Z E R O G R A V I T Y
↳ B u l l e t s

"He just punched a paramedic in the nose."
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-C O R Y-

I ended up falling from the roof of the barn I landed face first in because Mardon-who ever the hell he is-had convinced himself that he was some sort of God.

Hilarious, right?

But as I was free falling-as cliche as it sounded- everything slowed, like time itself. And don't ask me how because I surely won't be able to answer you, but I felt something in me click. Almost as faint as my heartbeat which I don't hear too often.

All I thought was well why haven't I crashed yet, until I realized I was simply hovering no more than a foot over the massive and dangerous debris as a result of the storm.

Finally, I managed to do something without sneezing! It may seem like such a pathetic thing to care about but that sneezing dilemma was more pathetic

In this second all I want to do is scream in happiness and celebrate.

Then I remembered about Allen and unfortunately enough the predicament we found ourselves in due to the jackass in a wheelchair listening through on our earpiece.

Was I really ready for all of this? I know I helped inspire Allen to pursue this, having something good come out of all this recklessness, but was it really for me? I'd like to believe Ellie would be proud of me. Who wouldn't, I'm risking my life stopping a person who clearly has anger issues, from sucking up a city through his pet tornado. No biggie.

Slowly, I lowered myself onto the pile of junk I almost injured myself on no less than thrity seconds ago and bent my knees. Clutching my hands into fists, I narrowed my gaze onto the twister and bit the inside of my cheek in concentration.

Ellie would be more than proud.

I took off. Surging at top speed. As soon as I even got near the heaping lump of dry air and dust I nearly got eaten. But I already built such a great momentum, so there's no turning back now. I helped encirle the tornado from the gaping mouth as allen attempted to cut off the legs; the original plan. Though I failed to see how a pep talk could suddenly cure our problems.

I felt lightheaded, partly because I've been spinning for a while and partly because this is the most energy I've used. Mind you, I haven't exactly been practicing my talents since I first realized I had them. What reason would I have to? Its not somehting you could add to a résumé perhaps.

I wasn't even aware that there was a possibility of 'bad' meta humans affected in the city until yesterday. Shit I wasn't even aware that meta humans existed until last week.

The only thing Allen had to worry about was stopping, not as hard I tell you. With his mindset though, it might take a while.

Screaming erupted serving as a good sign that Mardon was beginning to weaken. Somehow the combined energy applied to the twister a second time was too much to handle. I repeat, Well's speech had nothing to do with this. Everything can be solved with science.

All too suddenly, Allen cut through the wind, my best guess-tackling the physcopath inside.

All sounded still for a moment after the loud cracking sound resembling something like thunder.

"Guys..."

My brain flew out of whack. My vision doubled as my body continued to float around with absolutely no reason. Christ, I might just vomit.

Allen was across the field. His hood was off while he heaved and panted on the wet grass.

"Hey." Switching my sight towards the new voice was a bad idea as I almost received whiplash and the blurrieness intensified.

I'm practically blind at the moment.

Lowering my figure to the ground, my knees could've buckled beneath my extensive weight until I heard a gun cock.

"I didn't think there was anyone else like me."

Yeah, you and me both, buddy.

I slothed behind the blonde. I'm gonna go out on a limb and strongly suggest it to be Mardon. After all the events happening you'd think he'd just give up.

Allen turned around. His eyes widened a fraction at the sight of the gun being pointed at him. Otherwise if he was scared, you wouldn't notice.

"I'm not like you, you're a murderer."

By this point I was behind Mardon. I wasn't even sure Allen could see me since my suit camouflaged so well with the dark night.
I just wanted the day to end and simply fall asleep to YouTube with a pint of Ben and Jerry's and probably a large can of Red Bull. Strangely enough, it's a great combination.
So why not punch the living crap out of this dude and be over with it, and that was the objective until the unspeakable occurred. Before anyone's brain could process it, the ringing of a gun shot sliced through the crisp air. And it wasn't Mardon who did it.

The metal pierced through the skin of my shoulder in such a way I couldn't feel it pass back out through.

The damned bullet must've hit a bone!

I fell back onto the grass, feeling the crimson liquid pumping out of the wound like a water fountain on steroids and smelling the iron. Ugh. If I take so much as a glimpse I'd pass out, no doubt. Something Dylan and I shared in common.

My throat was hoarse before the echoing scream I had no control over and it turned to utter crap afterwards.

"Cory?!" Both Allen and Dylan yelled, reminding me the suit tracks my vitals. It must be going haywire at the Lab. I had the temptation of throwing my ear piece far, far away since I couldn't grasp the loud noises and panicking but of course I can't.

Being shot in the arm sort of fucks that up.

"Oh my God, are you okay!"

Jumping over the body of Mardon who laid completely limp I couldn't help but selfishly snarl although the humane side of me felt a sort of way since he is dead. At least the bullet passed through him!

"Oh yeah, you know, I just bleed for fun..."

Both Dylan, who caught on to my sarcastic reply, and Allen started ranting. My head was thrown back in annoyance. They rather yell at me over something that wasn't my fault instead of getting help.

"I'm not dying or anything, sorry to disappoint, but I'd love to go to a hospital!"

Their effectively rude words can't hurt me, but a gun certainly will.

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I hate to admit it, but I passed out. So apologies to those of you who I can't spare the gory and gut wrenching details with on how shitty my life is at the moment.

Kidding, I can do that at any point in time.

I'm not a hundred percent sure when I lost consciousness. But I'm crossing my fingers in hopes that Allen didn't take out the bullet because I'd be drained all over the grass and steadily drifting down a highway to hell.

He's not dumb enough to do something like that...? I means he's a scientist, regardless of his expertise being forensic, I'm guessing he's smart enough to know. So I think I should be in good hands. I also think I'm giving this guy way too much credit.

My head lolled side to side, reminiscing in a raging headache growling at the back of my skull.

Guess that answers the question if I'm alive or not. Dang it.

It felt as though my whole body was rowing down the lazy river of eternal pain, metaphorically and literally. Despite my lids having the subtle touch of weighing twenty pounds each, If i actually tried- I could open them.

But I'm scared, not because of what I might see, but last time I was in a similar circumstance, I woke up on the ceiling and temporarily checked out of the world for nine months. Not the greatest thing in the world.

"Where is he?! We gotta go!"

Everything ached. My back groaned like an eighty year old with the worst case of scoliosis possible. The air was wicked cold so every breath I took dried the hairs in my nostrils while if I tried to breathe through my mouth my lips would get ten times more chapped and bleed.

I felt my face twist in utter agony. I could tell by the way my nose scrunched, or how the skin beside my eyes crinckled, and the way my lips stretched flat to the point I believed they might snap in half. But I gotta know what's happening. As the generously curious person I am, being put in the dark is killing me just as bad as the bullet itself.

Aren't I so melodramatic.

"Um, Caitlin, she's doing it again..."
A presence whispered beside me.

"Doing what?"

My thoughts are so jumbled together I can't  guess who's talking.

If God's gonna do that thing where I go on a trip through my memories then go on to ask if I'd like to continue living- you know Disney's A Christmas Carol style- he better be quick and get it over with already.

Silence settled for a moment. "Is that her body's way of recovering?"

The limbs I have zero control over jerked roughly. My back slammed against some hard material, my breath knocked out of me. 

"Strap her down!"

More quakes came afterwards. I violently flung and twitched in every possible direction with no self awareness over my actions.

"She's going into in shock!"

Great, just what I needed, the loud voices getting oh so louder wasn't making me feel any better.

How can I be so sarcastic when I can literally taste and feel the iron filled liquid trickle down my chin painfully slow to the point it tickled.

"What do we do!?"

"Oh god...Get her on her side, now!"

The blood rushed down to my arms and calfs as someone like I suspected loosened straps across my chest and legs. My hair was gathered in a ball, clutched in a shakey grip. I can't tell whether it was me or the person who was holding my hair that was shaking. Probably both.

Without a warning fingers wiggled beneath me and I was flipped sorta like a human hamburger. From now on I can genuinely protest, the 'you are what you eat' controversy is true on a literal level.

"What next?!"

"Nothing, we just have to wait it out."

I gurgled and hacked and coughed for a bit. It died down when I felt a hand on my shoulder. The one that didn't share rent with a bullet of course. And it was a breath of warm air radiating it's addictive heat to my arm. I guess I'm more attentive to the details because...well I'm not sure really. But I'll blame it on the shock.

And then they rested their head on mines and I instantly stopped.

Rock solid. That's what I was. No more shivering. No more groaning. Everything just stopped.

That by itself scared me half to death. But when I open my eyes ready to face Dylan most definitely, I came across Allen in the sliver of sight I could manage.

He had a look of utter distress. And his face was tinted red. I don't remember hearing him cry, not even a sniffle. But get this. What I'm about to tell you is one the world's most rarest and incredible seven wonders; I actually felt bad.

Everything that happened...oh yeah, that was definitely the shock's fault.

Doors abrutly closed. And with a click I realized they locked.

"How's she doing back there?"

"I think she's healing but the bullet's still in her shoulder. Where's Cisco?"

"Little held up. He just punched a paramedic in the nose."

Thumps sounded on my right.
Framing as echoy, like an object hitting against metal but softer. I swayed as did everything else. And a door slammed shut harshly. An engine roared to life before the chorus filled noise of keys and I faintly heard tires running over gravel.

Someone up front sighed heavily.
"You don't think they're gonna be looking for this, are they?"

"Well I mean it's an ambulance... What do you think?"

Only one person is dumb enough to ask a question like that besides Allen, which is Cisco.

I moaned, catching the attention of Allen and Caitlin. Now free from my restraints, I ignored the gaping faces and slowly but surely sat up using one arm for support and kept my gaze out the windshields.

"Did you just steal a truck?"

[Unedited]

So I entered this story into the Wattys, my first time entering anything in the Wattys and I'm not sure how to feel about it, so um, vote I guess. Or don't, it's a free country

If you liked this chapter then don't forget to vote, comment, and all that jazz because I really do appreciate it.

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