Arrival: Chapter 1.5 (Axel)

Axel was among the first to arrive at the airport hangar. The buses had not yet arrived when his uncle drove him there, wishing him good luck. There was a bounce to Axel’s every step, he’d be a superhero just like his parents before him, just like his grandfather who had started the family legacy. 

He gave a look around the hangar. A few people were already there and he waved to a few people he recognized. Cape kids were a tight community around New York City, they’d grown up together, discovered their powers together, and mourned the deaths of their parents and family in the war between humanity and the Tzaries.

Axel put down his bags and took some time chatting with the others. He’d been so busy with his own personal training he hadn’t seen many of them in a long time. 

“What’s up with all the bandages?” Jimmy asked, the son of the Tempest.

“Was working on my parkour last night,” Axel said, “Def a work in progress.”

“Why are they sparkly and with unicorns?” Kate, daughter of the Night Prowler, asked.

“Because I’m fabulous that way!” Axel flipped his long wavy champagne blonde ponytail. “And you know it.”

The others snorted. “Sounds about right.”

They sat down together, catching up like old times, showing one another their progress in power. Jimmy could control lightning, while Kate was one of those super agility types who could also turn invisible. 

“Remember how I could only conjure three things?”

“Well, yeah,” Jimmy said.

Axel stood up and focused on his powers, what he called the Inner Armory; all of the weapons and tools he had ‘scanned’ with his power. First, a dagger came out of it, appearing from thin air, then a second, and a third, but Axel kept going until seven were now floating around him, gently circling around his body through telekinetic force. 

“Nice!” Kate said, “Definitely better.”

Axel frowned deep in concentration and an eighth appeared. A cold sweat started dripping down his forehead, a numbing throbbing emerging from the back of his head. He tried to keep it steady but couldn’t, the weapons faded away.

“Damn it!” Axel sighed, “Seven I can do fine, but the eight just need perfect focus.”

“Hey, I’m sure you’ll get it soon enough,” Jimmy said.

“Yeah.”

Powers were like muscles the more you practiced the stronger they became. When Axel had first manifested his power he could barely get two and only vaguely control them, he’d gotten far in five years since.

An announcement rang through the station. “Please proceed to your assigned bus.”

“Which do you have?”

“S01,” they both answered.

“S02,” Axel said, frowning he would’ve liked to catch up some more with them, but alas he had to go. “I’ll see you on campus then!”

They grabbed their things and went to queue up for their bus.

He caught up with them and showed them all of his progress. As Axel boarded his bus he looked around for a place to sit his eyes went over a face he hadn’t seen in a long time. 

A tan boy with a mop of curly hair sat in a seat with his head tilted down at his phone. He was a few years older than Axel and looked it, one foot into adulthood already.

Had Mitch not seen them? Or was he avoiding them? He hadn’t exactly been in touch for a long time…

“Mitch?” 

Just like him, Mitch was a cape kid, but he’d drifted apart from their little clique sometime after the loss of his parents and sister. 

“Axel! Hey! Haven’t seen you since…” Mitch trailed off with a frown, running his hand through his loose brown curls.

“For-e-ver!” Axel said, dumping his bag down and sitting next to Mitch, not waiting for an invitation. “What’s up, bro?”

“Not much, just finally deciding to follow in my parents and sister’s footsteps.” Mitch’s voice was quiet and his gaze did not meet Axel’s.

“About time!” Axel said. Most cape kids began their career early, but Mitch was already seventeen.  “Ugh, my uncle wouldn’t let me apply last year, and said I needed more training! As if.” Axel rolled his eyes, his uncle was overprotective.

Thirteen was the youngest age one could apply to join the Ravenhold Academy program, but applicants obviously needed their legal guardian’s permission.

Mitch smiled, “he’s just worried about you getting hurt.” Mitch reached out a hand and ruffled Axel’s hair like when he was a kid.

“I’m gonna be unbeatable,” Axel answered with a grin, “Villains better watch out.”

 “Sure thing kid. Let me know when you can beat me and then we’ll see about you calling yourself unbeatable.”

“You are so on,” Axel said, “Fight you in the dojo?” Mitch had fallen off the wayside, he’d be an easy fight, Axel thought. He wasn’t the little kid who used to practice against and get his ass whooped seven ways to Sunday.

“Sure.” Mitch playfully punched his arm.

Axel returned the gesture as strongly as he could, not that it would hurt with Mitch’s energy absorption.

Mitch rolled his eyes and leaned back against the seat, “If this attitude of yours gets you killed I get to say I told you so.” He said with a smile.

Axel rolled his eyes. “Chill dude, no need to be so tight up.”

Mitch patted him on the head. “I can chill-ly say I told you so and that I’m going to kick your ass down a peg.”

Axel bit down his lip a little, Mitch would never see him as anything but that dumbass kid from years ago. His first task at Ravenhold was going to prove him he wasn’t, he’d grown up, learned, gotten stronger and Mitch would have to learn the hard way. 

“Bring it on, I’ve been working on all sorts of new tricks.” Axel grinned.

 “I’m ready to throw them all right back at you.”

“You can surely try, why don’t we make a wager then?” Axel proposes, “If I win you have to kiss my feet and acknowledge I’m the best.” 

“And what do I get if I beat you?”

“What do you want?”

“You gotta wear a sign that says ‘I’m an idiot’ on it for a whole day.”

“As if I’d have to do that,” Axel answered, “You’re on.”

Mitch put an arm around Axel’s shoulder, “so how have you been brat?”

“Been good, y’know same-old-same-old,” he leaned back casually, “You still seeing that guy?” About two years ago, before they’d completely fallen out of touch he knew Mitch had found a guy.

Mitch smiled, turning a distinct shade of red, “Yeah!”

Axel grinned, that was a good avenue of attack! “You’re getting all blushy, bro, it’s that serious?”

“I really love him.” 

“Oh damn, L-O-V-E now? Like putting a ring on it love?”

“Maybe?” Mitch mumbled all flustered. He punched Axel’s arm again. “Ah, shut up, brat”

Axel wasn’t about to let it go. “No way, that serious you get all embarrassed.” 

“I’m still too young to talk about rings and shit but…” Mitch fiddled with his empty ring finger. “I couldn’t imagine marrying anyone else.”

“Oh, shit,” Axel says, “okay no more, this is way too mushy. Next, you’re gonna tell me you write him love poems!”

Mitch seized the opportunity, draping himself over Axel. “Awww can’t handle a little looooveee?”

“Gross,” Axel says. “you know me, a pretty boy or girl here and there’s fine, but then they get weird and clingy and thinking about Love and shit”

Axel had… experimented with some of the other cape kids, the occasional pretty boy, or cute girl, but never anything serious as of yet, definitely not anything resembling Love! Axel wasn’t really ready for any kind of commitment anytime soon. 

Mitch frowned, his tone going all serious. “I feel like you’re a little young to act so casually about sex.”

Axel gave him a look. “What are you, my uncle?”

Mitch sighed, “I’m too young and handsome, how about your big brother? But seriously just… be careful?”

“I am, watch this,” Axel could conjure more than weapons with his power. He snapped a finger and a condom appeared out of thin air. “Always ready.”

Mitch smiled with exasperation, “I mean, that’s good too but also just… be wary of people.”

“I can handle people.”

“Fine, fine just stomp on all my brotherly concerns.”

“Do you really think that little of me?”

“No, I think you’re young and dumb and overconfident, I’ve been that before it doesn’t end well.” Mitch sighed and shook his head, “Forget it, I’ll be the bad guy if I start lecturing.”

“Whatever you say,” Axel said, looking away annoyed, “You really sound like my uncle.”

“It is whatever I say thank you.” Mitch teased.

“Yes, Uncle Mitch.”

Mitch gagged. “I have never hated my name more than when you said it right there, sounds wrong.”

“Uncle Mitch,” Axel repeated, stressing every syllable.

“Fine fine I’ll stop lecturing now stop it!” Mitch leaned away from Axel with a shiver.

“Smart move.” Axel grinned, having won the conversation.

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