Chapter 2
The judge yawned as Ryan took the stand at the center of the room. Looking over Ryan’s chart, the judge raised an eyebrow as he slowly lifted his head from the stack of paper and spoke to Ryan.
The handcuffs remained tight around Ryan’s wrist as Ryan’s public defender stood next to him in a cheap suit with a brief case in one hand and a small stack of paper in the other hand. Supporting Ryan more than his public defender, Ryan’s mother sat in the stands in the back of the courtroom, her face more nervous than he had ever seen. Looking back at her, Ryan could only give her a face of disappointment and sorrow, as he dwelled on the outcome of his heroic deed.
“Son, you have placed a man in the hospital, breaking several of his bones, including property damage.”
“Your honor my client-”
“Save it Jephery,” The judge cut him off, flagging the defender with a hand to the air. “You can’t save your client in this occasion.” Placing his focus back on Ryan, the judge continued to speak. “On behalf of these crimes, I want to throw you into lockup. But the safety of our prisoners is just as important as the civilians. That is why I’m ordering you to be moved to Crater City, an isolated town on a small island, full of your kind. Action is stated to take place immediately, leaving you no more than seventy-two hours of evacuation of your home. Next case.”
Slamming the hammer down, the judge said no more.
The car ride home was silent for the first ten minutes, with Ryan looking out the rolled-up window, taking the appearance of the town in as he relapsed the idea of leaving his hometown.
“Ryan,” His mother called out to him. “Ryan don’t beat yourself up about the situation. I knew I should’ve have never trusted that bitch Samantha. And to think, I picked up their children from practice for an entire school year.”
“It’s not anyone’s fault but mine mom; I should have listened to you. You told me to keep my powers under control, to stay out of other people’s business, and I refused to listen. Now you’ve gotta move because of me.”
Ryan’s mother sighed as she paused the car at a red light, resting her right hand on Ryan’s left shoulder. “Ryan don’t blame yourself for acting off a good heart. You just wanted to help.”
“But mom, we already knew Mrs. Brooks was being abused by her husband. It happens at least three times a week. I should have just left the situation alone.”
Placing both of her hands back on the steering wheel, Ms. Tracer continued to drive once the streetlight became green again, following behind traffic. “No crying over spilled milk, what’s done is done.” Faking a smirk, Ryan’s mother, Ms. Tracer, continued to speak. “Besides, you just gave me an excuse to move. I was getting tired of my job anyway.”
The next two days flew past, with the first day resulting in packing and the second day full of rest and school transcripts. The third day of course, was moving day. With a U-Haul parked in front of their house, Ryan and his mother walked back and forth with belongings in hand from the house to the truck. Catching the eye of Ryan’s mother, Samantha stood in the middle of her lawn staring at the two. Assuming she was being ignored, Samantha spoke.
“Caroline, can I speak to you for a moment?” She called out to Ryan’s mother.
Standing in place for a moment contemplating as Ryan continued to move more of their stuff into the moving truck, Caroline approached their neighbor with enraged precaution. She didn’t speak. Instead, Caroline waited for Samantha to plead her case, just like her son had to.
“Caroline, I just want to say that I am so sorry about everything that has happened.”
“Sorry won’t cut it,” Caroline spoke back.
“Well it’s not like I pressed charges against your boy. Charles didn’t even press charges.”
“You didn’t have to, the state picked up the charges. And for you to lie about everything that happened like my son is some sort of monster is a new low for you. You know how the system feels about super beings and for you to put him out there like that was dirty.” Pointing her finger in Samantha’s face, Caroline continued to rant. “I covered for you even when you were cheating on your husband, but my son decides to save your ass from being kicked for another entire night, and you throw him under the bus? Hm. I can tell that my son has become a fine young man, because I would have let Charles beat the crap out of you. Everyone knows you aren’t no angel.”
Storming off in a one-eighty, Caroline held attitude in her walk as she placed distance from her neighbor, walking back into her own yard.
Night had fallen, and the two were on the road. With the car being transported to Crater city, Caroline drove the U-Haul with her and Ryan in the front seat. Cars drove alongside them as the two rode along the highway. A sixteen-hour drive from where they once lived.
Still looking out the window, Ryan’s mind drifted as he refused conversation with his mother, speaking only to silence.
“This is going to be nice, huh?”
His mother’s words had reach dead ears. Caroline may have been able to fake a smile, but Ryan knew otherwise. He remembered the stories his mother used to tell him back when he was a kid, when she first discovered his unnatural strength. Tales of people who abused their powers, killing, robbing, and bullying as they quickly made a name for themselves in modern day society. Crooks with superhuman abilities, this race of people were the sole purpose for Crater city being created. A place where people like Ryan were forced to live in. A city of poverty and crime that was higher in stats than any other place in the country. The police even had a special task force there known as The Blue X. They carried weaponry that was designed to bring down any superhuman that was out of control. This small town was unsafe even for the superhumans who only wanted to live in peace.
“Ryan, things are going to pick up. Don’t take the situation so bad.”
“Mom, you have to move because of me,” He finally replied. “You used to tell me stories about this place. It’s not fair that just because I’m a superhuman, you have to move too!” Pausing for a moment, Caroline continued to listen to her son rant. “This place isn’t for humans, it’s for monsters, like me! Why be so cruel and force entire families to move!? Why not just transport the monsters themselves!?”
After a short moment of silence, Caroline spoke. “Ryan, the government placed the rule of moving the entire household, because they knew family members like myself would only sneak their family back into the city. He also made that rule up out of fear that the people who reproduced the superhuman, would keep making more superhumans. That’s why they have forced this law upon civilization.”
Ryan didn’t reply. Instead, his eyes tightened up as if he were trying to hold back some sign of sorrow. Tears that would express his feelings toward the entire situation.
The rest of the drive was silent between the two, with his mom turning on the radio to lighten the mood.
After some much-needed rest in a hotel and a few pit stops to get something to eat, the sign WELCOME TO CRATER CITY caught Ryan’s attention. Arriving after a day and a half later, the calm weather of the midafternoon air was the only positive thing Ryan found out of the city as himself and his mother rode past the superhumans and normal humans walking amongst the streets. The town looked normal, only with a much less population than expected from most cities. Tall buildings and extraordinarily little traffic, Caroline scanned the scenery with her eyes as she searched for their apartment building.
“Look for a big building by the name of, SEPTOR SUITES,” she informed him.
It didn’t take long for Ryan to discover the place, he pointed to the third tallest building in site, located in the center of the town was Septor Suites.
“There it is,” Ryan directed her.
Parking in the building’s lot, Ryan and Caroline stood on the outside of the moving truck as the two stared straight forward into a new start. A place where Ryan was no longer a minority. Only the few humans that followed their superhuman relatives to this city were the minorities.
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