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Harlem had been driving for a couple hours now. The Prime Force had been taking applications for “Super Teens in Need of Training,” The whole title sounded a bit stupid, but helping some kids who were confused about some newfound powers they gained wasn’t a bad thing.
Most times, powers develop while the person is in their early twenties. At that point you’re able to go to places that’ll help you understand what they do, or in desperate cases, get them taken away. In more rare cases, children develop them, but due to smaller bodies that have not developed enough, the child will die. Teens who develop powers are at the perfect stage of high hormones and body function that their powers will go haywire without a control source. That’s why the program started.
Ms. G was passing out assignments for the Prime Force to go look at some of the applications. Harlem's small pile didn’t seem all too interesting, but a couple of the files seemed to be more. He’d been moving city to city looking at these children and talking to their parents about what they should do and how supers in the area can help.
This case however, had no supers in the area and the parents' application seemed a bit desperate enough that it was something that Harlem was a bit intrigued by. The kid's name was William Wisp, born and raised in Deadwood, and his parents sent an application on his behalf begging for someone to help. It seemed this William kid had been missing a week before he came home dazed and covered in blood. His own blood.
But the hospital brushed it off since there were no wounds on the kid. A month later after that hospital report, his parents reported to the police that their kid had developed powers and he could control them. The police didn’t do anything since it isn’t standard training over there. Soon after a car crash involving William as a witness, and one of the victims, his friend who suffered major injuries.
Glancing over at the file that was open in the passenger seat, the GPS said it would be only a few more minutes before he would be at his destination. This kid seemed to be pretty average, maybe gotten teased at school but most children do, especially if you do nothing about it.
Harlem pulled next to the curve of what was a small house in the neighborhood. They should be waiting for him to arrive at this point of time. He looked in the car mirror to fix his hair. He feels like he should be wearing his hero outfit but Ms. G insisted that they should be wearing regular clothes to make everyone more comfortable in the situation.
Reluctantly, he stepped out of the car and headed to the front door. He stood there for a second taking a deep breath. He’s not a huge fan of talking to people for long periods, but a hero gotta do what he’s gotta do. Harlem knocks on the door.
A more heavyset woman opened the door with round features and a warm face. Her hair and eyes are a dark brown and she wore a worried, yet nervous look on her face.
“Hello ma’am, I’m the hero known as Silhouette. I’ve come at the request to help your son, William Wisp,” Harlem said in a formal voice. The words spilled from his tongue, memorized at this point from saying it many times.
“Oh yes, I was wondering if you’d show up at all, we’ve been very nervous for your arrival.”
Harlem noticed the worry in her voice. He’d assume this was Mrs. Wisp and the way she rang her wrist with her hand, he could tell something was up.
“You can come on in, I’m Janet.”
“Thank you,” And he walked in.
Inside the house lay some average looking rooms. A living room with a small couch, TV, a wooden staircase which led to the upper level, and many framed photos of a boy who he presumed was William. A dining room and kitchen connected to the left. A small table with four chairs, but only three table mats laid across it. From inside the kitchen a taller man walks out with a stern look.
“Hello you must be Mr. Wisp, I’m Silhouette.”
“Hello sir, you’d be correct,” Mr. Wisp walked over and shook his hand.
Mrs. Wisp spoke up. “I’m sure you’ll want to talk to William, he’s in his room upstairs.”
Harlem looked over towards the staircase. He sensed a dark energy radiate from up there, what had this boy been through?
“He hasn’t left his room since the accident with his friend… He used to go outside and hang out with his group of friends, I’m just so worried about him,” spoke up Mrs. Wisp.
“We were hoping you might be able to help him figure out what's going on with him.”
Harlem sighed. “Most teens who develop powers don’t know how to cope with this new part of themselves, I am here to help, that's why I was sent.”
“You can go in his room, he doesn’t lock the door.”
Harlem glanced back at Mr. Wisp but continued to look at the stairs before heading over to them. He noticed a family photo on the wall. Mr. Wisp grinning at the camera, and Mrs. Wisp sitting in a chair. A warm smile was plastered on her face, and her hand was on the shoulder of a younger William. His hair was messy and his eyes showed he was nervous, but a small smile was shown. Harlem looked away to go back on his journey upstairs.
He reached a door with a rock band poster on the outside, which only an angsty teen could be listening to. Below it sat a tray with eggs and toast, presumed from this morning, untouched. Slowly he raised his fist and knocked.
“Hello William, this is Silhouette from the Prime Force. I’m here to help you with your new found powers.”
He waited a couple seconds, but no response came.
“William, I am going to enter the room, is that alright?”
Still no response.
Harlem took this to enter. Inside was a small, dark room. No lights except some sunlight trying to peak in from blackout curtains. Clothes were scattered all over the floor, band posters plastered on the walls. Notebooks, books, and loose paper sitting on a desk with a messy cork board above it. In the corner, a covered up mirror sat next to the bed, that had multiple blankets, and a few stuffed animals, and laying in the bed was William Wisp, facing the wall.
“William, I am unsure if you heard me before but I am Silhouette, and I’m here to help you.”
William shifted under the covers, and mumbled something incoherent. At least Harlem knew he was awake. He walked closer to bed, but not close enough to be looming over it.
“I would like to have a conversation with you. I understand that what you’re going through is confusing, and a lot is happening in your life.”
He didn’t say anything after that for a couple minutes. He needs to know what William will be willing to talk to him about everything. A couple more minutes and William starts to sit up. Harlem's about to get a good look at him.
A boy with messy, black hair that curled around his ears. Heavy, dark eyebags stood out against his pale skin. His eyes were devoid of light, and his gaze was down and far. A black hoodie with a few patches of sewn on fabric was worn.
William started to speak in a raspy voice. “I didn’t ask for this.”
“Most people don’t, as flashy as it is to have powers, it’s very tough.”
“This power… it’s a curse at this point,” William spoke quietly.
Harlem looked at him confused, the file didn’t explain a lot about his powers, just something about ghosts.
“Would you care to explain what your powers are that make it a curse.”
The boy turned up to look at him, but quickly turned back down. “It’s… complicated. Most things that happen are unwillingly, but from what I gathered it’s floating, going through things, invisibility… I can um, use these ghost orbs I like to call wisps to create an object… yeah.”
Harlem continued to look at William, and he noticed some tears pricking at the boy's eyes.
“I um… can do this thing, where I basically become a ghost?” Harlem's eyes grew a bit larger at this information. William used his sleeve to wipe the tears in his eyes before they spilled over.
“When that happens, I leave my body and I get all glowy and stuff… Sometimes I think I won’t be able to get into my body again.”
Harlem spoke up. “When powers manifest, it’s going to be hard, challenges of darkness will overcome you and urge you to give into what you fear. But you cannot give or lose hope, you must prevail.”
William looked Harlem in his eyes, a somber look in his eyes. “These powers attract the worst in this town, hurting the people around me. I can’t leave my house without feeling that all my family and friends are in danger just for knowing me.”
“Young William, I understand there was an incident where you were missing for a week, what happened during then?” Harlem pushed. William’s expression turned a bit nervous.
“I understand if this topic is sensitive.”
“No, but I doubt you’ll believe me.”
“Try me.”
William turned away and started to tug at his sleeve. “I was doing an investigation in a forest, I heard some story of ghosts and cryptids appearing and I just wanted to see for myself. It was late and I was using the excuse of being at a friend's house… I uh, noticed a blue light coming from behind some trees.”
His voice started to waver a bit. “It was moving fast, so I ran to follow it. While running I tripped and fell forward… and there was a cliff…”
William looked back up at Harlem, a few tears rolling down his face.
“I think I died.”
Harlem felt shocked. This all was a lot for a teen to be carrying by himself, that’s a lot for a full grown adult too.
“I hope you know that you’re here now, alive. What happened in that forest can stay between the two of us if that’s what you need,” Harlem spoke, trying to say in his best comforting voice. He isn’t exactly an expert with emotions, usually keeping to himself, hell, he kept to himself during the worst moments of his life, he understands what this fragile kid in front of him is going through to a T.
William sniffled, wiping away more tears, “I don’t care exactly what happened, but I can reverse it or take it back. The wisps said they chose me and I’m powerless to that.”
At that moment a small blue wisp appeared next to William, nudging him in a way a pet dog would.
“Silhouette…”
Harlem walked closer to the bed, “You can call me Harlem.”
“Harlem, I can’t stay in Deadwood.”
Harlem looked down for a second, deep in thought.
“William, would you be interested in a training program?”