Letitia

This is a new OC I have created for a new email roleplaying group I am trying to be part of. The image above was created by

As always your feedback is appreciated! She is not your typical heroine, and that is by design...

Letitia was wiping down the last of the tables at the diner.  It was closing time; her boss stood behind the counter, counting the day's receipts.

 

Only one table remained occupied.  A large, well-built man was sitting there, drinking a glass of water.  At a glance, he very closely resembled the actor Laurence Fishburne.

 

Letitia approached.  "Sir, we're closing up now," she told him matter-of-factly.

 

He turned to look at her, measuring the petite African-American woman with his gaze.  "Letitia," he spoke, reading her nametag at eye level.  His deep, resonant voice even resembled Fishburne's.  "I was hoping we could talk.  Alone.  Might I buy you a cup of coffee?"

 

She cast a suspicious look at him.  "Talk? About what? Who are you, and what could you possibly want to talk to me about?"

 

He looked deep into her eyes.  "Trust me.  I just need a few minutes of your time.  Hear me out, and afterwards if you tell me to get lost, I'll never bother you again."

 

Her boss had finished up and was walking over to them.  "Tish, this guy giving you problems?"

 

"Nah, I'm fine," she replied.  "Go ahead boss, I'll lock up when we're done."  She glanced back at the man sitting there.  "A few minutes, that's it."

 

"Alright, if you say so," her boss growled, heading towards the door.  "You know how to get me if there's trouble.  See ya tomorrow," and he left, locking the door behind him.  Letitia headed over to the counter, pouring two cups of coffee.  She brought them over and sat one in front of the mysterious stranger, then took the seat opposite him.

 

"So," she muttered, "what is this all about, Mr…"

 

"Jones.  John Jones.  I have a proposal for you, Letitia Jones."

 

"Okay, how the hell do you know my last name?  Are you some long lost relative or something?"  She looked increasingly suspicious as she took a sip of her coffee.

 

"Not exactly.  But I do know a lot about you, Letitia.  I know that you are most worthy of what I'm about to offer you."

 

"Oh?  You know a lot about me, do you?  Are you a cop?  From the government?  Or have you been SPYING on me, Mr. Jones?"  Her face clenched as her tone became angry.  "What do you THINK you know about me?"

 

"Not spying on you.  It's my job, you see, to know many things.  Listen, I'll tell you what I know, ok.  And if I'm wrong, then you tell me to go, and I'll go."

 

"Fine."  Letitia crossed her arms and stared intently at him.  "Talk."

 

John took a deep breath and then calmly began.  "Your name is Letitia Jones.  You are 23 years old.  You've lived your entire life here, in the projects.  Your father was a narcotics cop; he worked tirelessly to rid this city of drugs.  When you were 12, he was killed, poisoned by the very drugs he worked so hard to eliminate.  It was one of the major drug lords in the city - he made it look like your dad OD'd.  The city blamed him and refused to pay his pension.  Your mother took three jobs to support you and your seven younger brothers and sisters; two years later, she was killed in a drive-by shooting.  At 14, you dropped out of school and started working to support them.  At 15, you got caught stealing bread and spent a month in a juvenile home; you came out even more determined to do whatever you had to do to take care of your siblings.  You work three jobs now, and every cent you have goes to take care of your youngest brothers that are still in school.  You have had a hard life, Letitia Jones, but through it all you have remained strong, and your spirit has been unbreakable.  Most people I have met in your situation have succumbed to drugs, r other vices, or given up at some point, but not you, Letitia.  I have searched this city, and in fact, most of the world, and you are the most worthy, most deserving, of what I am about to offer you."

 

He went silent as he finished; Letitia was fighting back tears.  "How…how could you possibly know all of that?  And what is this amazing ‘offer' you keep talking about?"

 

He took another deep breath.  "I wasn't completely truthful before.  My name isn't really John Jones.  My real name, well, it isn't pronounceable.  Not by humans, anyway.  I am not from this world, but from another, a long way from here."  He reached into his pocket and removed a small black box.

 

"Say WHAT?" she exclaimed.  "Now you're trying to tell me you're some sort of…extra-terrestrial? An alien? An alien who just happens to look exactly like Laurence Fishburne?"

 

John slid the box across the table to her.  "I have been here, on Earth, for many years, traveling, observing, searching.  I can assume many different forms; I deemed this one to be the one you would respond to most favorably."

 

"Hey, don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining."  She still hadn't acknowledged the box that was in front of her.  "I do like me some Laurence."

 

"I know.  I also know that you've been in love, more than once, and had that love taken from you.  Your life has been lived for others, Letitia, and not once have you complained, not once have you asked, ‘What about me?' Deep down you long for so many things, but you've never asked for them.  You struggle for respect; you struggle just to be noticed at all.  But you haven't let your struggles get you down.  You are an amazing young woman, Letitia Jones."  He tapped the top of the box.  "Open it."

 

"What's inside?  Is this the ‘offer' you keep talking about?  Is it a diamond ring or something?"

 

"Please, just open it."  His voice was calm and yet authoritative.

 

"Fine."  She opened the box and slipped her small hand inside, removing a dark-brown disc about the size of a silver dollar.  The disc had a strange black glow around it.  It felt heavy as she twirled it through her fingers.  "What is this supposed to be?"

 

"It's a very unique power source.  There's nothing else on this planet like it.  I have been charged as its keeper until I found the one worthy of it.  That's you, Letitia."

 

"A power source?  What am I supposed to do with it?"

 

John slowly got to his feet.  "Stand," he commanded.  Letitia did, still holding the strange item in her hand.  "Now place the power source to your navel."

 

"My navel?"  Letitia questioned.  "Are you kidding me?"  She used her free hand to slowly lift up the bottom of her black polo shirt.  "This is some crazy bullshit, you gotta know this right?"

 

"Yes, but you don't seem too bothered, do you?  After everything life has handed you, it takes more than this to ruffle you, to freak you out, doesn't it?"

 

"Yeah."  She slowly moved the strange object to her abdomen.  As the disc made contact with her skin, it began to glow brighter for a few seconds, then the glow disappeared, and it blended in with her dark skin, almost unnoticeable.

 

"Whoa," Letitia mouthed.  "I just felt a sudden rush.  What just happened?  What IS this thing?"

 

"Its name, like mine, is also unpronounceable - but you may call it the Kinzi.  It has bonded with you now - your body, your mind, and most importantly, your spirit.  It has accepted you completely, as you have accepted it."

 

"I do feel different somehow," she declared.  "I feel a little stronger, my head feels clearer.  What exactly does this thing do?"

 

"Perhaps a demonstration is in order."  John walked over to the counter, picking up a glass that had seen better days.  "Just stand there where you are, don't move."  He stood there, about fifteen feet away, the glass in his right hand.

 

"Hey, put that down, what are you going to" She never finished her sentence, because at that moment John hurled the glass at her with all his might.  She put her hands up instinctively, but when the glass was inches from hitting her, it suddenly fell to the floor.  As its momentum stopped suddenly, a blast of energy, like a reactive force, shot from that spot in the air, right back at John.  It hit him with the same force as the glass would have hit her, knocking him to the floor as it did.

 

Letitia gasped in shock as she ran over to him, avoiding the broken glass that was near her feet.  "What just happened? Are you okay?"

 

"Yeah, I'm fine, Letitia," he smiled as he got to his feet.  "It was just a glass.  I'm fine."

 

"But, you threw the glass at me, and, okay, what the hell happened?"

 

"That's the power of the Kinzi, Letitia.  It absorbs the energy of any attack on its wearer, and redirects that energy back to the source.  So when I threw the glass at you, the moment it got close enough, the Kinzi absorbed all that force, the energy created by my throwing it, and redirected it as the same amount of energy back at me."

 

Letitia pulled her shirt up again and looked at the plain-looking disc on her navel.  "That tiny thing did THAT?"

 

"Yes.  As I said, it has bonded with you now.  It will protect you.  The Kinzi has made you nearly invulnerable - you are, in a way, like a human tank.  Even bullets can't hurt you, Letitia."

 

"Bullets," she repeated.  "Yeah, there are a lot of those around here."  She paused for a moment.  "So you're saying if someone shot at me, the bullet wouldn't hit me - like that glass didn't? And the force would be directed back at whoever shot at me - kill them?"

 

"It wouldn't kill them.  But the concussive force would likely render them unconscious for a bit.  The energy that is redirected isn't quite as focused as a bullet's.  It would be similar to running into a human-sized wall - except the wall would be the thing in motion."  He smiled as he continued, "Up till now you've been able to help your brothers and sisters, and that's great, but now you are capable of helping so many more, Letitia.  This city is hurting, and it needs you."

 

"So what - I'm supposed to be, like, some kind of superhero or something now?"  She shook her head.  "No, thank you.  That is NOT me.  You never mentioned anything about that."  She crossed her arms.  "Sorry John but you're wrong - you've got the wrong girl."

 

"With all due respect, you just confirmed that I've got the right one.  The Kinzi, while very powerful, is also very simple.  Like you, it asks for nothing, it demands nothing, its sole purposes are to protect its wearer from harm and repel any energy directed at it with equal force.  I'm not asking you to put on some dazzling costume and fly around the city hunting down criminals."

 

"Then what ARE you asking me to do, John?"

 

"Just be yourself, Letitia Jones.  You are already strong of body, mind, and spirit without the Kinzi.  Now when you see someone in your neighborhood being attacked, or bullied, or mistreated, or abused in some way, you can help them.  You can take that abuse for them and send it right back where it came from.  You can send a message that violence against those unable to defend themselves is not going to be tolerated in your neighborhood, in the projects, in this city."

 

Letitia couldn't help but laugh.  "Have you looked at me?  I'm five feet tall, 100 pounds sopping wet.  Nobody is going to see me and take me seriously."

 

"Of course that's what you think.  No one has ever really taken you seriously, have they?  I understand your thinking - you don't have a presence that strikes fear into others.  But just imagine, the first time that some muscle-bound thug tries and fails to take you down.  What do you think his reaction will be?"

 

"Probably that he can't believe he was just beat up by a girl, a tiny girl," Letitia replied, smiling for the first time since their meeting.

 

"Exactly.  He won't know who you are, or what just happened.  You'll be gone before he knows what hit him.  And he'll be very hesitant to tell anyone, and if he did would they believe him?"

 

"So I can help people, people in trouble, and nobody has to know it's me?  I could handle that."

 

"At least for a while.  Word will get out eventually, though.  The media will be talking about this ‘mysterious hero' saving people's lives in the poorest part of the city.  You can't stay hidden forever - but by then you'll know how to handle things as they come your way."

 

"Maybe you're right, but I can try to stay hidden as long as I can, right?  I watch the news, you know, I know there's these others out there.  Others that might be happy to take credit."

 

"True.  There are other heroines in the city now, heroines with different powers than yours, Letitia.  They fly about in dazzling costumes, give themselves fancy names, and are only too willing to stand in front of a camera.  They are giving the people of this city hope.  And so will you.  And trust me on this: there will come a day when they will need your help, and you will need theirs."

 

"Okay, maybe, I don't know.  Let me ask you something, John Jones or whoever you are.  Why don't you just use the Kinzi yourself?  You said you can take different forms and stuff, you would be so much better at this than me.  I mean, look at you.  Look at me."

 

"I was sent here for one purpose, Letitia, and it's taken me many years to fulfill that purpose.  These people need one of their own, one with the toughness and the unwavering spirit that you possess.  I have found you, and the Kinzi has accepted you - it knows who is ultimately worthy, even better than I."

 

"So what now?  Are you going to just leave, now that you've ‘found me'?"

 

"Eventually, yes.  This is not my home, and I yearn to return to my own people, my own family.  They need me, just as your family, your neighborhood, needs you.  But I'll stay for a while, just in case you need me. I'll be in the shadows, watching, as I have been for years."

 

"Okay, that doesn't sound stalker-y at all.  So earlier, you said, ‘nearly invulnerable'.  What did you mean, nearly?"

 

"Most attacks, as I mentioned, will merely be deflected back on the attacker.  But there are ways of attacking that don't require much energy at all.  To those, you will be vulnerable.  Drugs, gas, chloroform, for example.  The Kinzi won't be able to detect such attacks until they are inside you and it's too late.  And if an attack is at extremely close range - say a gun barrel placed against your temple - the Kinzi may not be able to react quickly enough to the bullet's energy.  The farther away the attack originates, the less effective it will be."

 

"So what you're saying is, watch my back.  Be wary."

 

"You're a very smart human, Letitia Jones.  Maybe not ‘book smart', but I've watched you handle yourself on these streets.  You can fight well, you are tough, and you have the intelligence that comes from experience.  ‘Street smarts', they call it.  You will do fine - but continue to hone your fighting skills, as there will come a time when they will be needed.  I've noticed you prefer dark clothing, that will help as well."

 

"Yeah, like I said, not really much on drawing attention to myself really.  Anything else I should know, John Jones? It's getting late and I have to get up early for work.  I still have to work, you know."

 

"One more thing.  The Kinzi can sense it when you are extremely angry and cornered.  It can create a powerful blast of energy, which with some practice you can direct; but the result is that it drains both you and the Kinzi.  It will take a couple of hours for you both to return to full strength.  So it's the kind of thing that would be a last resort, obviously."

 

"I guess I should probably get going.  And, Mr. Jones?"

 

"Please, call me John.  Yes?"

 

"Thank you.  I'm still not sure about any of this, but you see me, you believe in me, you take me seriously, you've given me respect, and that's something I haven't gotten much of."  She stepped forward and gave him a hug.

 

"You're welcome.  And for the record - I am sorry I didn't approach you sooner.  I had to be sure you were ready for this, for what is going to happen going forward.  Now I know for sure that you are.  Go home, Letitia Jones.  Tomorrow is a new day, the first day of the rest of your life.  Be the same woman you've always been, and never, ever let anyone take that spirit away from you."  He hugged her back, then stepped away.

 

"Hang on one second - I've got to grab a broom and clean up this broken glass.  Then I'll let you out."  Before he could respond, she was dashing to back, returning with a broom and dustpan, on her knees sweeping up the shards.

 

"I can see that you aren't about to let any of this go to your head," John grinned as she finished cleaning up the mess, then let them both out.