Episode 1: Answering the Call
A typical day in Promethea. The same old skyscrapers that seem to touch the clouds as they float by. The same old transients outside of the local career center with their “No more heroes, we need more zeros” signs. The same old burning apartment complex filled with inculpable people.
Many heroes rush to the aid of the civilians caught in the blaze. Bystanders gaze as if they have paid for front row seats, as heroes of all creeds, colors, and prestige leap into action. Novice heroes kill for opportunities such as these; a chance to prove themselves and maybe even increase their rank. Among the new heroes is a young man wearing a black helmet with a visor similar to the blue bomber. This isn’t exactly his first mission, but he still has a whole garden behind his ears. Locke bursts through a window on the ninth floor, immediately scanning the room for survivors. Back in the good ol’ days, it was a bit easier for heroes to find captors or victims. They would be screaming, shaking and praying to their respective deities.
He sees a woman in a vibrant purple polka dress diddling on her phone. He grabs her hastily and begins to head back towards the window. He halts as he is hit by a loud shrieking sound centimeters away from his ear.“I did not consent to this rescue! Let go of me you filthy poser!” he sets her back down gently. “Sorry ma’am, I just wanted to...,” The woman’s hand met his face before he could finish. “Who do you think you are? Batman!? You can’t just go saving people without permission especially if you’re some no name.” “ My name is Locke! Locke Atman!,” he continues to rebut “ But, it shouldn’t matter who saves you! This building is burning down! Do you not understand the position you’re in!?” The woman responds simply by rolling her eyes. This sets him off, flying out the window from whence he came.
The woman goes back to her cellular device. A piece of burning debris falls onto her arm almost crushing it, knocking her phone out of her hand. She looks down to see the back of her phone case. It reads “Patience’s property”. She flips the phone over to find it's in shambles, resembling a perfect spider web.
Oh shit. What am I going to do to kill time now?
She stands there for a few minutes taking in the scenery; she begins to have trouble breathing and the smoke seeps into her eyes. Patience has never felt this feeling before. Is it joy? Is it anger? Whatever it is, it’s inexplicable. Invisible to Patience the flames dance over to her. She kneels toward the ground, completely unprepared for the fate that awaits. The flames now just inches from her skin slowly begin to make contact. This is it, she thought. However, she didn’t know what “it” was. She begins to experience another unfamiliar element. Unlike the other feeling, she was taught this one in school. She remembered: pain. Just as the pain arrives it stops and she can no longer feel the heat and the smoke. She opens her eyes to find she is in someone’s arms. The logos on his uniform informs her. Sir Circumvent, a gold-ranked hero.
It takes only a couple of minutes before they are swarmed by a crowd and reporters. As the reporters make their way to Sir Circumvent as he’s hard to miss in his tight mustard-colored suit, he quickly places Patience on the sidewalk so hastily he narrowly avoids dropping her completely. “Sir Circumvent, this is your 7000th rescue, how do you feel? The gallant hero puffs his chest outward and responds “The same way I feel each time. A deep sense of accomplishment and relief.” The reporters jump with glee as he speaks, knowing each word is another dollar. Patience tries to stand up but her legs refuse to cooperate instead they shake profusely. A couple of the reporters head over to her for a brief interview.
“Hello, Miss, what is your name?”
Much to the chagrin of the reporter she did not reply. Instead, she continued to shake in silence. “Don’t bother filming her. Sir Circumvent is on the scene. Do you realize how much we can sell this footage for!?” These words buzz from the earpiece one of the reporters is wearing. After a bit of a wait, an ambulance shows up to pick up the victims including Patience. She spends a few days in the hospital to be treated for minor injuries.
The hospital, one of the loneliest places in the city. Rarely are there more than ten patients per day and with the building being so huge, it’s not often that you bump into other patients. Most medical staff is known for goofing off and taking most of the medication for themselves. It’s not like anyone else needs it.
“Alright, Miss Grey, you seem to be in fine condition. We have decided to release you today,” Said the nurse with a grin from ear to ear.
The nurse does not seem to notice the look of complete anguish still present on Patience’s face. Patience fails to reply and instead gathers her things and leaves.
A few days past, Patience decides it’s best to go out with some friends tonight, to help ease her mind. Their usual spot is a bar not too far from the incident itself. It is titled rab eht but most people just call it, the bar. The name speaks for itself, the place has everything a regular bar would have and nothing more. “Hey, girl! Feels like we haven’t seen you in ages,” says the woman while waving her hands in the air. “Still can’t believe you were rescued by Sir Circumvent. So, tell me were his abs rock hard or what?” Patience’s friend leans in to prepare for the impending answer.
“ I don’t know, Joya. All I could focus on was coming so close to death.” Joya paused for a moment. Before she could find the words another friend chimed in.
“When is the last time you heard of anyone dying from anything other than old age?” says Cierra with a bit of a scowl. “Stop being so ridiculous. Girl, the fact that you ain’t dead should be enough.”
“I know that Cierra but I can’t even relax. All I can think about is how fragile I am. How fragile we all are.”
“That’s why we have heroes! They’re there no matter what!” Cierra snapped back.
Patience let a mild sigh, “Maybe you have a point. If only that asshole amateur hadn’t left me like that.”
Joya decides it’s time to hop back into the conversation. “What was his name Atman or something? You should definitely report him for misconduct.”
As her friends began to derail onto other subjects like male rompers and Beyonce’s twins, she begins to find herself gradually slipping. An unsettling feeling overwhelms her. Her heart begins to beat profusely and her body begins to shake uncontrollably.
Joya and Cierra rush over to aid.
“Patience! PATIENCE! What’s wrong?” Cierra yells at the top of her lungs, adding to the scene that Patience had already caused.
“Someone call 911!” screamed Joya.
Patience is aware of what is happening around her but she cannot bring herself to speak. A few minutes pass before a hero comes to take Patience to the nearby hospital.
Joya and Cierra go to the hospital shortly after. They rush to the front desk and the receptionist tells them Patience’s room number. They make it just outside of her door and find her nurse.
“Are you friends of the woman in this room?” asks the nurse politely.
“Yes, we are. Is she going to be alright?”
“She seems to be physically fine, however, we think she may be suffering from anxiety.”
“I think I remember learning about that. It’s pretty rare that anyone gets that anymore though, right?”
“Well yes. Unfortunately for Miss Grey, there isn’t much we can do for her. We will be sending her to a psychiatric hospital… they may be able to do something about it.”
Not much today is known about mental institutions or facilities. It solemnly becomes a topic of discussion and it is even more uncommon to find someone who has ever been there. One thing is understood -- it is never a good thing.
Joya and Cierra look at each other. “Thank you for your time, ma’am,” said Cierra politely. She motioned for Joya to come with her. She grabs her hand and pulls her down the hallway.
“Cierra! What are you doing!? we should wait and see if they will let us visit her!”
“Didn’t you hear the nurse? Bitch is legit crazy. If she’s going to an asylum or whatever, she’s a lost cause.”
“How could you say that? Patience is like a sister to us.”
“You saw her fucking outburst, she’s clearly fucked up in the head.” Joya put her head down and stayed silent for a moment.
“… As much as I hate to admit it you may be right. I have never seen anyone flip out like that.”
“Look, I know it’s sad but there’s nothing we can do about it. We need to move the fuck on.”
Patience wakes up in a white sterile-looking room in the bed. She’s wearing a Johnny gown, she didn’t know what was worse, the hideous gown or the pasty walls. A nurse notices she’s up and calls for the doctor.
“Hello, Miss Grey was it?”
“Yes sir, that’s me. What exactly happened?”
“It seems as though you had an anxiety attack, sometimes referred to as a panic attack. Did you happen to experience a stressful or alarming event as of late?”
“Well, I was recently rescued from a burning building. One of those amateur heroes left me there to die. Luckily, Sir Circumvent came but that was not before I was burnt by the fire.”
“That must have been awful.”
“Oh, it definitely was but I’m glad I’m safe now.”
“Yes, of course, and so are we. However, this anxiety attack you had is a problem that must be addressed. You see things like this do not go away on their own. You need to have proper treatment before you can re-enter society. Do not panic though we are just here to help. “
“Ummm, I’m not sure about that, sir. I think I may capable of handling this on my own.”
“Please, Miss Grey do not make this difficult. We are only offering a helping hand and who knows you could be out by next week.”
“Alright, if you truly think it will help me. Ever since the incident, I haven't been able to think straight. It is agonizing.”
”Exactly why I am recommending you. So, gather your things and we will have a shuttle drop you off.”
“Can’t I at least go to my house to pick up a few things?”
“I’m sorry, Miss Grey. There aren’t many outside objects that are allowed inside I’m afraid.”
“This sounds a lot more like prison the more I hear about it.”
“I assure you it is not a penitentiary and I appreciate your cooperation.”
A bit after their conversation. The shuttle arrives to pick up Patience. She checks in and is put in a singular room about that size of a quarter of a Taco Bell.
Patience looks around her cell. There is a desk, a bed, and a tv. The room is covered in a padded lining, which resembles the colorful tumble mats typically made for children. At this moment, reality sinks in and Patience begins to realize that she is trapped. She runs back over to the door, banging on it as hard as she can. A staff member rushes over and opens the door.
“Is there anything I can help you with ma’am?” said the slightly portly staff member with a gentle smile.
“Yes, can you please get me the fuck outta here? I don’t belong here!”
“Well, we gave you the test at the ER. It certainly proves that you do belong here but do not fret, it will only be a matter of time before you are released. I will not continue this conversation with you but if you need anything else please let me know.” Before Patience could reply he walked back out the door and quickly shut it behind him. She leaned back against the door of her room and fell to the floor. Tears flowed through her eyes painting the floor with her hopelessness.
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