Mortal Superhero

“Michael, where are you taking me!”

“Just keep your eyes closed. It’s something that you said we’d go to when we first started going out.”

“I’ve kept my eyes closed for the past hour or so!”

“You’re so impatient, April. I had to get everything fixed. Okay, you can open your eyes now.”

April opened her eyes and her mouth dropped. She smiled and turned her head.

“Seriously? A bowling alley? For our first year anniversary? You’re kidding, right?”

“Not at all, you use to bowl, and so did I. You keep telling me that you’d kick my ass in it, so here we are. For our first year anniversary, we’re going to compete against each other.”

“That’s sentimental, different and odd, but why THIS bowling alley?”

“Why not?”

“This is an exclusive bowling alley, a hangout for gangsters, drug dealers and thugs.”

“And it’s also the spot for professional bowlers, and it has a lot of publicity. Tonnes of people come here just to watch people play.”

“So, you want to embarrass me by playing here?”

“You hit 200s! I’m the one that should be worried, I haven’t played in years!”

“Neither have I! We should go...”

April’s eyes looked at the floor where her bowling equipment was lying. Michael went through all of this, staying here is the least I could do, right? She looked up and saw Michael’s hurt eyes. Even though he didn’t want to tell her, he worked hard on finding her bowling alley that her late grandfather took her too when she was young, digging through her attic for her equipment and checking with the locals if anything serious has been happening in that area. It’s true what she pointed out, the local thugs like to hang around here. But they don’t shoot off bullets like what the media portrays them as. It’s more like a gathering of young teens whose families aren’t the best places to be at. Thugs in this particular area are victims of abuse, drug-hooked parents and accidental pregnancies. Michael, of course, understood their point of view, as his birth wasn’t planned either.

“Michael, how much does it cost here?” Michael’s face lit up.

-

“This is going to be our fifth game, are you sure you’re still up? I mean, a tie is a horrible way to end, but you can forfeit you know?”

“You’re so competitive, April.”

“Great game, you guys.” A new voice spoke from behind them. But random compliments happened daily at this location. They didn’t notice the crowd that grew behind them. No other lanes were being used except theirs. All eyes were on them. April and Michael both blushed at the realisation of this audience.

“Sorry, let me introduce myself. I’m Aaron, regular here.” He was sitting on the seats instead of watching from the semi circle the crowd had formed. Something about him made Michael feel uneasy, but he just shook it off.

“Name’s Michael. This is April.”

“Nice to meet you, Aaron.”

“Likewise. Just pretend the audience isn’t here. You won’t even know they’re here. They cheer like it’s a golf tournament, so don’t worry.”

“Uhm, excuse me,” a group of young girls came out of the crowd, probably in their late teen years, “did you say that you’re Aaron?”

“That depends on who is asking.” His answer seemed so cold. He didn’t even glance at the four girls acting like elementary children professing their childish crush.

“I’m Jenny, and these are my friends, Christine, Jackie and Carrie. Uhm,” she seemed to be getting more nervous by the minute, “my friend Christine thinks you’re cute and wanted to ask for your number.”

“No I do not!” Christine protested too quickly. She gave away the truth in the sound of her protest and the blush of her skin, “Jackie did!” The entire conversation transformed into the four young girls playing the blame game.

“Why don’t we all talk somewhere, more secluded?” The four of them blushed instantly and followed Aaron as he disappeared into the crowd. The spectators seemed un-phased by that little fiasco. Michael laughed at the thought of the girls being turned down by Aaron. He’s way too uninterested in them. The crowd silently urged the two competitors to continue playing.

-

“I’m glad it ended as a tie, April.”

“Why? A tie’s the worst thing to end a competition on.”

“But at least we’re not mad at each other, right?”

“Yeah. I wonder what happened to Aaron.” The alley owner picked up the conversation.

“He said something about going out for drinks with them. He took my car keys too, that damned brat.”

“Wait, I assumed he was like sixteen,”

“No, ma’am. I think he’s seventeen.”

“How’d he get his license so early?” Michael was a bit jealous. His cousins taught him how to drive but his parents forbade him to get his license until he’s in college.

“He doesn’t have one. That seventeen year old hoodlum’s always getting into trouble. I don’t know how he gets away with it. Being the leader of the local Hunters gang. Sometimes, I think that the cops are watching over that gang more than trying to take it down.”

Michael and April both dropped their bowling ball bags. Their jaws almost dropped at the thought that the biggest gang leader was sitting right in front of them.

“Hunter? As in the gang that’s chalked up more dead bodies than the cops can count?”

“Must mean you’re from uptown, huh? Well, the media spins that tale the wrong way. See, we live in the worst part of the neighbourhood. Our area is right in the middle of the Pirates Clan and War Hawks. And those two gangs are always playing monopoly with these neighbourhoods. These parts here are the biggest drug users this city’s ever seen. So the Pirates and War Hawks are always claiming property. And sometimes, we get in the crossfire because we get mistaken for members of the other gang. Both gangs think they’re tough so they pick on the kids in the middle. Then, at night, they stand on the corners of their territory and sell drugs to the parents of those children. And sometimes, the gangs have a shoot out in a neighbourhood with kids playing in the street for no apparent reason or warning. Aaron, a former drug dealer and former member of War Hawks, saw the wrong and did something about it. He made his own gang, where everyone is accepted. I guess it’s thanks to the media that the Hunters have a higher body count than both rival gangs. I think it’s just because it happens more often in the Hunters streets. But the cops know in their heart, these kids just want protection, and a way out of this hard life. I’ve seen the mayor secretly thank Aaron for keeping as many kids safe. Look at that, I’m rambling on again. Sorry about that.”

The old man seemed to speak highly of Aaron, like he was proud of him. It brought a smile to Michael knowing that someone is actually trying to make a difference.

“Why are they called Hunters, old man?” April always asked the most irrelevant questions.

“It was given by the media as well. One of the local boys, probably nine or ten, got shot. It was straight execution, one bullet to the child’s head. Aaron hunted the people responsible. Needless to say, he got what he deserved. Aaron turned himself in, but the judge let him walk on substantial evidence. The media claims that he was paid off and the judge lost his job for letting Aaron go for what he thought was right. I even hear that Aaron’s trying to bring the two gangs to peace by putting together an organized drug market. I know, it sounds bad, but that’s what the two gangs fight for. Market distribution, and trust me, it’s still nothing compared to the competition that the big business companies fight. But around here, we’ll take whatever peace we can get, even if it means basically locally legalizing the drug merchandise. Aaron’s a good guy, and I believe that not even God will deny that.”
As April and Michael headed for their car, April looked up at the moving clouds and smiled.

“What do you think of that Aaron character, babe?”

“He’s exactly what this world needs. A mortal superhero.”