Final Draft - Cole, the Lightning Thief

Roxanne Coleman

5/10/12

Cole, the Lightning Thief

My name is Cole Shogun and I was a regular citizen like most people before the explosion occurred. My family and I live in Levittown within New York City. It’s a pretty interesting place, except for one thing, which was the school in my area. It’s very difficult to adjust in an area when you know you’re not wanted. I thought to myself. It may not be so bad since I’m half white and half Japanese. I was definitely proven wrong when I went to my first day of class.

The experience was weird and frustrating since many people looked at me in awe for I had blue eyes and red hair, but the twist was that I was half Asian and half white. On top of that, my hair was spiky. People’s reactions and stares brought shivers down my spine. For the rest of the day, people didn’t know how to act, except with harsh stares and discomfort.  I felt like a piece of dog meat ready to be chewed at any moment. Luckily, I realized I wasn’t alone with being treated like an outcast.

I survived the morning classes and made it to lunch time. I noticed this strange group of kids sitting by themselves. Just by looking at them you could tell that each person had their own story to tell. The girl of the group was quite pretty. She had long black hair and parted most of it going to the left side of her head. Her skin color was tan and she dressed very nice. She wore a Heritage 1981 Camp Freedom Tank, which had a screen-printed graphic and contrasting trim. In addition, she wore plaid shorts underneath it. Her style was quite fancy and by the looks of her features on her face, she looked like she could be German. I thought it was odd that she wasn’t hanging out with the popular kids. The rest of the group members were three white guys. One of them looked punkish, he dressed all in black, but the clothes were tight on him and he had black hair with bangs. The other guy was similar except his hair was really long and covered one of his eyes. Finally, the last member had spiky hair like me except he wore nerdy glasses and had black hair. What do I have to lose with trying to talk to them.

“Hi,” I said. The boys ignored me except for the girl. To my eyes, as she turned her hair it moved in slow-motion and as it bounced in the air you could smell the flowery scent of her shampoo.

“Hi, my name is Valerie, sorry for the boys’ rudeness, they assume that all boys that go to this school are evil since they get teased a lot, but you look different.”

That comment brought a smile to my face and she gestured for me to sit with them. I learned that day the three boys names, the one dressed punkish with the bangs name is Munro. The other dressed in punkish clothes too, but with longer hair, name is Max and the last one with the nerdy glasses and the spiky hair was named Luke. Valerie explained to me that they all liked video games and comics and that isn't cool here in this school, so they do their own thing and formed their own group. In time these outcasts became more than that, they became my best friends. Lucky for me we all live close by so we would always go home together.

One day the gang and I decided to take a shortcut home since we wanted to get home fast for a special event happening in our neighborhood. The sun that day was making my palms feel very moist and sticky from the sweat. When heading home I heard a loud scream from the alleyway. I told the gang to standby so I could check out the commotion. I decided to take a peak and I saw one guy holding a woman down and the second guy was unzipping his pants. The guy that was unzipping his pants had a lot of hair and he seemed raggedy, like he hadn’t showered in years. The other one, to my surprise, was dressed professionally with a suit and had his hair smoothed back with gel. Both of them were white. I leaned against one of the buildings and quickly put one of my hands on my chest. Thump thump thump, was all the noise I could hear coming from my heart. It felt like any minute my heart was going to burst out of my chest. I was so nervous; I just kept asking myself, what to do Cole, what to do? You can be a hero and save this lady or you can let her get raped and mostly likely be killed afterwards. Valerie and the rest of the gang must have realized I ’de been gone now for quite some time and were worried, so they decided to look for me. My face must have looked like a ghost.

Valerie asked me, “What’s wrong Luke?” When I finally calm down I told her to take a look and she saw the two guys sexually molesting the lady.

“We’ve got to do something,” I replied.

“Cole, I think we should call the cops and leave it for them to handle this,” Valerie stated.

“I agree with Valerie,” Luke said.

Both Max and Munro at the same time shouted, “You always agree with Valerie!!”

“Shut Up! This isn’t the time or the place to start an argument right now when a lady needs us,” I yelled.

“As much as I would like the police to handle this Valerie, by the time they come it may be too late and I can’t live with that on my conscious and I doubt the rest of you can either.” They all nodded.

“Okay Cole, so what’s the plan then?” Valerie said.

“Yeah Cole, what’s the plan?” Luke said, with a hint of sarcasm. Valerie and the rest rolled their eyes.  

I knew this was a foolish thing to do and selfish of me to ask my best friends to get involved. I could tell everyone was scared and who could blame them. We could all die from this and for what? To save a lady we don’t know? Yet knowing all of this I still wanted to try and save this lady life. Luckily, for the lady I’d done gymnastics in school to clear my head from the bullies I’d dealt with. I looked up and saw an opening for my hand to place and worked my way up the building.

“What is this fool doing!!?” Luke shouted.

 “Shush Luke, I think I have an idea, c’mon guys,” Valerie said and Munro and Max followed.

“Sigh, I swear the things I do to please this girl,” Luke said and followed.

Finally reaching the roof I was able to see both criminals. I also realized my friends were hiding.

 “What are they about to do?” In a matter of seconds the gang pounced into action.

Valerie started it off, “Hey losers look at me, I’m a helpless girl waiting to be touched.” The guy with the ragged clothes said to the guy in the suit, “Go ahead William, this lady fell unconscious anyways, I can handle her by myself now.”

“Alright, Scraggy,” said William. William turned his attention to Valerie and pulled out a knife.

“You’re going to regret this girl, for interfering with us,” said William, with a smug look on his face.

“Oh no, Valerie is in trouble, I have to save her,” I said. In any case I actually didn’t need to, since Munro and Max sneak attacked Scraggy from behind with sucker punches. This caused William to lose focus on Valerie. Valerie then kicked the knife out of William’s hand and Luke punched him out cold.

“Yes!! That was awesome; I’m so proud of everyone,” I shouted. Surprisingly, they all heard me and gave me a thumps up.  Now to get down from here. I saw the lady conscious now making a phone call and Valerie walking over towards her.

“Are you ok miss?? How bad did those guys hurt you,” said Valerie to the lady.

“Oh Yes!! Thanks so much for helping me and please call me Jill. I’ve called for backup, they should be on their way any minute now,” said Jill. My gut was telling me to wait on the rooftop just in case anything weird happened. Oh boy, was I happy that day to have listened to my gut. Out of nowhere these two cars blocked the entrance for my friends to get out and an army of men in black suits and shades came out in a storm. They grabbed my friends and the two guys that were knocked out cold. On top of that, the supposed victim walked towards the car, casually.

“I can’t believe this!!! This lady was with these creeps all along,” I shouted.  Before going into the car, the lady winked at me and blew me a kiss. “What a bitch,” I mumbled to myself. Hurtling back to reality, I remembered my friends were still in danger and Munro and Max were already thrown in the car, unconscious. It was only Valerie and Luke left, still fighting the men off. Out of nowhere, one of the men was chocking Valerie. She decided to kick him where it hurts and she looked at me and shouted, “Cole!! Help me!”

At the same time, Luke and I both shouted back, “I’m coming Valerie!!” Finally, these two men tag teamed Valerie well enough and knocked her unconscious. Eventually as much as Luke struggled to save her, they knocked him unconscious too.

Well, it’s up to me to save them now. I was aiming myself at the two guys that were dragging Valerie’s body to the car. “Here goes nothing,” I said and just when I was about to jump off the roof, someone tapped me on the shoulder.

“Surprise,” a guy in a black suit, bigger than the rest of them, said to me before knocking me out with a crowbar.

In and out of consciousness, I realized I was in a car trunk tied up and my mouth taped. When I was somewhat awake I tried to rip the ropes off and break myself free to no avail. Damn, where the hell am I!?Where are my friends? I have to break free, somehow. Eventually I gave up, since my body was completely drained and I had absolutely no energy left. Just before my last eyelash was about to close on me, the last thing I remembered saying to myself was,  good job Cole, you tried to be a hero and saved a lady who actually didn’t need saving. On top of that, you even lost your friends in the process. When I started to gain conscious again I realized I wasn’t in the trunk anymore. Thank God for that. I also realized my mouth wasn’t taped anymore, but my hands were. I slightly looked up and realized two men in the black suites were dragging me in the abandon building up head. Now, fully having my senses I should try and break free. I was determined to make that thought into reality, until I realized that the other black cars from the scene were here. Never mind, I should keep my cool and see if my friends are here before doing anything irrational. Surprisingly the guys in black never even looked back to see if I awoke or not. They just kept dragging my body inside the abandon building. Since I had the freedom to look around and capture my surroundings, I did so. This place looks hideous, why would anyone even want to live or work here! Finally we came to a stop, I thought my journey of horror was over, but I was wrong. We stopped in front of this door, which I thought was a door, but in reality it seemed like it was a secret elevator.  I quickly pretended like I was out cold again and let them drag me in the elevator.  As the elevator kept going down, all I kept asking myself was, where are we going, where are we going. We finally stopped again and since my curiosity took the best of me, I took a quick peek to see what floor we were on. The arrow had pointed to level c. Level c? Are my eyes playing tricks on me? I shut my eyes again before the men in black took my body and continued to drag it. We then stopped one more time. Can this nightmare be over please? Then I heard the two guys talking to someone. I knew I was taking a risk eavesdropping, but I wanted to know what was going on.

“Here you go, Dr. Lee. This is the last kid,” said one of the men in black.

“Excellent, excellent, you boys did an outstanding job,” said the weird looking scientist. He looked old, hair spiky, wore a white coat, and lastly he had on black rain boots. Wow poor guy, where has he been living all this time? In a hole? I accidently giggled after thinking this. Unfortunately for me, the three guys I didn’t want to hear me, heard me. So, they did what they do best, knocked me out cold again.

When reality finally kicked in for me, I realized that the cave that I was in was surrounded by weird yet unique high tech technology. I assumed I was in some creepy laboratory. “Where am I?” Not realizing I said this thought out loud, someone answered in the shadows.

“This is my lab, do you like?” Scared to death, yet somehow I had the courage to respond back.

“Who are you and what do you want from me!!” I shouted. The man took some time to think, I assumed he was debating on whether to respond to me or not.  Finally, the man spoke as he stepped out of the shadows.

“Don’t worry about why you’re here, just know that you and your friends will help me  fulfill my dream.”

“But,” and before I could finish, the man cut me off and stating his name.

“My name is Dr. Lee and you and your friends will be my new guinea pigs.” Within a matter of minutes I felt excruciating pain and realized the mad man was electrocuting my body.

The electricity soared through my veins, my fingertips, my brain, and lastly my heart. I didn’t think I would survive; I felt like giving up and wanted to die right then and there.

“You see Cole; I’m sure you’re a smart boy and probably figured out that the rape scene was a trap.” I was in too much pain to bother asking him why he would do such a thing. I assumed he realized that and continued on his explanation about his diabolic plan.

“Now why would I do such a thing? Well, Cole, I’m trying to form a specific team of super villains to do my every bidding. The rape scene is there to lure guppies like you who would risk their lives for someone they didn’t know.” He started to laugh and that was making me so angry. I was becoming even angrier because I couldn’t do anything.

“I hope you and your friends don’t disappoint me, Cole. Jill, the lady your friends had saved, told me you and your friends looked like the best candidates to handle my experiments. This is great!!? Since the rest of my candidates have died, I hope your group of friends as well as yourself, don’t die on me either.”

“What!!!” I shouted furiously. “People have died from this!!! What about my friends!!!”

 “Now, now, Cole, settle down. I don’t know if your friends will make it, but I have a feeling you will. Jill saw potential in you before she went in the car. That’s why I gave you the worst experiment.” After saying that he then put the electricity power to the max.

“ARRGGHH, STOP IT!!! You’re Killing Me!!!” I shouted, but he ignored my cries.

Many people would call this feeling many things, such as adrenaline or courage. I felt like I was fighting the inevitable, but then seeing Dr. Lee face made me lose it. Smiling, delighted to see my pain, filled me with anger and hate; I just knew I couldn’t die here, not now, not ever.

“So I see you like seeing my pain, you like seeing people suffer, well two can play at that game.” I screamed so loud and used all the strength within me to break the straps that were binding me down.

I could see it in the doctor’s face, my actions was truly upsetting him.

“Stop it! I command you to stop!” he shouted. “Don’t you realize what you are doing, he added, you are causing my babies to malfunction.” He shouldn’t have told me that because I really lost it and was giving everything I had to be set free. This is not only for myself, but for my friends who stood by me to the very end. I just can’t go out like this, not now, not ever. Somehow I finally broke the straps and when I did the lab started to explode.

“No!!! Look what you have done!! My babies, their burning!!!” Dr. Lee shouted. He then fell to his knees slowly and started crying.

“How pathetic,” I mumbled. Within seconds alarms within the caves started to go off. I was so startled by the sirens that I didn’t even realize Jill came to help Dr. Lee.

“C’mon Lee, we have to go,” Jill shouted to him, but he stayed in silence.

Good, I hope they all burn in hell with this place. I recollected my thoughts and remembered I had to save my friends before it was too late. I ran in the direction where the elevator was, hoping that I bumped into those goons. Thank god I did, actually we all kind of crashed into each other from different directions. We were so happy to see each other that we were speechless for a few minutes and then we all group hugged. We assumed Dr. Lee put a countdown on the laboratory since we were down to 20 seconds. We looked at each other, nodded and headed towards the exits.

Till this day my friends and I don’t know how we survived that chaos or the experimenting part. I guess it just wasn’t our time to leave this earth yet without doing some good first because when I woke up and shook the debris off of me, I felt strange and realized that I obtained electrical powers. I thought I was just me, but then one by one, my friends charged up from the debris and showed off their powers. Valerie was fire, Luke was light, Max was water, and somehow Munro was able to control the darkness. We realized this when he took control of my shadow and started to control my body. We all laughed. It’s great to see them alive.

Our joyride was killed when we could hear the annoying sirens and saw the flashing red lights coming our way. So before the cops came, we decided it was best to quickly leave the scene. Now I know what you are all thinking, why didn’t we use these powers for selfish greed and wealth? Well we did use it to exact revenge on the bullies that tormented us. It felt great to get them back, to make them suffer the way we suffered. We thought this was the path for us, vengeance, until this one girl made us realize that we were using our powers all wrong. It happened so suddenly, when all of us didn’t have lunch money for school that day.

“Hmmm, I’m hungry you guys,” Luke whined.

“Shush Luke!! We all are!!” Shouted Valerie.

Luke pouted. As annoying as Luke was acting that day, we knew he was right. Lunchtime was almost over and we needed money fast. Lucky for us, we thought, there was a new girl who arrived to our school that day and she was all alone.

“C’mon you guys, I have a plan,” I said. They all nodded and as I got up and walked towards the girl, they followed.

“Hi, can I help you guys,” the new girl responded.

“Yes, yes you can. Take care of this Max.” I shouted.

“With pleasure Cole,” Max replied. Instantly Max horsed the girl with his water abilities. Which she then went flying towards the wall and crashed in to it. We all laughed and the new girl started crying. So we laughed some more. When I finally calm down, that’s when I noticed all the glares and disgusted looks our peers were giving us. The fear that they had in their eyes when looking at us.

“What, what have we done you guys,” I said with fright. We all felt ashamed and bowed our heads.

“We are no better than the punks who used to torment us. This has to stop now!” I shouted. They all agreed. From that day forward, we knew that we were meant to use our powers for good and not for greed.