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I stood in my kitchen the very next day, a huge mug of coffee in hand, staring out into my garden. I immediately felt calm as I looked out into my own little piece of paradise. I cast my mind back to Barkley on our camping trip. I’d never anticipated telling him I was gay but it seemed easier than telling him I was this iLUMiNO guy who was popping up all over the place. I’m sure that Barkley knew who I truly was, both my sexuality and my ‘superhero’ identity, but he was kind enough just to focus on my confession. It wasn’t that I’d expressly hidden the fact I was gay, not exactly, anyway. I just hadn’t ‘come out’ to people. God, I hated that phrase. But I’d just never found the right time to tell him. I’m sure it hurt him immensely that I’d kept this a secret for so long, we were best friends, after all. He was the closest thing I had to family. I keep playing it over in my mind.
“Okay then,” was all he’d said. It wasn’t a big deal to him. It was just who I was. We’d fallen back into an easy bickering afterwards about God only knew what and that was that. It was over. Nothing had changed. Things were completely back to normal. Gulping the remnants of my coffee, I climbed the stairs to bed, preparing for my night-shift that evening. I always drank a mug of strong coffee before bed, it allowed me to wake-up feeling somewhat awake ready for the hopefully steady shift ahead of me.
I was in the canteen when my phone beeped with a text. Barkley. Did I want to go and watch his interview at the news desk studios where Darcey works? Of course, I did! It was my chance to taste the high life, as close as I’d ever come to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. Stuffing my phone back into my pocket, I finished the rest of my shift with a grin on my face, excited to be invited backstage with Barkley. It wasn’t until I was climbing into bed that morning, that I began to feel uneasy about the whole thing. Not only was there the party-line that Barkley had strongly been suggested to follow during his interviews, which made me feel scared that something more sinister was afoot with this whole superhero thing I’d gotten myself into. But the fact that Darcey and Barkley had become so pally left me with a pit in my stomach. Barkley wasn’t necessarily one of those people who became friends with everybody, but somehow Darcey had weaselled her way into his trust through nothing more than a shared experience. There was something about her that I just didn’t like. I couldn’t put my finger on it. As I fell into a deep sleep, I dreamed of soaring over the rooftops of my hometown.
The next week went in a flash and before I had time to think too deeply into the iLUMiNO situation, I was travelling down to London with Barkley ready for the interview. It was a big deal, a really big deal, and would be filmed prior to it airing, Piers Morgan style, with two chairs facing each other in a posh-looking suite-style room. It was a huge deal. We were in high spirits on the train down, the news studio had sprung for First Class seats and we were making the most out of the waiter service, both having drunk a few beers (in ice-cold glasses). I could have gotten there much faster, of course, but that wouldn’t do me any favours right now. Plus, I wanted to spend more time with Barkley anyway. We spent the rest of the day taking in the sights of London before heading back to the hotel, completely gratis thanks to the news company, ready for the next day when Barkley would be filming his interview.
Walking the towering streets of London made me feel very small and inconsequential. The lights glistened against the cobblestoned pavement. Feeling merry from our day, we decided to have one final pint in a pub just around the corner of the hotel. Metropolis was a hole-in-the-wall pub, a commuter hang-out bar built under the railway arches with cask ales, pub menu and looked just as inviting as the local pubs back home. But, this is London, and London is known for being nothing if not a bit bougie. Entering through the oak door, I was transported back in time into an old-fashioned library. It was still a pub, predominantly, but the walls were lined with old hardback books. Newspapers lined the remaining walls and the tables were made from old type-writers. Glancing at Barkley for the go-ahead, we walked inside and found a seat opposite each other on a baroque desk. After drinking a pint (or two) I headed to the toilet, unable to hold my bladder until we were back at the hotel. As I zigzagged through the crowd a feeling overcame me. Complete unease. That’s when I saw it. The emergency exit was propped open showing an alleyway steeped in darkness. On the floor was a woman covered in blood, atop her was a man attempting to hike her skirt above her head. Without thinking, I morphed into my alter-ego, as I ran towards them.
“Leave the woman alone. Get off her!” I snarled at the man. He took one look at me and his face cracked into a smile. “Aren’t you the one from TV?” He laughed, standing up and peeling himself from the woman, who immediately shuffled back against the wall and curled into a ball.
“Get out of here, now!” I bit, running towards him, hoping I wouldn’t actually have to fight him. I wasn’t much of a fighter truth be told, but if that was what it took to keep this woman safe, then I would do it.
“Alright man, I’m going. She’s not worth it anyway!” He turned and ran, clearly intimidated but not wanting to show it. But my job wasn’t done yet. I turned to the woman on the floor, mascara tracks traced the lines down her face.
“Thank you,” she said as I walked over to her.
“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” I hoped my meaning was clear, I didn’t want to ask anything too personal as she was already in a state.
“No, he didn’t. I’m sure he would have if you hadn’t seen us.” She smiled and tried to stand, grasping her side and wincing. “I think when he pushed me down, I banged my side on the wall, that’s all. I’ll be okay.”
“Can I see? I might be able to help?” I was amazed that this woman hadn’t commented on my outfit, or the fact that I did glow an ethereal gold.
“Sure,” she slid her top up on one side, showing an already blossoming bruise. I placed my hand upon it, checking her eyes for permission. I breathed in and out slowly, willing the pain away. Even as the pain in her side dissipated, I could sense that there was pain elsewhere. Not physical, but mental. The scars from being attacked went much deeper than a physical bruise, it was something that could haunt a person forever. I’d seen it in my job one too many times.
I reached forwards, placing my index finger right where your third eye would be. Just above the brows and nose, at the centre of the forehead. I closed my eyes and felt the pain. I felt that it would fester within her over the years, growing and becoming something far more sinister. As I breathed out, I felt the pain leaving her. I knew right in that moment, that this event wouldn’t affect this woman as it once would have. She’d be able to go on and be happy, without the mental scars from this attack.
“Woah,” she said as I removed my hand. “What did you do?”
“I healed you,” I said with no hint of irony. “Now, please do report him. You can’t let him get away with that.”
“I will, I promise! Thank you iLUMiNO. I can’t believe that I met you in person.”
“You’re welcome. Now, go home through the front of the bar. Get straight into a taxi and stay safe,” I said as I slipped back into the toilets morphing back into my regular clothes. It had been a close call. I could feel power buzzing within me. It seemed that I became stronger the more I used my powers. I hoped that I hadn’t been too long and that Barkley wouldn’t ask too many questions about where I’d been. It turned out that I needn’t have worried. When I returned from the toilet, Barkley was chatting to the buxom blonde barmaid looking pretty happy with himself. I smiled knowing that my friend, despite everything, was still my friend and very, very happy.
Barkley’s interview went without a hitch. He looked very dapper in his suit sitting across from Jamie Olsen, one of the biggest journalists in the world, who had flown in from America just to speak to him. iLUMiNO was big news, a global phenomenon , and every major news station were vying to get an interview with Barkley and Darcey, preferably at the same time, but either/or was better than nothing. Darcey’s career had sky-rocketed and she was so busy that there was no way she could possibly attend every interview requested of her. As luck would have it, she was able to attend this one. She sat by my side as Barkley smiled and recounted his story to Jamie Olsen, nodding occasionally when Barkley said something particularly inspired. When Barkley finished, it was Darcey’s turn in the spotlight. She quite literally effervesced with energy, clearly loving every ounce of attention she was given. Once the filming interviews were in the can, we all met in the hotel restaurant for lunch. During this time the producer would look over the footage and then Barkley and Darcey would reshoot anything they needed before declaring it a wrap. I didn’t understand why so many interviews were necessary, since they said the same things every time, but it wasn’t my place to say anything. Plus, I liked being along for the ride.
After cramming our plates full of buffet food and picking a table to sit at, Darcey came over to join us.
“Hello boys!” Despite her maturity, she was such a flirt. Darcey had the ability to make any man do anything she wanted, and she milked it. “Are you going to top up your coffee Aaron?” she fluttered her eyelids at me, impervious to the fact that her ‘charms’ wouldn’t work on me. She was far from my type.
“Not just yet,” I smiled in response.
“I’ll grab you some,” a member of staff, who had quite obviously been listening to our conversation, said, grabbing Darcey’s cup.
“Thank you, darling,” Darcey said, her hand lingering slightly too long on the young man’s.
Darcey turned her attention to me. “I heard about Barkley’s little accident on your camping trip. You saved his life, didn’t you?”
“That’s a bit of a stretch. I wouldn’t say I saved him. He saved himself!” I tried to joke but Darcey was having absolutely none of it.
“Oh he definitely saved me,” Barkley said through a mouthful of sandwich. “Az is too modest!”
“How lucky he was, that you got there just there in the nick of time. So lucky,” Darcey drawled.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” I answered, feeling unnerved by the line of questioning. There was no way she could know who I was. Absolutely none, but yet that seemed to be what she was hinting at.
“Oh, I think you do,” Darcey said. I looked to Barkley to see how he was taking all of this. He was far too busy stuffing the sandwich into his face to even realise I was being interrogated. He’d never been one for social cues.
“No idea, Darcey. How’s that coffee?” I asked, trying to change the subject.
“Gorgeous,” Darcey said, taking the coffee off the young boy who’d just returned to our table. “I actually think I’ll take this in my room. I do have some footage to review. I’m determined to find out who our friend iLUMiNO is. Our kind friends at This Morning have sent over the footage for me to review. Isn’t that kind of them!”
As Darcey was standing up, she turned to us both and said, “I have two spare tickets to the new Keanu Reeves film if you boys would like to join me. Keanu is now a good friend of mine, and I’d love for you to meet him. He’s as handsome in real life,” she said winking at me.
“Yes, we’d love to! Wouldn’t we Az!” Barkley smiled up at Darcey Dyson.
“Sure, thank you,” I said. Not knowing how to respond to the situation. It looked like I was going to be attending film premieres with A-List actors from now on. What a turn of events.
I eyed Darcey as she shimmied out of the room. There was something off about her. The only way I could get to the bottom of it was to spend more time with her. God, I wish I was back in my beautiful zen garden!