Twilight of the Superheroes

Chapter Three: A Changed World

"You took a little girl and turned her into your sidekick?" Carly demanded, glaring at Sam intensely. "Why would you make a child..."

"Because she needed me," Sam shot back, her voice bold and laced with anger. "And I think I needed her, too...I'm not killing anymore, Carly...I'm not cutting myself. Zora...she's all I've got." Standing in the doorway, the former child prostitute listened to her 'big sister' defend her presence as

"She's HIV positive," the doctor declared. Sam held Zora tightly in her arms, forcing herself not to cry, even as the young woman sobbed into her shoulder. Sam held the child's hand as Zora's grip grew weaker. Tearfully, the blond girl listened to the moniter go from beeps to a high-pitched, straight shriek. Zora's hand dropped out of Sam's, and the room fell silent.

No light will touch your face again.

Rain taps the window,

As we sleep among the dead.

Putting her hand on Sam's weary shoulder, Carly remembered Yesterday. Looking up from her beloved partner, the blond gazed at Carly with teary eyes and a gasping cry fighting its way out. Silence filed the room, and the two held one another.

Days go on forever,

Sam adjusted Strike's hand as she pointed her bow at the target. Letting go of the arrow, Zora jumped up and down as the tip collided with the bull's eye. Jumping towards Sam, the child smiled as big as she could, as did the blond young woman. "Way to go!" Archer happily burst out.

But I have not left your side.

Laying in her bed, Zora wiped away tears from her nightmares. Sam sat down next to the child, gently stroked her hair. "Never saw the sun..." she sang, knowing it was the only way the girl could fall asleep. "Shining so bright. Never saw things..."

"Going so right," the two harmonically recited. Zora leaned forward, kissed Sam on the forehead, and lay down in her bed. The young woman couldn't help but smile at her charge. "Night, angel," Sam whispered, departing from the room. Zora held her pillow as she slowly drifted into a peaceful sleep.

We can chase the dark together,

If you go then so will I.

Standing in the rain, Sam gazed at the lifeless body of Zora inside her coffin. Her skin was so cold; her wonderful eyes would never see the world again. The blond young woman felt herself begin to cry and scream as she held her lost loved one. Carly, Freddie, and Justin dropped their heads out of respect, and fought back tears of their own.

There is nothing left of you,

I can see it in your eyes.

Sing the anthem of the angels,

And say the last goodbye.

Dropping to her knees, Sam held the coffin with all her might, unable to let go of Zora. I long to be like you...a hole in the ground like you. There's room inside for two... Suddenly, the young woman felt a hand on her shoulder, and knew it was from her friends. No longer able to see loss, to know the pain of losing a loved one, Justin turned his back to the funeral, and walked away without looking back.

Carly and Freddie stood before one another on the fire escape, gazing into one another's eyes and holding their outstretched hands. "I'm sorry," Carly whispered. "I just...I can't do this anymore. I love you, Freddie, but I don't want to lose you like this..." Freddie's gaze fell away from his girlfriend. "Can we please be friends again?"

"...Yeah," the young man weakly replied, his voice cracking. "I'd like that." The two exchanged a hug, just to show they would not become distant from each other.

"In recent news, costumed vigilantism is close to becoming outlawed in the United States," the television recited before Sam, Carly, and Freddie. Crossing his hands across his chest, Justin let an angered expression form on his face. "Following the recent resurgance of masked criminals, all individuals caught after dark with masks on will be taken into custody. Those who resist arrest will be dealt with accordingly." Departing from the Shay family apartment, Sam thew her hood up over her head, and stormed out onto the streets. "Should we go after her?" Freddie asked, growing concerned.

"She just needs some time alone," Carly answered. "After all she's been through, I think Sam can handle herself."

"You don't think she'll do something stupid, do you?" the brunette boy asked, petting Ace as he slept in his master's lap.

"No...not anymore," the young woman answered, remembering all the pain Sam went through; all the things she swore she'd do, all that she'd lost after Zora died.

"What ever happened to us?" Freddie asked. Carly didn't answer.

The icy rain gnawing at her exposed skin, Sam made her way down the sidewalk, refusing to stop. At last, she made it to her old home; the place where everything started. Melanie wasn't there anymore. Even Pam moved away, leaving the entire building a mere memory. Forcing the door open, the blond woman walked up the stairs, and saw the doorway to her old bedroom: swung wide open, just as she'd left it. Walking inside and closing the door behind her, Sam stopped in her tracks, and studied everything surrounding her. Her bed was rough and unmade, the window was half covered by a curtain and cracked in several places, and the hardwood floor was freezing. Remembering Pamela's abuse, the hateful words she shouted, the blond girl felt no pain. Then, Melanie's image appeared before her, crying and begging for help. A younger Samantha Puckett held her twin, letting the cut above her right eye bleed lightly.

Her throat swelling with a massive lump, Sam recalled the day she ran away; Melanie had left for Europe years ago, leaving the young woman broken and alone. The only comfort in Sam's life was practicing her archery at the local youth center she used to sneak into. After several months, she was an expert; a prodigy.

A tear forming in her eye, Sam saw the day she met Carly, the day Wondergirl met the Archer, and then the day she met Zora. Now, Zora was gone, and Archer was betrayed and killed by the authorities she once trusted. Throwing the curtain over the window, the young woman dawned her old costume, tucked herself into her childhood bed, and closed her eyes.

Passing by an old warehouse, Jade caught something out of the corner of her eye; at first, it looked to be grafitii, but then, it became something more: 'Where have you gone?' large yellow letters cried out. Stopping for an instant, Ghost stared at the wall, realizing something was coming.

"Hey, Alex, it's Justin," the dark-haired young man spoke into the phone, his voice growing weak. A young wolfdog lay on the floor next to the Italian boy. "Look, I know you still hate me...I don't even know if you still live in Waverly Place, or if you're getting this, but...I'm sorry. I was...I'm just sorry. Please, if you're hearing this, pick up..." Silence met Justin's pleas. "I really am sorry; I took so much from you, and I know I don't have the right to talk to you, but things are changing, and...and I just don't know how to deal, you know? Look, I love you, and I'm sorry for everything. I understand if you can't forgive me, but...just please don't hate me. Okay. Bye." Hanging up the phone, Justin pressed his palms into his eyes, and fell back onto his bed.

Sitting in the corner of her room, Alex gasped and sobbed, allowing her tears to stream down her face. The night was so dark, and she was all alone. Despite everything he did: despite the horrors she had to live through: despite the childhood and family she had stolen from her, the girl felt her heart sink at the thought of leaving Justin behind. Biting her lip and sniffling back her tears, Alex stared out at the city.

Never thought it be so hard to let you go.

Tell me how I'm gonna make it: you're the one I can't forget;

It's like I'm walking in slow motion in a nightmare that never ends.

Glancing over to her closet, the Latina saw the white uniform hanging in her closet. Her eyes completely glazing over with tears, the young woman buried her face in her hands, lowering her neck until she felt her knees break her descent. There was no going back; no more going back to the days where the sun shined; Alex and Justin ran down the sidewalk together, playing tag. The same day, they practiced together. Those innocent memories were shattered the day Justin came home, claimed to have had a nightmare last night, and kissed his little sister's lips for the first time.

Gritting her teeth, Alex screamed and threw a pillow at a picture of her and Justin, shattering it. Looking back at the costume, the girl remembered the first time Silver Hawk and Angel went on patroll together. Her wings were younger then; weaker. Still, she felt herself soaring through the sky with her big brother. Why can't I let this go? she asked herself. When did everything turn into a nightmare? A shattered memory. Removing her jacket, Alex's white wings flared out behind her as she approached the closet with tear-blinded eyes.

Days and nights passed by; like an omen, the city began to change; dozens of costumed figures began surfacing on the streets. The first night, there were fiftten casualties: ten masks and five police officers. Prisons and insane asylums slowly erupted into hellish nightmares as more and more convicts seemed to rise to power. Staring out the window of her apartment, Carly witnessed a mugging, ending in an innocent man dead and bleeding against the wall of the Plaza. Her eyes focused on the scene, the young woman remained still.

"Why aren't we doing something about this?" Freddie demanded.

"If we go out there, we either get shot or exposed," Carly shot back. "Going without masks means people we know die."

"I don't think that's anything new," the young man replied, his composed voice slipping into anger. "People are dying every night...Tori and Jade haven't been seen in years, I don't know what happened to Alex..."

"That's not our fault," the brunette girl yelled. "We did everything we could to keep together..."

"But all that stopped when Spencer died," Freddie declared, feeling his body tremble. Glaring into the boy's eyes, Carly scowled with all her might; her face burning red. "After he was killed, you gave up on everything."

"Freddie, stop it," Carly replied.

"No," the young man refused. "You have to let it go. We've all lost people we care about, but we're the only ones who can stop it. If we sit back and watch the city burn, people die. If we put on the masks, they'll try to kill us...it's no different from when we used to fight Laugh or Crow or any of those maniacs."

"...It's my fault Spencer's dead," the young woman replied, her voice weak and cracking. "I let him down...I'm not cut out to do this."

"We can't save everyone," Freddie argued, controling his emotions for Carly's sake. "But you always used to tell me that we do what we can...and that makes the difference. We're superheroes...not miracle workers."

"Sorry I don't feel any better about this," the young woman decided. "Look, maybe you should go." Defeated, the young man nodded weakly, and walked out of the room. Staring at the door; staring into the void, Carly remained still.

"We interrupt this program to bring an emergency news broadcast to the people," the television declared, catching Carly's attention. "The criminals known as Laugh, Superwoman, Burnt Page, Mothman, and the Ring Leader are occupying downtown New York. All civilians are advised to stay in-doors. There is no hope of an evacuation. All police officers attempting to gain access to the area have been killed or declared missing in action. I repeat, we advise all citizens to remain indoors. Close and lock your doors and windows. Do not let anyone inside, and head for the nearest safe zone inside your home." Shocked, Carly glanced at the images on on the news, then at her closet.