Superkid and the Clone

  ***

  The costume was nearly identical to the original Superkid's costume except it was orange and blue rather than orange and yellow. The other Superkid held it in his hands and stared at it as though it was a crystal ball that he was trying to get to work.

  His duplicate noticed his stare--especially at the blue K against the orange background. Unable to help himself, he asked the brooding kid, "Are you okay?"

  The brooding kid nodded. "I was just wondering if it's necessary for us to battle each other."

  Superkid heaved a sigh. "You know what? I kind of don't care who wins this battle. I just hope that after this it will be all over.

  The other Superkid shot him a look. Superkid didn't quite know what to make of it. Was he... mad?

  Finally the other Superkid turned away and changed into his costume. Then as Superkid stood next to him in front of the mirror he compared himself to his double.

  "We're all ready to go," Superkid commented. Then he turned and stuck out his hand for the other to shake. "May the better Superkid win."

  The other Superkid didn't say anything but took his hand and shook it.

  The battle was to take place in Central Park--Poolington's, not New York's. The whole town had gathered around to watch. The two Superkids--one in orange and yellow, the other in orange and blue--stood on opposite sides of the square, facing each other with their arms out to their sides and their legs spread apart--this is where a Western showdown theme song and a passing tumbleweed would come in handy. The mayor stood between them in the center of the square.

  "Are you ready?!" he yelled, glancing at both Superkids.

  "Ready!" they yelled back.

  "Then let the battle begin!" He threw down his hand then ran off the square to join the crowd watching the spectacle.

  With determined gleams in their eyes, the two Superkids squatted and began circling each other, drawing close together until they were within grabbing distance. They watched each other warily, waiting for the other to make the first move, all the while circling each other.

  The crowd held their breath. Their hearts pounded as the tension grew taut while the two Superkids circled around each other.

  The Superkid in the yellow and orange costume--who shall henceforth be referred to as "Yellow Superkid"--stared into the eye of the Superkid in the blue and orange costume--who shall henceforth be referred to as "Blue Superkid"--and noticed that the gleam in it was slipping in and out of focus. He moved his hands around to warn him that he was alert and ready to counterattack if the other tried anything, all the while they circled each other.

  Round and round they went, both waiting for the other to move, both tense and expecting the attack any second now. Round and round they went, Yellow Superkid beginning to wonder if his duplicate was going to fight him. Was there doubt in his eyes? Round and round they went; maybe this guy really didn't want to fight him? Maybe the clone wasn't evil after all? Round and round they went. Round and round...

  "Get on with it!" someone yelled--and about time too! I was about to go nuts with those two doing nothing but going round and round, all the while circling each other! Yellow Superkid turned to the speaker, about to tell him that the fight was pointless and neither of them was evil.

  But then Blue Superkid struck. While Yellow Superkid was turned, Blue Superkid wrapped an arm around his neck from behind. Though shocked and feeling betrayed, Yellow Superkid managed to quickly respond by grabbing his opponent's arm to keep it from crushing his windpipe.

  But Blue Superkid wasn't trying to crush it. With his free arm, he took the hose dangling over his shoulder and blew hot air into it. His cape expanded and began lifting both Superkids into the air.

  Yellow Superkid immediately switched tack. Now instead of prying his foe's arm off, he used it to hold himself up to keep from choking as his weight tried to drag him down. He tried to kick Blue Superkid in the shin but quickly discovered this was likely to make him lose his grip and choke to death. So instead he flailed an arm behind him and scrabbled at Blue Superkid's chest. His fingers tangled into the hose at Blue Superkid's shoulder. He immediately tightened his grip and yanked.

  They shot forward like rockets as the air rushed through vents in Blue Superkid's back. They tumbled on the ground; Blue Superkid rolled over his opponent, leaving Yellow Superkid lying flat on his face. Not very graceful, but at least Yellow Superkid wasn't choking to death.

  He immediately bounded to his feet and posed in a karate stance. Blue Superkid kicked himself to his feet as well and spun to face his foe, who was already charging toward him.

  "Traitor!" Yellow Superkid yelled. As he ran, he pulled back his fist and then thrust it forward in a punch.

  Blue Superkid leaned back, evading his double's fist. He grabbed Yellow Superkid's wrist and twisted himself, throwing his counterpart to the ground, who gave a cry of pain.

  Then Yellow Superkid brought his legs in and then delivered a mighty kick to his duplicate's stomach, causing him to double over with a loud gasp. Yellow Superkid then clamped his feet together against Blue Superkid's head and with a mighty roll threw his adversary to the ground. Then he jumped to his feet, turned to Blue Superkid, and hunched into a defensive pose.

  Blue Superkid rolled over and stood up. He hunched into a defensive pose as well and the two super kids began to circle each other again. Both were puffing from the exercise.

  Then Blue Superkid puffed into his balloon-cape and leaped into the air. Yellow Superkid saw this and brought his hose to his mouth to do the same. But as he was doing this, Blue Superkid puffed cool air into his balloon then angled his body and pulled the hose. He shot toward his duplicate with his feet aimed right at him. Yellow Superkid was just rising into the air when his neck suddenly became slotted between his foe's legs and he was rushed headfirst toward the ground where he slammed his head. Fortunately the grass was soft and his partially filled balloon cushioned the impact, but then his adversary turned his fortune by bringing a foot down on his nose in a karate chop.

  Pain exploded from his nose into his head, making him cry out in pain and clamp his hands over his nose. A metallic taste filled his mouth.

  His double leaped off of him in a backflip. Pinching his nose, Yellow Superkid rolled backwards onto his feet. He considered calling a time-out to clean up his bleeding nose but then realized that his duplicate wasn't going to show him any mercy. Or if he did, then he would use it to his own advantage--to make him look weak! To make him look like a fake! Well, he'd show him! He'd show that clone who was weak! And besides, what kind of hero calls a time-out--especially over a bloody nose?

  Still pinching his nose--and quite heroically too--he charged forward with a distorted roar, "Rrrrrrrrmph!" He leaped into the air and did a twirling kick. Blue Superkid caught his foot and shoved him back. Yellow Superkid used his elbow to cushion his fall and send him rolling just before Blue Superkid dropped with his elbow jutting out like a chicken wing... and it looked like it really hurt. In the meantime, Yellow Superkid rolled to his feet and rushed at his foe. He swung his foot up, hooking it under the other Superkid's stomach, and flipped him onto his back. He raised his foot to stomp on his stomach, but Blue Superkid quickly filled his balloon with hot air, which yanked him upright, catching Yellow Superkid's foot and sending him staggering backwards. Yellow Superkid quickly recovered and ran again at his literally rising opponent. He wrapped one arm--he was still pinching his nose with the other--around Blue Superkid's legs to try to stop him but instead began pulling off his pants. Blue Superkid quickly caught his waistband and tugged it back up so Yellow Superkid ended up taking his shoe instead, which dropped to the ground. Yellow Superkid glared at his duplicate for a second and then blew hot air into his own balloon and was immediately rising after his opponent.

  Blue Superkid let out a little air until he stopped rising, allowing Yellow Superkid to rise up in front of him. Yellow Superkid let out his air until he was hovering face to face with his traitorous duplicate.
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  Then Yellow Superkid puffed cool air into his balloon and pulled the hose to send him rushing at Blue Superkid. The blue kid stuck his fist out so that his duplicate was punched in the chest, causing him to gasp. But the yellow version of our hero still got his arms around the blue version and started to squeeze the breath out of him.

  He was succeeding... somewhat. Blue Superkid was finding it difficult to expand his lungs and his own fist was driving into his own ribs painfully. He tried to wriggle his arm out to try something, but his double was too strong... Yes, I know technically they should be the same strength, but it was easier to squeeze than to get out of a squeeze.

  And speaking of tight squeezes, it didn't look like Blue Superkid was getting out of this one. Yellow Superkid kept one arm around his foe while with the other one, he unpinched his nose--which wasn't bleeding quite as badly as before--took his duplicate's hose, and puffed cool air into it. Blue Superkid saw what his evil plan was and struggled harder to get free.

  When Yellow Superkid had finished mixing the cool air with the hot air in Blue Superkid's balloon-cape, he defiantly wiped his bloody nose on his duplicate's shirt and then tugged the hose to release the air.

  Not according to plan, they shot in the direction Yellow Superkid's back was facing. He had been trying to drop his double; he didn't want to jet backwards into something that might cripple him! So he let go of his opponent.

  Blue Superkid dropped like a plane dive-bombing. He grappled his shoulder for the hose that would save his hide, but he was too late for he hit the ground with an "Ooh!" from the crowd. Yellow Superkid dropped to the ground a second later.

  Blue Superkid groaned but managed to stagger painfully to his feet. He brought the hose to his mouth. Yellow Superkid thought he was going to take to the air again, but the blue-costumed kid only blew up his cape-balloon enough to keep him from toppling to the ground, thus making up for his weak leg.

  Yellow Superkid advanced on him, hunkered down in a defensive pose. Blue Superkid hobbled forward, held up by his balloon, with his hands held out wrestling style. Both were trying to catch their breaths.

  Then Yellow Superkid ran at his blue counterpart and rammed him. They went down but slowly, which gave Blue Superkid time to knee his opponent in the gut. His opponent rolled off and hit the ground with a smack, clutching his stomach and groaning pitifully. The blue-costumed kid pushed himself up, allowing his balloon to lift him to his feet, then he hobbled to his fallen adversary struggling for breath on the ground.

  Yellow Superkid looked into his double's eyes and waved his hand weakly. "You win. I'm too tired."

  The blue Superkid stared down at him without saying anything. The crowd around him held their breath, waiting for his next move.

  Then Blue Superkid whirled around and thrust his hands into the air. Taking this as a sign of victory, the crowd cheered. Yellow Superkid lifted his head wearily and then let it drop with a groan.

  It was a while before the crowd stopped cheering but maybe that was because Blue Superkid had his arms in the air for that while until he dropped them and groaned into his hand. When the crowd had finally settled down, he looked up.

  "All right, people. I know that this battle was supposed to determine the real Superkid. And I know that I won this battle, which by your logic means that I'm the real Superkid."

  The crowd cheered again. Blue Superkid groaned into his hand again. When the crowd stopped cheering, he looked up again.

  He took a shuddering breath and then heaved out a sigh. "But... I have a confession to make."

  The crowd drew in its breath and waited for it with excitedly pounding hearts. What confession would this inimitable model of true heroism reveal? That it hadn't been his amazing skills that had won this battle but pure courage and undiluted good? That it wasn't this epic battle that had discovered the true hero but the good citizens of Poolington? That it wasn't one lone defender of justice who had prevailed this day but the spirit of magnanimity that resided in each and every person who did, does, and ever will reside on this one, wonderful Earth that we all share?

  Blue Superkid's answer wasn't quite that poetic. "For the past couple of days, I've been thinking about it. I've been recalling some memories and I've been trying to reason them out..." He swallowed with difficulty. "But in the end... I came to the only conclusion that made sense..."

  The tension grew. Several spectators' faces turned blue from holding their breath. Yellow Superkid sat up and stared curiously at his double.

  Blue Superkid dropped his head but his voice rang out clearly. "I'm the clone."

  The people gasped--after blowing out the breath they had been holding, of course. Blue Superkid--now revealed to be the true clone--turned to Yellow Superkid--now revealed to be the true Superkid--and stuck out his hand. After hesitating for a second, Yel--uh--Superkid accepted the hand and was pulled to his feet.

  "He's the real Superkid," said the clone, lifting his original self's arm into the air. There were scattered cheers, though many of the people began whispering furiously to each other. While this was happening, the clone turned to Superkid and said, "I'm sorry for trying to take your place. I really thought that you were the clone."

  "What convinced you otherwise?"

  The clone confessed about the memory that didn't make sense and the conclusion that did. Then he explained how he tried to debunk it without success. Superkid listened silently but with a look of bemusement.

  "So wait," he said when his clone was finished, "if you realized you were the clone days ago, why did you decide to fight me today?"

  The clone flinched guiltily. He swallowed hard lumps in his throat. At last, he answered, "I still didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to think of what would happen to me if I confessed that I was the clone."

  Superkid raised an eyebrow. "What would happen...?"

  "We both knew what would happen if we found out who the real Superkid was. There'd be celebrating, your friends clap you on the back and tell you they knew it was you all along, and you get treated as a hero. But meanwhile, what happens to the clone? The clone would be considered an imposter and everyone would hate him and he would be driven away... not able to see his friends and family--or what he remembers as his friends and family. He'd live alone in some cardboard box and dig in garbage to find food. The clone would become a nobody..." The clone's voice by now had dropped to a whisper. "I'd become a nobody..."

  Superkid saw his duplicate in a new light. He no longer saw an imposter with evil intentions to replace him. He now saw someone desperately trying to cling to an identity.

  Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes--excuse me a moment, I need to get some tissues... no, I'm not crying! My... nose is just stuffed!

  "I'm sorry," Superkid said softly, placing his hand on his duplicate's shoulder. Then he asked, "So why did you confess?"

  The clone turned watery eyes on Superkid. "Because I didn't want that to happen to you..."

  Okay, wow. That's a little more emotion than I'm used to for Superkid. I mean, this is supposed to be an action-adventure story, not a story to make you cry your eyes out! Oh why couldn't that clone have simply been evil and defeated and it all ends with us tingling inside and eagerly anticipating the next edition of the Superkid series? Oh why, oh why?

  All right, let's just pull ourselves together and finish this story. There's one last battle and then a final teary farewell--the last one, I promise!--and then a tingly ending that gets you checking your social media outlets for the next edition. Onward with the story!