{ NPCed } SHARP SHOOTER ☎ Juno Tsing (Shnazz)

[Shnazz]

[p o w e r s . . . ?]

Shove.

Twelve year old Juno, thin and frail looking, flew backwards from the force of the taller and bigger other boy. Why they always found amusement trying to get a rise out of him was really beyond his understanding. He stood his ground with a smile.

"Are we doing this again today? I thought you would give up by now." He said cheekily. He was well aware of the fact that in an instant he could've been beaten to a pulp. Especially with three other boys now surrounding him.

"Oh, but today's different. My grandpa told me that you've got freak in your blood." The lead boy snarled with excitement. "Your family's got freaks. I knew you were a weirdo."

Freaks? Weirdo? A flicker of change entered Juno's attitude. He had always been perfectly fine with the jabs at him, but at the mention of his family... Well that was something else entirely. Juno narrowed his eyes, smile quivering to remain in place.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Juno breathed rather calmly.

"Don't tell me you don't know!" The boys all laughed in light of Juno's confusion over the matter. And the leader shoved him again.

Juno knew that they had power over him now. They knew something he did not. He clenched both his fists in frustration.

"Aww. Gonna try and hit me, little freak? Go on and try it then." The bully cackled, shoving Juno to the ground.

Juno stood up shaking, unclenched and clenched his fists. He was at a loss of what to say, mostly from the frustration of not knowing what the heck this other boy was talking about. What was he supposed to do now? He no longer had his only defense, that nothing they said mattered to him. Only now it wasn't just him, he was involving his family. And that just wouldn't do in Juno's book.

"Maybe you should call your freak mom to come and help you." The other boy taunted with a sneer, pretending to cry like a baby. "Freak baby needs his freak mommy. Wah wah wah." The other boys burst into laughter.

WHAM.

Juno's scrawny balled up fist met with the jaw of the leader boy in an instant. And in a second later, all the boys were throwing fists and kicks at Juno. He threw back as many punches and kicks as he could, mainly towards the gang's leader, but he was still only one skinny boy against four bigger boys. After some scuffling, they all finally quit for a moment as Juno panted backed against a wall. His lip and nose were bleeding and he was sure to obtain a black eye.

The other three boys insisted that it was enough, that they could get in trouble and that it was time to leave for today. But their leader seemed angrier that Juno had landed a punch on him.

"FREAK!" He shouted. "I hate freaks like you!" And he made a lunge towards Juno, but was stopped by the other boys saying that it was enough and they really ought to go before they get caught.

The leader spat at Juno's feet and made to turn around--"If--being normal" cough "means--being a idiot bully... Like you. I think I'll pass." Juno panted, trying to straighten up.

The leader boy immediately spun around and attempting another hit at Juno, which he anticipated and tried to counter with his own flying fist. But the leader boy managed to land his fist in Juno's stomach, the impact making Juno release his fists at which from each of his fingertips, a stream of yellow-white light shot out in whatever direction his fingers were pointing. A few hit the other boys and the rest flew off into the distance, striking whatever stood in its way. The light left small cuts on the boys, most of them screaming at the sudden light and the three ran off immediately. The leader stood up looking fearfully at Juno, who was coughing on the ground holding his stomach.

The leader was shaken. "Y-you... You really are a freak!" He shouted with a quiver in his voice, running off after the other boys as quick as he could.

Juno sat there bewildered, in shock at what had just happened.
What really had just happened? What had been that light?

He sat there quietly looking at both his hands in awe. He wiped the blood dripping down his lip with the back of one.

"I guess I really am a freak..." He said short snort and a smirk slowly appearing on his beaten face.
 

[Shnazz]

[t e l l i n g . t h e . f a m .]

It was two years that Juno kept his powers secret from his family. That day he'd come home beaten up, he simply told them he'd gotten fed up and decided to fight back, which they simply accepted.

And he continued to come home beat up from that day on. Well not everyday of course, but it became something very routine for them to deal with. His parents were the free-reign sort of parents, not trying to dictate their kids. Though they try to direct them in a good direction, they were never the forceful types even if they disagreed or didn't understand. They knew it was probably best to leave their kids to their own devices as long as they weren't doing anything terrible.

His sisters, however, were a different story. They would tend to their older brother's "battle scars" as they liked to call them. Molly was a bit harsher and scolding of Juno's cuts and bruises, telling him that he shouldn't be getting into fights. But Sherry was very motherly and would ask him if this hurt or if this felt better or what could she do to make him feel better, and all that. Even though they were fairly young, they each had very strong personalities that Juno was fond of, however different they both were.

So it continued on like this for two years. Juno would get into fights for what he deemed 'practice', and after school he would go off and 'train' himself which was usually practicing his aim. It was something he could finally set his mind on, something he felt he could do. That he had to prove himself to his family that he wasn't just a scrawny oddball. One thing was for sure, he certainly proved himself durable and sturdy for looking the opposite. He would get into a minimum of three fights a week, and if it hadn't been for his sisters tending to his cuts and things he would have surely accumulated an abundance of scars at the young age of 14. In fact, they took such good care of him that his skin seemed to always heal perfectly.

It had been one day at dinner that Juno spontaneously decided it was time to tell them. They always ate meals together, that was what families were supposed to do. At least that's what his family did.

And no one expected Juno to say nonchalantly:

"Mom, Pop. I can shoot light out of my fingers."
And continue eating.

At least. He was the only one that continued eating. The rest of his family was staring at him blankly, mostly confused. The awkward silence turned into an awkward eating. At least for his parents and his older brothers, his sisters were actually intrigued by Juno's announcement.

After dinner was when the talking commenced. Father mostly nodded with a solemn expression and said "Mhm" or "Okay". Mother was nodding understandingly in her sort of floaty manner and at the end said:

"It's okay Juno, we understand." She said with a smile and a hug.

His brothers shrugged it off and deemed it as 'normal' for Juno. His sisters were both amused by this and began playing games pretending they too could shoot light from their fingers, they ran off playing.

And that was really the end of that. Nothing changed, they still found Juno to be rather odd. But it was never in a way that made him feel that it was not okay, it was an odd that they simply accepted. And his powers went along with it.

Juno was relieved to have this off his chest, though that didn't mean he didn't want to have a conversation with his mother later. And as if she'd read his mind, that night when most everyone was asleep and he wasn't, she tapped him on the shoulder and motioned for him to come out of his room and sit with her in the kitchen for a evening chat.

That night she told him about her side of the family's history. That her father had it in his genes, and the 'light' abilities ran in their family but skipped generations. And this was when Juno understood finally what that bully had meant that day.

In essence, she told him not to think too much on it. And that having powers was a fine thing. She was glad that he'd gotten them because he was lost and needed something to guide him. And then she floated off to bed with a good night kiss on Juno's forehead.

 

[Shnazz]

[t h e . d e c i s i o n.]

Juno had been saving up all the money he'd been earning from his odd jobs in order to buy this one hat he saw in this one shop for months now. And after a long time thinking about it, he decided that after he acquired it it would then be time to leave home for a place called Sidekick Academy.

Mother had told him about it, saying that Grandpa had heard about it from some other super heroes and what not. He only had that much to go on though, trusting his mother's sources considering that was the side his powers came from.

He was trying very hard in order to get this hat. It meant a lot to him that he should have this fashionable item to signify his real beginning of attempting to become a hero. It was a thought he'd been entertaining for quite some time now. He didn't know what else he could use his abilities for. They were not so impressive as say... Telepathy or controlling an element or other dazzling things that made people say 'WOW'. His powers derived from a simple idea of light and shooting, but that made him appreciate them more.

He'd been experimenting a bit with his ability and found he could do a total of three different shots, the speed of which were not in his control. They mainly sped away at the speed of light, and his index fingers proved to be the most potent director of this force.

His mother had been encouraging to take leave sooner, that being away from home would do him some good and this Academy place would be a lot of fun. Maybe she was tired of him getting into fights and or causing trouble at school. Or maybe she thought this place really would be good for him.

He wasn't sure why he was holding back, or why he'd made this excuse of obtaining this hat in order to stay an extra few months. Even though he really did want it. He tried it on once, and it was so soft... And it fit perfectly. It was the perfect thing for him, and it reminded him of home. Maybe he would miss home far more than he was willing to admit. At home, he played it off as he didn't have enough money for his hat yet. (As that was what he referred to it now, his hat.) But deep down he knew he would miss his family, even if they seemed indifferent about him.

But one day he came home from training to find the hat sitting on his bed. In awe, he ran to his family, clutching the hat, who were all doing random things in the living room.

He found himself speechless, shaking the hat at his family. No one seemed to notice him.

Except his mother, who came over to him and kissed him on the forehead.
"Everyone wants you to become a hero, this is our going away gift for you. Everyone chipped in a little. Even father."
She was glowing with such a smile on her face. She gave him a quick squeeze and then went to the kitchen to do chores or other.

Juno stood holding the hat in his arms, completely dumbstruck. He had never felt so much appreciation and love for his family before, he already had so much to begin with. He wanted more than ever to become a great hero to make them proud. Their unspoken affections for each other always there.