let someone know how you feel. And you need to know that it is okay to feel these feelings… you don’t have to feel ashamed of them… you are still only twelve-years-old, Anika… twelve-year-olds are still learning what it is to be part of this world, no matter how mature they think they are… Making poor choices is one of the steps towards learning.”

Anika put on a fake smile, “Okay, Doctor.”

Doctor Cooper put her notepad and pen down on her desk. “I can sense that you are angry, Anika, but focusing that anger at your mum is not going to change the fact that your dad is missing.”

Anika’s eyes flared. “He’s not missing – he was taken!” She roared, before reining herself back in. “Sorry… he was…” She stopped and looked at her shoes.

“Anika – it’s okay… It’s good to let the anger out,” Doctor Cooper attempted to coax the girl into opening up again. However, Anika stayed silent. The doctor took down some notes and then looked at her patient once more. “Let’s talk about the time your dad was taken… Tell me what you saw happen.” The request hung in the air for some time, as Anika looked down at her feet as she waggled her toes. “I can’t help you if you won’t talk to me, Anika…”

“Okay, doctor,” Anika said with a hint of a smile.

“You need to allow yourself to feel,” Doctor Cooper told her. “Trying to suppress your feelings will only cause you more problems.”

“Okay, doctor,” Anika chirped once more, before asking, “Can I go back to mum now?”

Doctor Cooper sighed, wrote down some notes and then addressed the girl. “Alright, you can go and sit in the waiting room again, while I have another talk with mum.”

Anika forced a smile, as she made her way out of the room.

Federation Apartments,

Citadel, VIC Australia

5th November 8:46pm EST

“Courtney, tell me what’s going on!” Seth stressed. [Image by Travis Berketa]

“Courtney, tell me what’s going on!” Seth stressed, as he grabbed his fiancée by the jacket. “You can’t leave until we sort this out. I need to know what’s happened!”

“Let me go!” Courtney cried out, “I need to get out of here.”

“Then we’ll go together,” Seth decided, as he struggled to turn her towards him. “We need to sort things out. I’m not sure what’s going on, but we need to talk about it!” Courtney stopped struggling, but began to do up her coat. Seth sighed, as he watched her, and then continued, “Ever since your twenty-first you’ve been acting strange. I asked you if it had anything to do with that thunder storm and you told me it didn’t. I asked if it was about me taking the role opposite Stephanie Rose, but you said ‘no’. I can’t think of anything else that I did that may have made you want to leave every night just before nine o’clock! When I see you during the day, you act as though everything’s fine, but at night… I barely see you! I need to know, have I done something wrong or is there someone else?”

Courtney looked at her watch – 8:52pm. She stepped away from him, saying, “You need to trust me that it’s nothing like that… I’m working through this, Seth… But, I can’t do this now.”

“That’s the thing, Court – you can never do this!” Seth stressed, “During the day you’re too tired or, when you get in, you barely speak to me and just go to bed. By the afternoon, if you’re awake, you have your job to deal with. Then – Bang! – at night you’re off again. I don’t understand why it’s so hard to talk to me! We used to tell each other everything… well, at least I thought we did…”

Courtney’s faced softened, as she watched her fiancée attempt to come to terms with what was happening – but what could she tell him? She couldn’t say that she got powers for her birthday. She couldn’t tell him that she had been spending the last few months working out how to control her powers. Instead she said, “I do love you, Seth, and I know things aren’t looking good at the moment, but I’m trying to sort through things my own way.”

“But you don’t need to sort this out on your own, Courtney – I might be able to help you!” Seth pleaded.

A tear rolled down Courtney’s cheek. “Sorry, Seth, I can’t.” She looked at her watch one more time. “I have to go.” She quickly kissed her fiancée on the cheek and rushed for the door.

“I’m coming with you!” Seth called, as he raced up the stairs to grab a T-shirt and put it on. However, when he got back downstairs, Courtney was already gone.

Once the elevator opened up on the ground floor, Courtney ran out of the building into the busy street, turning left and heading for Pathways Parklands. Suddenly, she stopped, as a thought came to her. “I’ve used the park four times already this week; the media think that the lightning is some phenomenon. I was lucky last night, better not risk it tonight.”

She turned back and raced across Flinders Street towards the Federation Grounds, using the stone steps to get down to the Yarra River. The dim pathway was still being used by small groups of people, however, as she ran in the direction of the Citadel Cricket Ground, the path darkened and she stood alone. Scouring the night around her, Courtney could not see a single person. She checked her watch, even though the familiar surge of energy told her it was nine o’clock.

In the last few months, Courtney had been learning how to speak. She found that by moving the electrical energy around her body, she could control her speech a lot better; masking her voice with a small electrical current that made it sound deeper. Although she had not tested it on anyone yet, so she hoped what she was hearing would be enough to communicate with others.

The sky above her turned a darker shade, as the minute hand moved to one past; there was a clap of thunder and a bolt of lightning shot down, lighting up the path and hitting Courtney. Before the dust cleared, Courtney took to the skies, just as she had every other night; although this time she had a plan.

The Terminal Night Club,

Citadel, VIC Australia

5th November 9:57pm EST

Attila grinned excitedly, seemingly not taking in the names the invitation was extended to. [Image by Travis Berketa]

“Yeah, man!” Chico shrieked, as Attila and the Axemen made their way off the stage.

“Great show, boys,” Mister Martin applauded the group, when they entered the back stage area. “You guys are really going places.” The nightclub owner paused to think, before revaluating his comment; “Or should I say, you can be going places, depending on the choices you make.”

Attila was the only one who picked up on Martin’s insinuation, as the rest of his band celebrated another well received gig.

“What do you mean about the choices thing?”

Martin smiled, as he led Attila to the change room. “Go and freshen up. There’s a very important visitor who would like to see you and Chop-Chop. Go through to the V.I.P. section; Ms. Green will lead you from there.”

Attila grinned excitedly, seemingly not taking in the names the invitation was extended to. “You mean… I mean, is there a record producer waiting?”

Martin did not answer the question. “All will be revealed. Just get yourselves to the V.I.P. room and try not to keep him waiting too long.”

“Yes, Mister Martin,” Attila stated, saluting the nightclub owner, before racing into the change room and letting his band know about the prospect of a record deal.

The Maize Farmstead,

Wheatfield, VIC Australia

5th November 10:02pm EST

“Courtney – what are you doing here? It’s ten o’clock at night for god’s sake!” [Image by Travis Berketa]

A wild wrap on the door awakened Sebastian from his sleep. Not expecting visitors, Sebastian made his way cautiously to the front door, grabbing a broom from the kitchen along the way.

“Sebastian, it’s Courtney – open up!”

Sebastian moved more quickly and unlocked the wooden front door with his free hand. He looked Courtney over through the security door, before unlocking that too. “Courtney – what are you doing here? It’s ten o’clock at night for god’s sake!”

Courtney looked at her brother who was still holding the broom. “Well, are you going to let me in or are you going to start sweeping?”

Sebastian took a few seconds to understand the quip, before looking at the broom in his hand and getting a little embarrassed. He stepped aside to let his sister in. “You sound terrible… and what’s with the costume?”

Courtney wrapped herself in her cape and sat down in the living room. “I need to talk to you about mum and dad.”

Sebastian closed the door and leaned the broom against the wall in the hallway, before making his way into the living room. “Just out of the blue, you came all of this way in the middle of the night to talk about something that we’ve already explained.” He rubbed his hand over his face, as though he was trying to figure out if he was dreaming. “What is with your voice? You sound… uh… manly… have you been taking some of those party drugs we keep hearing about?”

“No, of course not,” Courtney’s static-filled voice declared.

“Well, I guess that’s one good thing. So tell me then, why did you come here?” Her brother questioned, obviously tired of trying to figure it out for himself.

“I flew here,” Courtney corrected him.

Sebastian tried to take this in. “You flew? The train would have been cheaper.”

“No,” Courtney stood up and showed her brother the costume, “Do you think that I just decided to wear this to come and visit? Do you think I just decided to change my voice, just to add a bit of spice to my life?”

“I don’t know, Courtney,” Sebastian stated in frustration, “You never call or visit. The most I see of you is in a few commercials or catalogues. I don’t know you anymore!”

Courtney fell silent. She wrapped the cape around her again and sat back down on the couch. “Sorry… I…” Tears began to run down Courtney’s face. “I just don’t know who else to turn to.”

Noticing his sister’s despair, Sebastian bit his bottom lip and then sighed, taking a seat next to her. He awkwardly placed a hand on her shoulder and said, “What’s happened?”

Courtney wiped at her eyes. “I can’t cope with this on my own,” she sobbed.

Sebastian shook his head and sighed, “Have you and that actor guy broken up?”

“No,” Courtney asserted, prompting her brother to remove his arm from her shoulder. “It’s me. It’s this costume. I’ve changed!”

Sebastian did not know what to say, so he grabbed the box of tissues from the side table and offered one to Courtney. She took one and wiped her nose, as Sebastian placed the tissue box back on the side table.

“I need to know about mum and dad. I know that the story that you and April told me wasn’t the whole truth… Mum and dad may have been caught up in a battle between the Citadel Legion and Madame Mystic, but why were they there? What were they doing in Citadel?”

Sebastian looked at the costume his sister was wearing once more and something finally hit him. He stood and ran his fingers through his hair. “Uh… Courtney…” He sighed deeply, “Did you say you flew?” Courtney nodded as she wiped at her nose with the tissue. “Like flew-flew?” He stressed once more.

“Yes, Bastian, like a superhero – I flew without any help from technology!”

Sebastian walked out of the room and grabbed his jacket from the coat rack in the hall. He put it on and pulled out a set of keys from his jacket pocket. “We need to go and see April.”

The Terminal Night Club,

Citadel, VIC Australia

5th November 10:02pm EST

“Mister Martin, you told me that she would be cooperative. You said that she would join the team without hesitation. This meeting did not go as planned, did it?” [Image by Travis Berketa]

“Sorry, Mister Panthia, but I’m not looking for a job right now,” Jennifer said, as she rose from her place behind the table, “But I’ll keep you in mind if I ever am looking.”

Jennifer walked away from the table, leaving Padrick Panthia III a little disappointed. “Mister Martin, you told me that she would be cooperative. You said that she would join the team without hesitation. This meeting did not go as planned, did it?”

“N… no, sir,” Martin stammered.

Panthia took a swig of his gin and tonic. “Well, Mister Martin, she has what I need. Now I will have to take some matters into my own hands. I really don’t like making it messy, but some things need that type of attention, don’t they?”

“I guess so, Mister Panthia.” Martin agreed.

Panthia signalled one of his men to come into the VIP area. “Call, Severoin – I need him to complete a job for me. You tell him that this job better get done properly or he won’t be working in Citadel anymore.” Panthia wrote some details on a piece of paper. “Give him this information and the rest he can figure out for himself.”

The man walked out of the VIP area to make the call.

Panthia took another swig of his gin and tonic and returned his attention to Martin. “I hope that this next group is going to make my coming here worthwhile, Mister Martin, because I have wasted enough time.”

Before Martin could respond, raucous laughter resounded over the constant noise of the nightclub.

“That would be the band, Mister Panthia,” Martin said, as he signalled for Ms. Green to let Attila and the Axemen through. “Mister Panthia, let me introduce you to Attila Hackett, Chico Lobos and Jayden and Josh Tripp. Together they form our new band ‘Attila and the Axemen’.”

“Wow!” Chico exclaimed, “So you’re like the big honcho around Citadel, aren’t ya?” Chico extended a hand, “Pleased to meet you, sir.”

Panthia shook Chico’s hand firmly. “Mister Martin has told me a lot about you.” He sat back in his seat and took a mouthful of his drink. “I have heard that you all possess certain skills that might assist me in my business dealings.”

Chico laughed, as he took a seat at the table in front of the businessman. “Yeah, Tila plays a rockin’ guitar!”

Attila smiled, as he thrashed out a tune on an air guitar where he stood.

“Uh, I believe Mister Panthia is referring to your other talents,” Martin informed them nervously.

“So this doesn’t have anything to do with a recording contract?” Tripp questioned.

Panthia sighed. “Am I wasting my time again, Mister Martin?”

“No, sir,” Martin responded anxiously, “These guys are good.”

Panthia sighed and finished his drink and pointed an accusatory finger at the club owner. “If they are as good as what you claim they are, have them meet me at the warehouse on Phoenix in an hour,” he commanded, as though the band was not there, “And make sure they’re not late – I despise tardiness.” He rose from his seat and scanned the people in front of him threateningly.

“Yes, Mister Panthia, sir,” Martin managed to say with a hint of discomfort.

Panthia pushed past Attila and the Tripp brothers without saying a word, while Chico was still coming to terms with the fact that the band did not have a contract.

Panthia sighed. “Am I wasting my time again, Mister Martin?” [Image by Travis Berketa]

To continue, follow the link below to:

Super Hero Chronicles - Citadel: Rise of the Heroes (Part 7)

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About the Creator

Travis Berketa

I am a father. I am a teacher. I am a writer.

I love reading fictional stories and I love writing fictional stories.

I hope you enjoy my contribution to Vocal.

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