Noblesse Oblige

If there was one glaring weakness in Felix's power, it was that he couldn't choose to rewind time if he died. It seems like a pretty basic conclusion, but the realization was particularly impactful after the events that led him to the hospital. Meditation wasn't the only thing he needed to pick up; he needed to learn how to take a hit.

Being honest with himself, he wasn't even sure that he wanted to sign up for the superhero business like so many other new supers had. In his city alone, there was at least one superhero in full costume: spandex, cape, the works.

The world had been fine for thousands of years without them. It was only Felix's belief in the idea of Noblesse Oblige – that those in positions of power ought to help those who weren't – that led him here. And, as a fist collided with his face, he wasn't sure he had made the right decision.

"Arms up, Hale!" the boxing coach shouted, his deep baritone easily overpowering the sounds of pain echoing throughout the entire building.

"I'm trying, coach!" Felix retorted, his head spinning. That last hit had rocked him pretty hard, and it felt like he was about to lose his balance. The last time he felt like this was on a small sailboat, and for someone with seasickness, that was not a pretty experience at all. A small part of him wanted to use his powers, if only to prevent that hit, but he needed to learn the hard way.

With all the grace of an elephant, but with the power to match, Felix threw a haymaker at his opponent, a stocky dude who looked at home on the cover of some kind of wrestling magazine. Blocking it with a smile, Felix's sparring partner stepped forward and drilled at Felix's chest.

Felix did his best to block, but it was a lost cause. The coach saw as much, and called the sparring before it could actually turn into something dangerous. With a sigh of relief, Felix hopped off the ring while holding his stomach with one of his hands. Ivan had done a number on him.

Wiping off his sweat with a towel, Felix moved to collect his things from the lockers. It was close to 11:00, and he needed to make it to the meditation place before they started. Waving goodbye to his coach and Ivan, the latter looking like a pleased shark, Felix braved the dark streets.

His phone ringing nearly gave him a heart attack; being out late was still a bit difficult after he'd gotten beaten to within an inch of his life. Clarissa's name danced on the screen. With a smile, Felix answered. "What's up, Clarissa?"

See, the thing about Clarissa was that she practically never stopped smiling. Felix could hear the smile in her voice as she greeted him. "Just wanted to check in on my favorite junior astronaut. Have your classes begun, yet?"

It was infectious; Felix couldn't stop himself from grinning. "Not just yet. I've got half a week of freedom left. How have you been? I haven't seen or heard anything from you since we've returned!"

"The company's got me tied up on a new project, for now. What I would give for summer vacation again…"

"Oh come on, I know you're probably doing something record-breaking again. What is it this time? Mars?"

Clarissa's voice was slightly serious as she replied, "it might be…"

"You've got to be kidding me! I thought they needed a few more years to master the technology to get people there safely!" Felix yelled in excitement, drawing the attention of the one or two people that roamed the streets at this unholy time.

"Yeah, well, they've got it all figured out. But please don't go around telling anyone; the press conference isn't set for another three months. Speaking of which, they want you to attend that one, too. Your face is going to be plastered all over their website soon, so they'll try to milk you for whatever you're worth," Clarissa warned. It was welcome; Felix loved the opportunity Green Dawn afforded him, but they were a company like any other.

The rest of their conversation played out like two friends catching up, with plenty of time dedicated to Clarissa absolutely gushing about her kids. They were only in elementary school, but she made them sound like Albert Einstein reincarnated.

Felix rushed past some sketchy individuals as he hung up the phone, trying to hurry through the last leg of his journey before making it to the relative safety that was 3rd street. Fortunately, he didn't look particularly wealthy, nor did he exude the kind of clueless vibe an easy target might. Helping Kyle had taught him the value of always keeping an eye open.

The bright lights along 3rd street made for an easy way to the meditation class. It was a small building, the interior decorated by bamboo plants and some of those miniature waterfalls. Within a city, it was about as zen as it could be.

Miss Watanabe was sitting at the front, a small box next to her for her students to place the day's fee in. It was efficient, and before long, Felix was standing over a small, padded mat. There was too much going on lately, and too many thoughts flew through his head on a constant basis.

Even if he didn't need the training for his power, it was a good practice. That said, today wouldn't be comfortable in the slightest. No amount of cushioning could make sitting on his rear comfortable after having been tossed around the ring like a ragdoll. Maybe he could bribe Ivan next time.

What did bears like to eat?