My Significance Sense Is Tingling

Cassidy was amazed how big the city was, as he explored the strange surroundings. He had snuck into numerous vehicles (hiding in the back of pick-up trucks or large U-haul trucks), and even walked most of the way to get this far. Being quick and agile had made it easy for Cassidy to get into the US and being intelligent as he is was just an added bonus. Since he wasn't yet an adult, he had to sneak around a lot to avoid suspension. The last thing he wanted was for someone to take him away or get into trouble for just being a small kid alone with no adult supervision. He found the thought funny, that he was only a kid considering He was a lot stronger, faster, and smarter than men twice his size.
Looking at the sun in the sky, Cassidy figured it was late in the afternoon and it would get dark in a few hours. It had been a long time since Cassidy was in a big city, that it felt like an entire life time ago. People littered the streets making Cassidy feel nervous, trying to not to bump anybody. His reflexes was making him seem paranoid and jumpy. Plus his heightened hearing was beginning to give him a headache, as he could hear people on the opposite side of the street clearly as if they were right next to him.
Cassidy kept walking down the sidewalk, when he heard scuffling in a nearby alleyway that caught his attention. He followed the sounds, allowing his senses to guide him to where they were coming from. The closer he got, the more he felt something was wrong. He hated this feeling, as it felt like a banging in his head that wouldn't stop until everything felt right again. He took a turn behind a small dumpster, and entered another allow. Cassidy could smell rotten pizza, and even a faint stench of a grape soda that hadn't been touched in a couple of days. As Cassidy walked deeper into the alley, he saw three men ambushing another against the wall, who looked like a teenager; no older than Cassidy was. One of the men with a black snow cap had another pinned against it, and Cassidy could see blood slowly oozing its way from the guy's nose. The two other men, one wearing a red plain t-shirt and the other wearing a black jacket, were behind him.

"Get off him!" Cassidy demanded, surprising the three ambushers.

The teenager, seeing them distracted, would elbow Black Hat in the abdomen to release himself. Then in the same quick motion would take off, running as far as he could away from them.

"Well, he could have said thank you," Cassidy murmured watching him leave, back into the crowded street.

"Dammit!" Black Hat snapped, looking at Cassidy's direction putting his hand over his stomach "Who the hell is the kid?"

"Don't know," Red Shirt answered, "I didn't even hear him comin',"

Cassidy only shook his head, pushing away some of his hair from his eyes. "I believe that was the point," he said, irritably.

"Looks like the kid is a wide-ass, Paul." Black Jacket said, smirking. "He needs to show some respect to his elders, don't you think?"

Cassidy figured that Black Hat's name was Paul and he was probably their leader of sorts considering how the other two were standing behind him, as if they were waiting for his orders.

"Nah, what I think is that this kid just cost me some money." Black Hat said, standing himself straight, "And the only thing I'm going to teach him is to never get into my business."

Seeing their shoulders tense up and the look in their eyes, Cassidy knew they were preparing to fight. He looked behind him, knowing that he could easily escape them before they land a hand on him. However he stayed remembering what they had done to the teenage boy earlier, and would probably do to him again if they found him. Cassidy thought he could teach them a lesson of his own. With a sign, he turned himself back and faced them slowly stretching out the knuckles in his hands.

"You know, if you're going to try to be a badass you need to come up with a better pre-ass kicking one-liner." Cassidy boasted, positioning himself into a standard boxing stance.

The three men laughed, making Cassidy feel like a joke. He tightened his fists tighter, breathing slowly, and eyed each man waiting for an attack.

"This kid has balls," Black Hat said, approaching him. "I guess we should beat it out of him."

Cassidy only grinned, and it surprised him how much he was anticipating this fight. Still, backing out was too late for him and he knew soon enough it would be too late for the three men also.

Womb had been thinking and walking. As he usually did. It had become somewhat of a habit to him. it seemed that most of his exploits began with him just hopping out of the shack and taking a walk into the Hub. As he wondered he happened upon a young boy on an alleyway, his hands raised as if to fend of attackers. Intrigued womb looked up to see three older youths approaching the boy trying their best to intimidate him. The Womb's spirits lept, his curiosity being set alight. I wonder what the boy will do next? Will he defeat his assailants? Or will it fall to me to save him? Pondering his musings The Womb leaned against the wall at the entrance of the alleyway, watching intently.

Cassidy waited for the three men to attack, as they walked towards him. He had already figured who would attack first, how they would attack, and his course of action to defend himself all by reading their body languages. Like he thought, Black Hat approached him grabbing for his collar so he could press him against the wall just like he did with the teenager before. In one swift motion, Cassidy raised both his hands grabbing Black Hat's left wrist before twisting it and raising it palm face upward. Black Hat moaned in agony, turning his back to him like Cassidy had intended. With control of his left arm and the position he held his left wrist, Cassidy knew he had complete control of him like a puppet on a string. The other two men stopped watching, only making Cassidy feel more powerful as he held him. Cassidy surprised himself with how strong he was, and the feeling of being powerful made him a bit scared. He shook his head, ridding the grin that happened on his face, and kicked Black Hat in his back sending him hard, too hard, a couple feet away from him.

"Dang, too much power," Cassidy said, seeing Black Hat dazed on the ground ahead of him. "I got to get better at this,"

Quickly, Cassidy looked at the other two men preparing for them to follow suit and attack. However, they looked at each other and by the look on their faces Cassidy figured they would flee rather than fight. Knowing this, Cassidy ran towards them leaping into the air preparing to take them both out with a spin kick but had used too much power and leaped over both of their heads.

"I really got to work on my jumping," Cassidy thought, landing behind both men instead of on top of them.

As he landed, Cassidy's reflexes took over and threw back his right leg hitting a side kick to Black Jacket's ribcage. Then, Cassidy would jump again, more diligently, into a back flip and landed the back of both his heels' perfectly into the chest of Red Shirt. The kick was powerful enough to send Red Shirt collapsing on the ground, landing by the Black Jackets' side.

"Finally, I got something right" Cassidy thought again, landing on his hands and feet like a cat jumping off a fence. "If only somebody filmed that, that would be awesome,"

Cassidy stood, looking down at both Black Jacket and Red Shirt, seeing them clearly in pain. He felt sad for them, not liking the fear they had on both their faces. Black Jacket held his stomach, coughing wildly, and Red Jacket was almost dazed by the impact of his kick. Cassidy looked to his side, seeing Black Hat was clearly unconscious with small amounts of blood staining the left side of his head.

"Ok, maybe I should've thought this more clearly" Cassidy muttered to himself, seeing the damage he had inflicted to the three men. "Next time before you decide to cowardly attack somebody, you'll think of me, and know that this here was only a warning." He said again, looking down at Black Jacket and Red Shirt. "Make sure to pass that message to your boss over there when he wakes up. And also know, that I wasn't making a threat.." He squatted down near Black Jacket, whispering but with a small bit of malice in his voice. "It was a promise."

Cassidy stood up again, hoping he took him seriously so he wouldn't have to do this again - at least anytime soon. Cassidy flexed his knuckles, thinking over the fight, remembering the mistakes he had made. He still needed to work on his strength, as it clearly could've hampered him. Before Cassidy could leave the scene, he felt that same familiar pounding in his head. He turned his head swiftly, and saw somebody or something standing at the corner of the alleyway. Cassidy blinked, unsure of what he saw was real or if his eyes were playing some kind of trick on him. A man was watching him, but what made Cassidy fear him was that he had a skull for a head. Instinctively, he hopped back into his normal fighting stance, putting his right foot back and left foot forward bending his knees. He closed his hands, exposing his bruised knuckles, and tried to get a better look at the thing watching him.

"Who are you?" Cassidy asked the skull-head guy, masking the fear in his voice.

Womb raised a proverbial eyebrow as the boy struck his fighting stance. Though this time it seemed to be one that relied on defense rather than offence. It seemed the boy had been threatened by The Womb's appearance, presence even. The Womb nearly laughed, his countenance tended to have this effect on Humans it seemed. As nearly all of his interactions with them seemed to start this way. He pulled himself away from the wall and stood at his full height and arms folded, looking down at the boy.

"Fear me not young one. I come in peace. You did well to fend off those ruffians, I am impressed. Your promise to exact revenge upon them if you heard of them committing such atrocities again was priceless. The true icing on the cake as you Humans say." He paused for a moment. His instinct for theatrics working in his favor. "I wish to speak with you, it is obvious to me you are not a regular Human. And I have need for Human's like yourself. Walk with me, and I shall explain further." He turned and gestured with his hand for the boy to walk with him, like an usher gesturing to a leaving customer.

Cassidy watched sharply as the Skull-Head man approached him, becoming more unnerved with each step. The skull-head appeared almost twice his size as Cassidy looked up to him. He prepared for another fight, but instead he noticed the skull-head wanted opposite.

"Fear me not young one. I come in peace. You did well to fend off those ruffians, I am impressed. Your promise to exact revenge upon them if you heard of them committing such atrocities again was priceless. The true icing on the cake as you Humans say." The skull-head said to him, while Cassidy watched his movements. He seemed a bit jolly, too happy for Cassidy's liking. However, he didn't interrupt him and allowed him to continue. "I wish to speak with you, it is obvious to me you are not a regular Human. And I have need for Human's like yourself. Walk with me, and I shall explain further."

Cassidy looked at his hand, and was amazed by how 'human' it seemed. Hearing the skull-head say he wasn't a 'normal' human didn't make Cassidy feel good about himself. He didn't trust him either, but didn't quite understand why. The pounding in his head seemed to numb down, which meant that he wasn't a serious threat - at least not at the moment. Cassiy, straightened himself, dropping his hands to his side and against his better judgement, decided to follow the skull-head man.

"Well first, you could tell me exactly who - or what - you are?" He asked him, following.

Womb didn't answer straight away. He let the question hang in the air for a moment.

"I am The Womb. I do not know what I am, but I do know who I am. And that is all that matters. I am on the search for super powered humans to aid me in a longstanding fight. A war if you will on the evils of this world. I wish to see humanity reach the potential it deserves, in order to do that I must ward off all evil doers. But. I can not do it alone. I already have two disciples whom are yet to fully learn the extent of my crusade. Yet they still follow me, they are loyal and good men." He paused, "Do not confuse me however with being above any of my men. Although I act as leader their is no hierarchy in The Legion. I simply act as the director, the guiding hand. I give us the direction, then, we see what happens. So far I do not have enough men to leave this metropolis and take on the task I have set myself. And this is why I am here now. I have sensed in you a power, and I wish for you to join us and lend us that power."

The Womb? That's a very weird name

Cassidy stood before him, looking and examining The Womb's features. He still couldn't understand his presence, and how his face looked the way that it was. He was also weary of The Womb's behavior, as he seemed to be a cheerful person. Cassidy expected him to be a lot different, but then again he didn't expect to see a man with a skeleton head roaming around in broad daylight. The city was definitely a lot weirder than what he had read in brochures and maps.

Listening to him, Cassidy still wasn't satisfied with The Womb's answers but instead only had more questions. However, he was intrigued by this idea of being a part of a team that fights evil. Cassidy was a bit off guard though, not understanding what made him "special" to The Womb. Even though the lab experiment had enhanced him physically and mentally, it still made him wonder if he was even human anymore. Cassidy thought about his offer, and still had doubts if it was truly legit. Something nagged at him, as he pondered what The Womb said.

"What evil, exactly, are we fighting against?" He asked, looking at The Womb watching, studying him even though it seemed useless considering he hardly had a face. "That is, if I join your team." He quickly added on, hoping The Womb hadn't noticed his hesitation or nervousness.

The Womb was impressed by the boy's ingenuity. He asked questions that mattered. An admirable quality in an potential teammate. "The Evils of Life. I wish to end petty things like War, violence. Ignorance, greed. But they must be attacked at the source. There will also be sacrifices. I will not lie to you, some lives will be handed into the sweet embrace of Death. Only for the greater good. I wish for it not to be this way, but it is inevitable. Some shall oppose me, and they will be hard headed in their perceptions. Not willing to open their minds to the necessity of my actions. They will receive my respect for showing such passion for their beliefs, but I will not hesitate to strike them down if they wish the same for me." He stopped. Pausing his speech for a moment to look at the boys' face. "My philosophy is one of peace and the eradication of Evil. However there is one rule that I had to make in order for my work to truly progress. And that is to meet violence with violence. If they intend to fight me, I too intend to fight them and if they intend to kill me, I in turn will intend to kill them. If I do not do this, my work will never see itself into fruition."

Listening to The Womb speak intrigued him, and Cassidy found himself agreeing more than opposing what Womb had said. However, hearing about sacrifices left a bad feeling and was a bit much for him to digest. Even with the answers, he still had questions. Also, hearing The Womb call death "sweet" didn't make him feel any better about weighing the options in front of him. He stopped walking, seeing The Womb had paused and turned to face him. It was then that Cassidy got a better and closer look into his eyes (or lack thereof). All he saw was darkness, as if all that stood before him was death and despair. He had to turn away briefly, feeling as if those eyes were like some abyss, slowly forcing him in.

"My philosophy is one of peace and the eradication of Evil. However there is one rule that I had to make in order for my work to truly progress. And that is to meet violence with violence. If they intend to fight me, I too intend to fight them and if they intend to kill me, I in turn will intend to kill them. If I do not do this, my work will never see itself into fruition."

Cassidy listened and couldn't stop himself from noticing the underlying threat that was in every word. He couldn't imagine killing anybody, especially not innocent lives no matter how evil the world may be. Although Cassidy didn't believe in war, he did believe that sometimes fighting could not be avoided. Still going through this in his head, Cassidy couldn't imagine becoming some killer not even for the greater good.

"What kind've sacrifices are we talking about?" He asked, wondering looking Womb in his eye doubtfully "If it's innocent people, how exactly will that help end war and violence? If we kill to end this evil you're talking about, wouldn't that make us just as evil?"

Womb sighed, yet still was inwardly impressed by the boy. He could be a very valuable contribution to the team. A mind like his was hard to find.

"You're discomfort at my words is evident so I will make one thing clear. I will not force you to do anything you do not wish to do. Although I may act as leader, I am only the guide for our cause, I will not impose my will on to yours. If you do not wish to kill, that is fine. I do not wish to kill either. I simply know the steaks, and have made my decision. I am widely aware that others in my ranks may not wish to cause deadly harm to their opponents, that is up to them. The only thing I ask is that you still fight for the cause, which ever way it is you feel comfortable. However I must also ask that you do not stop me or anyone else in The Legion if they are to take my philosophy. That is theirs and my decision, and it must be respected, just as we would respect yours." His words hung in the air, heavy.

Cassidy pondered this in his head, weighing the options in front of him. Although he had a problem with killing and sacrificing people for this "cause", he did want to help stop evil. With his power he figured he could do a lot more good than harm with it, and that's exactly what he planned to do.

"Okay, I'm in then" he said, walking again talking the lead. "So what exactly is it are we going to do?"

Cassidy hadn't noticed his heart was beating faster, until he stopped talking. Just a few minutes ago, he felt like a fish out of water appearing in a brand new town after years of being isolated. However, now he was being offered to join a group to help end the evils of this world. Two years ago, after his father's death and the explosion at the facility where he stayed, he knew the kind of evils that was in this world. Thinking about it only intrigued him more of The Womb's plans, and finally avenging his father's death after all these years would put a smile on his face.

raising a proverbial brow Womb followed his newly found disciple. He pondered for a moment on the boys question. After slight deliberation The Womb replied. "I do not know yet. For now I have been content with gathering an army, when I am satisfied I shall call a meeting that every Legion member shall attend. There I shall delegate various roles to each member in order for us to know what strategic action to take when confronted by an opposing group. Each role will be decided by ability, experience and personality. So that each role will suit it's bearer, and each role will be fulfilled to it's highest capacity. So far that is all I have planned. The Legion is still in it's infancy, there is no need to think too big just yet. We have our goals, and we will work towards them, one baby step at a time. But for now we must learn how to walk, before we can safely sprint across the finish line."

They were approaching the headquarters now and Womb motioned towards the small house like shack they called 'home.' Inside was deserted, as it mainly was. Womb treated his disciples as equals, and free agents. Only asking them for their loyalty and trust, and in turn giving them his loyalty and trust. It was a good bargain, and worked well for the team. Womb went about setting up table and began cooking a soup. "If you are hungry you must eat. For now this is all I can offer, please sit and make yourself comfortable. This is your home now, a place where you may always return."

Cassidy looked around at his surroundings, as he entered the building. The erriness and emptiness of the deserted room only made him feel weird, and for a brief second he thought The Womb had led him into a trap. His forehead continued to hurt with it's constant migraine, and Cassidy knew that was a main sign that something bad was going to happen and soon. However looking around, he couldn't see any possible threat not even in the shadows. He watched The Womb silently, as he sat down at a brown table. The Womb continued to talk, and Cassidy half-heard, half-watched him still at awe with where he was. Cassidy didn't know if this place was a "home" or not, but as of now he felt safe. Besides, he didn't exactly have any other place to go so this place would have to do.

He still pandered through his head everything that Womb had told him. Fighting evil, having a home, and fighting for the common good of all men kind. This seemed like something he had read in one of his comic books with his father, and he wasn't exactly sure on how to feel with everything offered to him. This was his chance to do good, and Cassidy wasn't going to pass up a perfect opportunity. Smelling the food The Womb had cooked made his stomach rumble, and Cassidy realized he hadn't eaten in a couple of days - not that he really needed to. Since the accident a couple years ago, his body could go days without sleep, food, or water and still work properly.

"I was thinking about this evil you was speaking about," Cassidy started, looking at The Womb "Maybe, we should concentrate first on the Government as I feel they're are people there who need to be taken care of"

Whether or not, Cassidy meant killing anybody wasn't clear but he meant every word when he said they should be taken 'care of'. Thinking about what happened two years ago, the anger Cassidy had felt only empowered his thoughts with the intention of doing whatever possible to stop them.

Womb finished cooking up the soup and brought the pan other with the wooden spoon still inside. He handed Cassidy two slabs of bread and then sat himself down facing the boy. "In time. We must strike at all points of Evil. Many of the Heroes here fight crime, an admirable cause but one that solves nothing. Here we fight against Evil itself, and those that advocate it." Womb paused, as he often did. His instinct for theatrics never seeming to fail him. "This, government is the ruling body here no? I have seen that they advocate many evils. So yes, in time we will strike against them. However we can not charge blindly. It would destroy us, and the cause we fight for would die with us. We must take baby steps towards our goal, before we can safely sprint across the finish line."

Listening to The Womb, Cassidy felt a bit angry with the idea of waiting and taking it slow. Still, The Womb was right and that waiting and planning was the best option to take. Yet, the idea of waiting still left Cassidy feeling a bit flustered. He looked at the bread in front of him, poking it, checking to make sure there was nothing wrong with it. Although The Womb still hadn't posed a threat, he still guarded himself in case. Maybe he was paranoid, but it's not as if his reflexes and senses gave him much choice in being calm. Plus, Womb's behavior was mind-jarringly weird as if he was enjoying himself in building suspense. Cassidy took a bite of his bread, and was surprised by how good it tasted.

"So then what exactly are we going to do?" Cassidy asked, desperate for real answers. "How long will it take you to prepare yourself and this supposed group you have to get ready?"

Cassidy's heart beat with anticipation, as he took another bite of the bread. He studied The Womb again, trying to figure out what exactly he was, is. It didn't make sense to him seeing a man with skin, but with a skull as a head.

"Is your head always..." he started, trying to think of the right world. "...Like this?" he gestured again, waiting for The Womb's reply.