The Senses League
It was Tuesday, September 7, 2021. It was evening. Steve was in his bedroom (not lit) watching TV. Amy knocked on Steve’s door.
“Hey, can I come in?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Amy entered Steve’s room and closed the door. “Hey, I wanna talk to you for a minute. Is that okay with you?“ Amy asked. Steve turned off the TV.
“What do you wanna talk about?“ Steve asked.
“Well, it’s been four whole months since we last saw Justin.”
“I know, I can count.”
“We both just got home from our first day of a new school year. So, I was thinking that since it’s officially a new school year, maybe we could try praying to him again to see if he’ll show up this time.”
“For the millionth time, he isn’t gonna show up.”
“But how do you know that for sure?”
“I just do. I mean, come on, the dude hasn’t shown up for months ever since he vanished with Bieber back in May. That clearly means he’s probably dead or something close to that.”
“Come on, don’t say that.”
“Well, based on the amount of time that has passed since we last saw him, it sure seems like a possibility to me.”
“Well, come on, let’s pray to Justin.”
“Amy, just because it’s a new school year doesn’t mean he’s gonna return just like that.”
“But you don’t know that.”
“I do know that. We’ve prayed to him like a trillion times ever since he vanished. Well, you know what, I’m done wasting my time praying to him and I suggest you don’t waste your time praying to him.”
“But don’t you miss Justin?”
“Of course, I miss Justin. He was one of the greatest things that has ever happened to us in our entire lives. He was also a great friend as well. He allowed us to prove ourselves as the two greatest heroes on this planet. And, lastly, he saved our lives once we were finally face-to-face with Bieber. If it wasn’t for him, 20/20 Man and Radio Woman would’ve been yesterday’s news.”
“But aren’t you tired of us always having to watch or listen to the news to find our next assignment? When Justin was around, all he had to do was show up and tell us what we needed to do when the next bad guy or gal was causing trouble. Don’t you wanna go back to that?”
“How can we go back to that if he doesn’t show up? Look, we can still do our jobs just as well as when he was showing up. And we’ve been doing this superhero and sidekick thing for almost a year now. I think we’re experienced enough to handle it without Justin.”
“Ugh! Fine! I’ll just go to my room and pray to Justin myself!”
Amy went to the bedroom door, opened it, and stepped outside the bedroom. “And he will show up eventually.”
Amy closed the bedroom door shut and walked away.
“I’m so glad she’s gone. And I don’t even care if she heard that last sentence.” Steve turned the TV back on and resumed doing what he is always well known for which is watching.
***
It was Wednesday, September 8, 2021. It was evening. Steve was in his bedroom (not lit) watching TV.
Justin appeared behind Steve. Justin saw Steve watching TV. He continued staring at Steve as he continued watching TV.
“Hey, Steve.”
“Ah!“, Steve yelled before turning his head around. Steve looked at Justin.
“Justin?”
“That’s my alternative name.”
Steve turned his head back around.
Steve picked up the TV remote, got up, and turned off the TV. He put the TV remote down on where he was sitting, walked over to the bedroom light, and turned on the light. Steve stared at Justin.
“This has got to be a dream or something. This can’t actually be happening.”
“Yet, it is happening.”
Steve stared at Justin some more.
Steve ran over to Justin and hugged him.
“Man, am I so glad to finally see you again.“, Steve told him as they were hugging.
“I am glad to see you too Steve.“, Justin told him as they were still hugging.
The hugging stopped. Amy entered the bedroom and closed the bedroom door. “Am I dreaming, or did I just hear Justin’s voice with my hearing powers?” Amy asked.
“You’re not dreaming.”
Amy looked at Justin. “Justin, you’re finally back!“, Amy told happily.
Amy ran over to Justin and hugged him. The hugging stopped. “Well, I’m so happy that the three of us are finally reunited again.“, Justin told them.
“Hold on for one second. Now, you’ve got some explaining to do mister. First off, where have you been for the past four months? You’ve had me and my sister worried sick about you.”
“Well, I can explain.”
“I’ll go get the popcorn.“, Amy added.
“Save the popcorn for the theater, Amy. Listen, the reason that I’ve been gone for so long is Bieber. After we both vanished back in May, we took the fight that we were currently in at the time from Earth to Mars. We started battling each other on that planet.”
“Hold on. Mars? Seriously? You two took an angel fight to the red planet? Earth’s next-door neighbor?“, Amy asked.
“I took the angel fight to Mars to make sure no humans got hurt or worse on this planet.”
“Oh, okay. Go on.“, Amy instructed.
“We started fighting on Mars. It was a long, close, and intense battle.”
“So, since you’re standing here right now, that means you won the fight. Right?” Steve asked.
“Unfortunately, I did not win the fight.”
“So, how are you standing here right now?” Steve asked.
“The fight ended in a draw. We were just too evenly matched to determine a winner. Afterward, we both went our separate ways, and the rest is history.”
“Okay, thanks for the info and everything, but why were you gone for four whole months? It felt like an eternity without you.” Amy asked.
“Because you two seemed like you didn’t need my help anymore after everything that you’ve accomplished as superheroes. As a result, I took my eyes off you two for the past several months. I just stopped by tonight to pay a visit and see how you both were doing.”
“Well, if you wanna know how we’re doing, we’re alive. Thank God.“, Steve replied.
“Okay, well, see ya.“, Justin replied.
“Wait!” Amy exclaimed.
Justin was listening.
“We really miss having you around. This past summer just hasn’t been the same without your angelic presence. Now, we are still kids, so what I would suggest is that you keep helping us until we’re both eighteen. Then when we’re both fully grown adults, you can stop helping us. So, do we have a deal?” Amy asked.
“Well, I have really missed you, kids, as well. And children should have an adult looking over them when dealing with this kind of job. Okay, it’s a deal.”
“Awesome, we’re both so glad that you’re back. And alive.“, Steve replied.
“I’m glad to be back.”
“Okay, so now that Justin is back, what now?” Amy asked.
“An assignment. That’s what.“, Justin answered.
“Is it a regular bad guy assignment or a supervillain assignment?” Steve asked.
“Yes, Steve, the second one.“, Justin answered.
“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go get our costumes, have Justin’s angel buddies fill in for us, head outside, and save the day.” Amy asked.
Amy left Steve’s bedroom to go get her costume.
“Hey, can I ask you another question?” Steve asked. “Ask away.”
“What was it like being on Mars?”
“Cold.”
“Yeah, that pretty much sums up the red planet.”
“But why Mars?”
“It was the best place I could come up with at the time.”
“Okay, I think that’s enough astronomy talk, for now, time for me to go get my costume.”
Steve went ahead and started getting his costume out of his bedroom closet. “Good luck out there, you two.“, Justin told them. Then Justin disappeared.
***
It was Saturday, September 11, 2021. It was afternoon. Steve was in his room playing video games on his PS5.
Justin appeared in Steve’s bedroom. “Steve, I need you and your sister to come with me for a moment to the basement. It’s important.” Steve paused his game.
Then Justin disappeared. Steve turned around and saw that Justin had already disappeared. Steve put his controller down and exited his room.
In Amy’s room, Amy was lying on her bed listening to music with her smartphone and headphones. Justin appeared in front of Amy. Amy saw Justin appear and took off her headphones.
“You need to come with me and Steve to the basement. It’s important.”
Justin disappeared. Amy turned off her music and smartphone. Then she unplugged the headphones, got her smartphone, and exited her room.
A few moments later, Steve and Amy were down in the basement with Justin. “Okay, so, why are we here with you down in the basement?” Amy asked.
“Look down.“, Justin replied.
Steve and Amy looked down and saw a door.
“What’s that?” Steve asked.
“It’s a door that leads to a bunker that I created myself.“, Justin informed.
Steve and Amy stared at Justin waiting for him to further explain.
“I created a bunker underneath the basement that I intend to be the new headquarters for The Senses League.“, Justin announced.
“The what league?” Steve asked.
“The Senses League.“, Amy told Steve.
“I heard him the first time.“, Steve told Amy.
“The Senses League is a new idea I recently came up with this past week. You make up two of the five members who will represent the five physical senses which are sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.“, Justin continued.
“Okay, so, I’m the sight.”
“And I’m the sound.”
“So, who’s gonna be our other three members?” Steve asked.
“I’ve already recruited the other three members.”
“That quick? Wow, you angels sure work fast.“, Amy told Justin.
“The remaining three members are down inside the bunker as we speak. I just wanted you kids to get a chance to meet them.”
“Okay, but how are we gonna hide that bunker door so our parents won’t see it?” Steve asked.
“No worries, I’ll just put a rug on top of it as soon as possible and our parents won’t know a thing.“, Amy answered.
“Hey, nice thinking, Amy.“, Justin replied.
“Okay, let’s all head down there and meet the other three members. Follow me.“, Justin instructed them. Justin opened the door and used stairs to climb down into the bunker. Steve and Amy followed Justin down into the bunker.
Justin was inside the bunker. Soon after, Steve and Amy were inside the bunker. “Well, this is it, the official HQ of The Senses League. It really does have that comic book feel to it. Wouldn’t you agree?” Justin asked.
“Adam?” Steve asked.
“Chloe?” Amy asked.
“Hey, you two.“, Adam replied.
“Justin, what are they doing here?” Steve asked.
“And why are they wearing superhero costumes while we’re still in street clothes?” Amy asked.
“They are both two of the three additional members I recruited this week to join The Senses League. I already told them everything including the fact that I was gonna bring you two down here.“, Justin answered.
“So, this actually means that Adam and Chloe are one of us now?” Steve asked. “It sure does. Adam is going to represent touch and Chloe is going to represent taste after I gave each of them specific sense superpowers.”
“This is great! But there’s still one sense missing. Who is gonna represent smell?” Amy asked.
“This guy will.“, a random male voice answered.
“That voice just sounded like it came from down below.“, Amy replied. Amy looked down.
Amy saw a bulldog. “Is it just me or did that bulldog just talk?” Amy asked.
“The second one. I’m going to be the one to represent smell.“, the bulldog informed.
“A talking bulldog? Cool.” Steve added.
“All I had to do was get a random dog, give him the ability to think like a human and grant him nose superpowers. It was a piece of cake for an angel.“, Justin informed.
“Why did you choose a dog to represent smell?” Amy asked.
“Because dogs already have a greater sense of smell than one might think. A dog’s sense of smell is 44 times greater than a human’s sense of smell. This is because of the 220 million olfactory receptors; whereas human beings, at a glaring difference, have only 5 million.”
“Well, I gotta admit, I do like that logic. We need someone that can really smell evil from a mile away.“, Steve commented.
“And there you have it, The Senses League.“, Justin declared.
Steve walked over to Chloe.
“So, I guess we’re gonna be fighting crime together for the first time.“, Steve spoke romantically.
“Yeah, this is so unreal.“, Chloe spoke romantically.
“And how does it feel knowing that your boyfriend is the greatest, and most handsome, hero on the entire planet?”
“I do have to admit. It turns me on more than 44 times.”
“Well, can you show me how much it turns you on?”
“Sure. Here, let me show you while I use my super sense of taste.“, Chloe told while smiling.
Steve and Chloe were about to make out.
“Ahem! Uh, excuse me, we all have bigger things that need to be taken care of instead of making out with a super tongue.“, Amy informed.
“Come on, at least let me know what it’s like to make out with a super tongue.“, Steve begged happily.
“You two can do whatever you want to do later. As Amy just said, there are bigger things that need to be taken care of.“, Justin informed.
“Like what?“, Steve asked.
“Like the first assignment that all five of you are gonna do together this afternoon. And it’s a supervillain problem.”
“Great, we just have to go all the way back up to our bedrooms and get our superhero costumes.“, Amy commented.
“Well, you all have fun out there. I’ll chat with you all later. Goodbye.“, Justin told them. Then Justin vanished.
“So, how old are you?” Steve asked the bulldog.
“I’m a one-year-old which makes me an adult dog.“, the bulldog answered.
“Great, so that must mean you’re tough enough for this kind of job.“, Steve commented.
“Well, we’ve got four teenagers, me included, and one dog against the evil forces of the world. What could go wrong?” Amy asked.
Later that Saturday afternoon, The Senses League came back to The Senses League HQ while Justin was inside the bunker sitting on a chair and reading a newspaper. “Well, we did it. Our first mission together turned out to be a success.“, Adam reported. Justin put down his newspaper and got up from his seat.
“Congratulations. To all of you. I’m so proud of you all.“, Justin replied.
“Thanks, and were you just reading a newspaper?” Chloe asked.
“I think using things from the caveman days are kind of his thing.“, Amy told Chloe.
“Well, he is an angel after all. None of us have no idea how old that dude is.“, the bulldog added.
“Hey, what’s your name?” Steve asked.
“Yeah, we still have yet to know what your name is.“, Amy commented.
“I already named him. His name is Buddy.“, Justin informed.
“Buddy the bulldog. I like it.“, Steve commented.
“Hey, Justin, is it okay with you if we keep him as a pet?” Amy asked.
“What? Are you insane? Don’t you remember what happened the last time we tried to be pet owners and superheroes at the same time?” Steve asked.
“I do remember. But maybe it’ll be different this time with a dog instead of a fish.“, Amy suggested.
“No way. I think that is such a dumb idea. We already messed up once having a pet. I don’t want us to mess up a second time.“, Steve told Amy.
“Well, Buddy is a super dog. I think he should be able to survive being a pet in the same household as 20/20 Man and Radio Woman.“, Justin commented.
“See, we have nothing to worry about. If a bad guy or gal shows up, he should be able to defend himself just like us.“, Amy told Steve.
“But what are we gonna tell Mom and Dad?” Steve asked.
“We’ll just say we found him homeless on the street or something and ask for permission for him to live with us. All he has to do is act like a normal dog when our parents are around. And the rest should be a piece of cake.“, Amy answered.
“Okay, fine, but only if it’s okay with Buddy. Buddy, is it okay with you that our family take you in to live with us?” Steve said.
“Well, I actually was homeless until your angel friend showed up. And speaking from experience, being homeless is a terrible life for a dog to live. Therefore, my answer is yes.”
“Yes! We’re finally pet owners! Again!” Amy exclaimed.
“Oh, and if you want a little advice on being dog owners, don’t feed him chocolate. Chocolate is ‘doggie poison’ since dogs can’t consume it the same way humans can.“, Justin warned.
“I already knew that, but I’ll try and keep that in mind.“, Amy informed.
“So, I say we should spend the rest of our Saturday fighting crime.“, Steve recommended.
“Okay, fine with me.“, Adam replied.
“Let’s do this.“, Chloe replied.
“You don’t have to tell me twice.“, Amy replied.
Buddy barked several times in agreement.
***
It was Sunday, September 12, 2021. It was afternoon. All members of The Senses League were down in the HQ of The Senses League listening to the news on the radio.
“It’s a new group of superheroes called The Senses League. The group was officially established on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 which was yesterday. The group has a total of five members. Each member represents all five physical senses with 20/20 Man and Radio Woman representing sight and sound.“, a female news anchor announced on the radio.
“Wow, I can’t believe this! We’re famous! For the first time in my life, I’m actually famous!” Adam exclaimed.
“Believe it. Now you three get to be on TV and, most importantly, radio.“, Amy told them.
“But it’s important that you keep your real identities hidden.“, Steve told them.
Justin arrived in the bunker. “Hey, it’s the angel dude again.“, Adam added.
“Could someone please turn that off? I need to tell you all something very important.” Justin asked.
Steve turned off the radio. “We’re listening. And she’s listening more.“, Steve informed.
“Bieber is down here on Earth causing trouble. He needs to be stopped as soon as possible. I want all five of you to team up to try and defeat him together.”
“Yes, sir. I and the rest of the league are on it.“, Steve announced.
“Excuse me, I have a question.“, Chloe spoke as she raised her hand.
“Ask away.“, Justin replied.
“How powerful are angels?”
“We are more powerful than stars. We can fly well beyond the speed of light. And we can watch the light move from its original point to another point in existence. We are spiritual beings, so the physical realm doesn’t apply to us. Overall, we can basically do anything.”
“Also, superheroes and supervillains are just as powerful as angels since they, me included, got their powers from at least one of them.“, Amy educated.
“That’s why the world needs us now more than ever since supervillains are roaming the face of the Earth. And the cops can’t handle those kinds of criminals.“, Steve educated.
“Cool, I have the same powers as angels.“, Chloe realized out loud.
“Speaking of angels, remember to take care of the one who went rogue. Thanks. Justin out.” Then Justin vanished.
“Alright, let’s go give this angel jerk a piece of our minds.“, Amy declared.
***
Later that Sunday afternoon, The Senses League was floating over Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit, Michigan. “Alright, everyone. Where should we go first to try and find Bieber?” Amy asked as Bieber was floating behind her.
“Um, Amy, there’s something I think we should tell you.“, Adam told her.
“He’s behind me. Isn’t he?” Amy asked.
“Yes. Yes, he is.“, Bieber answered.
Amy turned around and flew closer to the rest of The Senses League.
“So, The Senses League, a nice name by the way. And a clever idea. Instead of the eyes always saving the day and the ears as the sidekick, all five senses are now included. Well done. But, unfortunately, I’m gonna have to make you all wish you were never born five times.“, Bieber insulted.
“What do you want? What made you wanna turn to the dark side in the first place?” Steve asked.
“Yeah, angels are supposed to be good and kind. Not evil and destructive.“, Amy added.
“I turned to the dark side because I wanted to.“, Bieber answered.
“Now, we all know that’s not true. There must be some reason why you went rogue. You just don’t want to tell us.“, Steve responded.
“And let’s move the conversation to you three. Two new teenagers and a talking dog. Impressive. You want a Scooby snack or something?” Bieber asked.
“I already don’t like this dude.“, Buddy said.
“Well, you know what? I don’t like you either. And you two, you wanna stop my plans of taking over the world and making it suffer. But it’s not gonna happen.”
“I mean, let’s be real here. What kind of damage are a hand and tongue capable of doing to an angel as powerful as me? #Nothing.”
“I can shoot lasers out of my mouth and he can shoot lasers from his hands.“, Chloe said.
“And that’s what I pretty much feel like doing right now.“, Adam said.
“Oh, you can shoot lasers from where your primary physical senses are? That’s fantastic. You want a cookie? Oh, you know what? You want two cookies since you got the extra taste buds?”
“So, are you gonna keep running your mouth or are we gonna fight?” Steve asked.
“I almost killed you two with COVID-19 back in May. This time, I’m gonna make sure I do it right and kill all five of you with the Coronavirus.”
Steve shot red lasers from his eyes. Those lasers missed Bieber as he got out of the way. “Nice shot. Not your best move though.“, Bieber responded in battle mode.
“And after I kill you all, I’ll probably feed you to some hungry sharks or something.“, Bieber added in battle mode. Steve shot red lasers from his eyes. Those lasers missed Bieber as he got out of the way.
“And the first one I’ll feed to the shark will be the tongue girl who always seems to have her tongue stuck in your mouth.“, Bieber added in battle mode. Steve shot fire from his eyes and the fire missed Bieber as he got out of the way. Then the five-on-one fight between Bieber and The Senses League officially begun.
Steve shot more fire from his eyes that missed Bieber. Amy shot red lasers from her ears that missed Bieber as well. Adam shot red lasers from his hands and they missed Bieber. Chloe shot red lasers from her mouth which missed Bieber.
Buddy shot red lasers from his nose which missed Bieber. Bieber and The Senses League were trying to attack each other with their superpowers. The fight continued.
Bieber tried attacking all five members of The Senses League with his powers. And all five members got out of the way successfully. The fight carried on.
And the fight was starting to become very intense. As the intensity level was raised, the fight carried on for a very long time. No one got tired yet, so the fight continued.
All six individuals unintentionally started putting on a show for an audience down on the ground as news trucks arrived to capture the fight that was taking place over Little Caesars Arena. The fight continued. And it was a very demanding battle.
Then when Bieber got the chance, he snapped his finger and gave all five members of The Senses League very severe headaches. “Ah! Hey, that hurts! What in the world did he do to us?!” Chloe exclaimed as her hands were on her head and her eyes were closed.
“Adiós, amigos. Oh, I forgot, you kids spent so much time missing Spanish class.“, Bieber added.
Bieber flew away and successfully escaped The Senses League. All five members’ heads were still in a lot of pain. “Ah! I think the pain is starting to go away now.” Adam told them.
Then the headaches stopped.
“Hey, where did he go?” Buddy asked.
“He got away. He gave us headaches to buy himself enough time to escape. He knew we almost had him taken care of.“, Amy answered.
“Well, what are we all waiting for?! Let’s go after him!“, Steve exclaimed.
“Steve, I think we all need to let him go for now.“, Amy told him.
Steve sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. This mission was a total failure.”
“Our first failed mission? Alright!“, Adam exclaimed.
Steve and Amy looked at Adam unhappily.
“Oh, I mean, darn it.”
“I imagine this isn’t going to go over too well with Justin back at the bunker.“, Chloe added.
“Hey, don’t worry, we’ll get him next time.“, Steve replied.
“And when is next time, Steve? Huh?” Adam asked.
“As soon as possible. Hey, no one is perfect. Not even angels or superheroes.“, Steve answered.
“And I wonder what the general public is gonna think of us now that we failed to take care of a supervillain.“, Amy wondered out loud.
“I don’t care what they think. Let’s all just head back home and figure out another strategy on how to defeat Bieber.“, Steve told them. Everyone nodded and agreed with Steve’s last statement. Then, The Senses League flew away.
***
It was Sunday evening. The news was being listened to on the radio inside the headquarters of The Senses League. “Our top story of the evening, The Senses League fails to take down a supervillain as the supervillain found a way to escape the four individuals and one animal. As a result, there have been a lot of negative comments on social media saying that 20/20 Man, Radio Woman, and the rest of The Senses League are unfit to save this world from the bad guys and gals out there. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.“, the same female news anchor from earlier said.
Steve turned off the radio. And Justin arrived. “Hey, everyone.“, Justin spoke.
“Hey, look, we’re really sorry about what happened today. We had no idea he was gonna give all of us major headaches to escape. We really messed up. Big time.“, Amy apologized.
“Well, that’s okay. I’m not mad at all.“, Justin replied.
“You’re not? But we just let an evil angel escape.” Steve reminded.
“Yeah, and we all have a clear idea of just how powerful angels are.“, Chloe added.
“I believe failure is one of the best teachers in life. I’m not mad that you failed. I am glad though that you learned something from this. And that’s the fact that Bieber may find a way to escape any way we can. Especially when he thinks he may have it coming for him. You all did a great job out there today, so I’m really proud of all of you for at least trying.“, Justin explained.
“Well, since you put it like that, thanks. But we all still feel bad about letting him get away.“, Amy told him.
“You’re welcome. Well, I think I know what will make you all feel better.“, Justin replied.
Justin used his angelic powers to make a table appear that had enough food and drinks on it for all human members of The Senses League. He made a bowl of dog food appear for Buddy as well. “Woah, this is so amazing!” Adam exclaimed.
“Look at all these pizza boxes! There’s enough pizza here for all four of us!” Amy exclaimed.
“And we’ve got White Castle and Wendy’s!” Steve exclaimed.
“Look, we even got Oreos! My favorite cookie!” Chloe exclaimed.
“Well, that’s just more proof of how powerful angels are.“, Justin said.
“Hey, thanks!” Steve exclaimed happily.
“You’re welcome. Now, it’s time for me to head back upstairs to heaven. See you all soon. Goodbye, for now.” Then Justin went ahead and snapped his finger and vanished.
“Well, what are we all waiting for?! Let’s all dig in!” Steve exclaimed happily.
“But before we dig in, there’s a little digging in I wanna do myself.“, Chloe spoke romantically.
Chloe walked up to Steve and started kissing him. Chloe continued kissing Steve. The kissing continued. And Steve and Chloe were enjoying every second of it. Then the kissing stopped.
“Well, how does it feel to have finally had a girl’s super tongue in your mouth?” Chloe asked. “Like the place Justin flew off to. That was truly incredible.“, Steve spoke with a smile on his face. “Thanks. I also had a great time while I was super tasting your mouth.“, Chloe added with a smile and a wink before walking away.
“Okay, now we can all dig in!” Amy announced. All five members of The Senses League started eating all the food that was present. And everyone there was having a wonderful time after their failed assignment. Also, the food was delicious. And, finally, The Senses League ended a very awesome first weekend as a new group of superheroes.
