Hey guys, I know it's been a while. I'm sorry I haven't posted a chapter since May. It's just my grandma got really sick and then I started classes again so it's kinda been a rough few months. But I'm back for a while and should be able to update this story once every week or two until January. Thank you all to everyone who stuck with me.

In this next chapter you'll see some character complexity as well as some development. But I promise we'll be getting to the action parts soon. But like all good action stories, you need a training arc which will comprise the next chapter. After that, it's all MHA from there. With that being said, here's the next chapter, "All People Need Saving".

…...

"Daddy. Why doesn't Mama like me?"

"What're you talking about, Pumpkin? Mama loves you as much as I do!"

"Then why is she never here?"

The tall, dark haired man sighed.

"Mama's a pro hero. Her work keeps her really busy."

"But you're a pro hero too and you're always here."

"That's true. But you have to understand that I'm not famous or powerful like Mama is."

"Don't say that, Daddy! You're the best hero in the world!"

He laughed warmly as he patted her head. "I'm glad you think so. But I don't think a regular old healing Quirk can top something like your mom's."

"But you use it to make my boo-boos feel better. Mama's Quirk scares me. That's why I want to have a Quirk like yours when I grow up."

He tousled her hair. "Maybe you will. But we won't know until you're a little bit older." The man decided to try and change the subject. "Hey, let's go downstairs and get some ice cream."

"Can I have rocky road!?"

"You can have whatever flavor you want."

The tiny blonde child jumped up and down in joy before hugging her father's leg. "Hooray! I love you, Daddy!"

The man smiled and returned the favor. "I love you too, Jessie."

Jessica was stirred out of her sleep by a continuous beeping sound. It was really starting to piss her off. Groggily, she cracked open her eyes and a bright light assaulted her pupils. She kept them squinted until they eventually adjusted.

Where am I?

The last thing she remembered was getting dressed for gym class. After that the whole thing was pretty much a blur.

Glancing around the room, she noticed all the walls were painted a pristine white that only enhanced the brightness of the room. There was a beige leather couch directly across from her along with two chairs of the same style on her left. To her right, a white monitor fixed to a silver metal pole, multicolored numbers and graphs displayed on the screen.

She looked down at her hand. There was a small clamp like device attached to her index finger along with some clear plastic tubes jutting out of her upper forearm. These observations were enough for her to realize where she was, but not why.

Why am I in the hospital?

As if on cue, the heavy wooden door opened and in stepped a dark-skinned man who looked to be in his early forties. He was bald but sported a trim beard that outlined his sharp jawline. He was dressed in the typical doctor's attire, a white coat over a powder blue dress shirt and a navy tie as well as a pair of black slacks. He smiled slightly once he noticed his patient was finally awake.

"Good to see you up, Miss Valentine. I'm Dr. Jones and I'll be your primary physician. How are we feeling?" His tone was professional but a sense of warmth still radiated through it as well.

Jessica was still trying to wrap her head around what exactly was going on. It took her a second or two before she could manage a reply.

"Uhh...fine I guess?" She finally answered.

"Good. Sharona will be by in about half an hour and bring you something to eat. If you're hungry that is?"

She didn't even realize the gnawing feeling in her stomach until the doctor mentioned food. Before she could respond, a loud rumble from her belly did it for her.

"I'll take that as a yes." He chuckled before pulling a pen out of his pocket. "Your CT scan came out fine so as long as your vitals are stable you should be out of here in a couple hours. Just let me check those real quick." He walked over and took note of the numbers on the monitor.

CT scan? What was he talking about?

"Um...Dr. Jones?"

The man momentarily stopped scribbling on his clipboard and glanced up at her. "Yes?"

"What's going on? Why am I in the hospital?"

He furrowed his brow. "You don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

His eyes then lit up in realization. "Of course. You must have been knocked unconscious immediately after the explosion."

Ok, now she was really confused. Did he just say explosion?

"Explosion?"

"You don't remember that either, huh? Somehow the janitorial supplies in your locker room ignited and started a fire. Honestly Miss, you're very lucky to be here right now."

Suddenly, the memory of that burning smell returned to her mind. After that, things were pretty hazy. Gently rubbing her forehead, she winced as her hand came in contact with what she assumed was a rather large bruise. She was thankful for the doctor's explanation but there was still something she wanted to know.

"How did I get out?" Her voice faltered with the next question. "Was I rescued?"

"By a pro? No. It was one of your classmates."

One of her classmates? She could live with that. It had to be one of her loyal servants. Maybe Chad finally grew a pair and decided to try and win her back. But she was completely dumbfounded by the doctor's next words.

"I still can't believe out of all the people there, a kid with no Quirk did something like that. Then again I understand the law prohibits..."

The doctor suddenly found himself face to face with his patient as she grabbed his coat and with a surprising amount of strength pulled him down to eye level with her.

"What. Did. You. Say?" She threateningly enunciated every word.

Despite being much taller and older than her, Dr. Jones couldn't help but feel very intimidated by the girl. No doubt about it, the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

He gulped. "I-I said I was surprised a kid with no Quirk was the one to rescue you."

"What kid?" Her tone didn't change.

"T-The villain's son." He squeaked. "Can you let me go now?"

Jessica obliged and released her grip. Dr. Jones backed away and continued to write but now at a safe distance away from his patient.

Meanwhile, Jessica was desperately racking her brain to make sense of what she had just been told.

Why him? More importantly, why the hell did he do it in the first place? I know damn well he didn't do it for me, unless my Quirk finally got the better of him. He probably did it so my mother would give him a reward.

"You know, I think a lot of people may have misjudged that boy, myself included. It might have been reckless, but to risk his life like that was nonetheless a very heroic thing to do. It's a shame though, even if his Quirk manifested now, his body would prevent him from doing anything with it."

Jessica snapped out of her thoughts. "What are you talking about? He's not paralyzed or anything, right?" She was confused why she asked that question. It's not like she cared one way or the other.

"No, but…" The doctor sighed heavily. "Look, I shouldn't be telling you this but it's probably going to be public knowledge soon anyways. We were able to fix the burns and cuts, but the inside is what gave us trouble. His lungs were severely damaged by the smoke, as were yours. But due to the innate healing factor from your father, you were able to make a complete recovery. The boy, however, sustained lasting lung capacity reduction even after the healing process."

"How bad is it?" Surprisingly, her voice held a tinge of concern.

"Pretty bad. He only has close to thirty percent left. It'll be difficult just for him to walk, much less perform any rigorous physical activity. But with physical therapy and some luck, he might make it back up to fifty percent in a couple years."

His last statement did little to brighten Jessica's mood. That was strange considering she should have been happy that the kid who humiliated her finally got what was coming to him. But wasn't this punishment a little too much?

"But that's nothing you need to feel guilty about, Miss Valentine. It was his choice after all." He ensured before changing the subject. "Alright, everything looks fine so I'll get your discharge papers ready and you'll be good to go in a couple hours."

He turned to leave but was stopped when Jessica asked one last question. "Is...Is my mother here?"

Not really catching the tone of the question, the doctor replied matter-of-factly. "No. But she did call and had one of your home staff bring over a fresh change of clothes. They're over on the couch and you can change as soon as we get you unhooked."

That was all she needed to hear. Jessica gave a slight nod and sunk back in bed while the doctor headed out. Seeing her phone on the table to her left, she grabbed it and checked her messages. There was one from her mother.

Sorry I can't be there. The doctors told me what happened. You really need to be more careful, Jessica. I can't risk being humiliated because...

Jessica quickly slammed her phone back on the table. She didn't even bother reading the rest. She honestly didn't know why she expected anything different this time. It had been like this ever since her father had passed away.

Dad would be here.

She didn't get to dwell on the thought for too long before the nurse came in and brought her some food. Usually she was picky about what she ate but right now she was so hungry she didn't care. After she had finished, the nurse removed the heart monitor and the saline tubes before helping Jessica out of her gown and into her change of clothes: a pair of grey sweatpants, a plain pink t-shirt, and some tennis shoes. She normally preferred something more stylish but was grateful that Bertram had opted for something more comfortable.

She killed another hour or two on her phone before Dr. Jones came in with her discharge papers. Once everything was filled out, he directed her to the elevator along with a set of papers that needed to be turned in to the front office before she could leave.

Honestly, when the elevator doors opened on the first floor, she expected to be mauled by a mob of students and press but strangely enough, all was calm. At least until she rounded the corner to the reception area.

"JESSICA! YOU'RE ALIVE!"

The blonde girl was nearly steamrolled by her canine classmate as she was wrapped into a vice-like hug. Megan rubbed her fuzzy cheek against Jessica's in adoration. "I'M SO HAPPY! I THOUGHT I'D NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN!"

The little display of affection definitely didn't go unnoticed either. Pretty much everyone in the area was now staring at the two of them, mostly in annoyance.

Get off me you mangy mutt! Jessica berated internally while doing her best to break the hug but so far she was having no such luck.

Thankfully, a third girl managed to squeeze herself in between the two and force them apart.

"Jesus, Animal Girl! Are you trying to get thrown out!?" She exclaimed in a hoarse whisper. "Besides, I'm sure Jessica doesn't want to almost die again."

Megan began to pout. "Sorry."

Jessica turned to face the new girl. She had seen her around school once or twice but didn't have any classes with her as far as she knew. It would be pretty hard to forget considering she had two snail-like eyes popping out of her head. Jessica still didn't know her name, but figured she might as well ask since she saved her from being suffocated. "Thanks. And you are?"

"Tina." The girl replied bluntly before returning her attention to Megan. "C'mon Animal Girl, we need to go get our visitor passes." She turned around and headed toward the front desk.

This confused Jessica. Visitor's passes?

Weren't they here to see me?

Megan followed behind and motioned for Jessica to join them. She obliged considering she had to stop there anyway.

Approaching the receptionist, the middle aged brunette gave the three of them a dirty look due to their little antics in the waiting room. But she quickly dropped it once she recognized Jessica. Being famous definitely had its advantages.

"May I help you?" She inquired in a friendlier tone than she was planning a moment ago.

Tina spoke up first. "Yes. We need three visitor's passes please. And can you tell us what room Kaleb Lane's in?"

Three? I guess they're waiting on one more person. I can't believe he actually has visitors.

The receptionist gave her the requested passes before tapping a couple keys on her computer. "Mr. Lane is in Room 421. You can fill out your passes on that table by the door and the elevator is just around the corner on your right." She gestured in the direction where Jessica had just come from.

Tina thanked the lady and made her way over to the table with Megan not far behind. Jessica shook her head and turned to the receptionist, holding the papers in her hand toward her. "Dr. Jones said to give these to you."

"Of course." She replied, taking them with a fearful smile. "We hope everything was to your liking, Miss Valentine."

Was this a hospital or a hotel?

Jessica returned the fake smile with one of her own. "It was fantastic."

She spun around to leave but the lady stopped her. "Oh, right. You had a bunch of visitors but your mother insisted you be left alone. So we put all the stuff they brought on that table over there."

She pointed to the table directly beside the one Tina and Megan were at. Jessica didn't know how she missed it the first time. There were hundreds of cards, balloons, stuffed animals, etc. It looked like someone that belonged at a birthday party, not a hospital.

That makes much more sense.

"Riiiight. I'll have someone come by later and pick it up."

The lady nodded and got back to work while Jessica tried once more to leave, her limousine driver already parked in front waiting on her. Just as she got to the door, she felt a hand firmly grip her shoulder.

"And where do you think you're going?" Tina questioned.

Jessica turned her head in disbelief. "Home, obviously."

"Oh no. You're coming with us." She insisted before Megan called out to her.

"Hey Tina, you guys ready?"

"Go ahead and grab the elevator. We'll be there in a second." Tina replied.

Megan nodded and scurried off leaving the two of them alone. Jessica couldn't believe the nerve of this girl.

"And why would I bother visiting that los...?" She was interrupted by a loud slap to her cheek. It took her a moment to realize that the girl had actually done what she thought she had done.

Jessica rubbed her now stinging face, not caring anymore about the looks they were getting. "Just who the hell do you–"

"You have a lot of nerve. You know that?" Tina hissed sharply. "That 'loser' risked his life to save your sorry ass and you're not even going to say thank you?"

The blonde decided to let the slap slide and instead just chuckled. "Thank him for what? I would've been rescued eventually. Besides, I thought 'heroes' weren't supposed to care about recognition."

Tina returned the chuckle and shook her head in disbelief. "You're a real piece of work, you know that. Fine, do what you want. But as far as I'm concerned, Kaleb is ten times the hero and person you'll ever be." She threw the extra visitor's pass at Jessica's feet and walked away.

Jessica stood there stunned for what seemed like an eternity. Other than the villain's kid, this was the first time someone her age had the audacity to speak to her like that. And she hated it just as much as before. Wondering whether to pursue the girl and give her a piece of her mind, Jessica eventually decided to ignore the offense and turned to head out the door.

But try as she might, her feet wouldn't move. A heavy sinking feeling in her stomach that she hadn't felt in a long time resurfaced: guilt.

…...

Uhhhhhh…I didn't think dying was supposed to hurt so bad.

Ever so slowly, I squinted my eyes open. Thankfully, it was dark inside the room since the lights had been turned off and the curtains were pulled shut over the large window to my left. A quiet beeping noise reverberated throughout the place, and immediately I knew I was in the hospital.

I felt a slight pressure on my left leg. Slowly turning my head, I saw that Aunt Linda had fallen asleep there, both of her hands still tightly clutched around my left one. It was obvious she had been crying. Her scarlett hair could only be described as a bird's nest while the area around her eyes was red and puffy. I probably should've let her rest, but I figured she'd want to know that I was awake. Gently giving her hand a little squeeze, Aunt Linda grumbled a little before she started to stir.

But any animosity she had toward being woken up instantly vanished the moment she locked eyes with mine. Instead, tears began to pool in her eyes again.

"Kaleb?"

"Hey...Aunt Linda." I wheezed. Every time I spoke it felt like my lungs were on fire. A side effect of the smoke no doubt.

"You idiot. What were you thinking!?" She exclaimed in a hoarse whisper. Normally anytime she said something like that, it was filled with anger. But that was clearly not the case now as Aunt Linda softly cupped my head with her hands and began peppering my face with kisses.

"S–Sorry." I apologized quietly, speech still a challenge for me.

"You better be!" She stated as she pulled back. Although her words might have been harsh, the tone behind them was anything but. She started to gently caress my forehead. "You almost got yourself killed!"

Say what you want about her coarse exterior, but Aunt Linda was still all anyone could ask for in a mom. And seeing her so uncharastically distraught made me feel guilty about putting her through this. This wasn't like those other times where I just got roughed up. She clearly thought I was gone for good, and up until now, so did I. Which made me wonder, how the Hell was I still alive? That fall should've been the end of me.

"What...happened?" I mumbled out to her. My lungs still burned, but speaking was slowly becoming a little easier.

My aunt stared at me as if I was crazy before realizing that I must've blacked out at the end of my little stunt. "You almost died that's what happened!" She snapped, now a little bit of anger seeping through.

The guilt must've been obvious on my face because she quickly dropped the harshness in her voice. A deep sigh followed. "The pros showed up just in the nic of time. They said Elasto was the one who cushioned your fall."

Better late than never I guess.

But at the very least I knew I owed those guys some gratitude. Besides, Elasto was one of my favorite heroes, even if he was just a local one. Being able to stretch your body like that always seemed super cool, and in my case apparently very useful. I'd have to send him a thank you card when I got out, although he'd probably just throw it away because of who it came from.

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I failed to notice that Aunt Linda was getting choked up again. "You need to be more careful, Kaleb." She pleaded, her hands once again squeezing mine. "I already lost John...I...I...can't lose you too." She sniffled.

Although every fiber in my muscles was screaming, I fought through the pain and pulled her into a tight hug, tears starting to well up in my eyes too. I can't believe I'd been such a selfish jerk trying to defy fate that I didn't stop to think how she would feel if I offed myself in the process.

"I'm so sorry, Aunt Linda." I apologized, feeling her tears soak through my gown. She might've been tough on the outside, but inside her heart was as soft as a marshmallow. And I'd nearly broken it again.

We stayed in this position for another minute or so before she started to collect herself. Then she did something totally unexpected. Rubbing my cheek with her thumb, Aunt Linda smiled through her tears. "I'm so proud of you." She praised, shocking me."That girl's alive because of what you did. You're a hero, Kaleb. And I know John would say the same thing if he were here right now."

Even though I knew she was doting on me, just to hear someone call me a hero made my heart jump for joy. It was a feeling I'd been wanting to experience for as long as I can remember. And knowing Uncle John was smiling down on me only made it that much more enjoyable. But just like every other good thing that happened in my life, it wouldn't be long before something bad came along and balanced it out. And right on cue…

"Good to see you awake, Mr. Lane. I'm your physician Dr. Jones. How are we feeling?" The doctor remarked as he entered the room.

"Would you believe me if I told you fine?" I quipped, making a small grin appear on his face.

"Probably not." He chuckled back. But then any remnant of his jovial mood instantly disappeared. "Ms. Holmes, have you found a chance to tell him yet?" He asked, turning to Aunt Linda.

"Tell me what?" I looked over at her as well, immediately recognizing the look on her face as guilt. She shook her head back and forth to silently answer his question.

"Mr. Lane…" Dr. Jones redirected my attention back to him. "I'd like you to take a look at these." He pulled what looked like some x-rays from the folder underneath his arm and handed them to me, still reclined in the bed.

"These are scans of your lungs. As you can probably see, there's been some damage to the surrounding tissue."

I wasn't really familiar with the medical field, but it was easy to see what he was talking about. There were splotches of white dotted throughout my lungs as well as some scars along the walls.

"You have extensive what we like to call "ground glass" scarring to your lungs due to the smoke you inhaled." He explained.

"How bad is it?" I asked, my voice sullen. I couldn't bring myself to look him in the eyes.

He sighed. "Pretty bad. Your lung capacity has been severely reduced. We healed you as best as we could, but the damage had already been done."

"Isn't there anything more you can do?" Aunt Linda interjected. For a brief moment I felt angry at her for not telling me, but it quickly disappeared since I knew the news was just as devastating for her as it was for me.

The man shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Physical therapy will help but only so much. There are certain individuals with a strong enough healing Quirk for a complete recovery, but those treatment options will easily run you around at least six-figures."

She didn't hesitate to reply. "That's fine. I have some money saved up and I can always mortgage…" She stopped when she felt my hand on top of hers. She looked over to see me giving her a small smile.

"It's alright, Aunt Linda." I reassured. "I'll be just fine." Of course I was upset about my condition, but there was no way in hell I was going to let her lose everything just so I could be back to normal. Before she could argue, I spoke to Dr. Jones again, handing the xrays back. "I'll try the physical therapy."

He nodded briefly, a small but warm smile returning to his face. "Alright. I'll get you a program printed out first thing in the morning. You'll need to be on oxygen for a few weeks, and then we'll take it day by day. Ok?"

I replied with a nod of my own.

"Good. A nurse'll be here soon to give you a bath and get you some food." He turned to walk away, but stopped about halfway to the door. He turned back to face us. "I owe you an apology, Mr. Lane. I won't lie and say that I was thrilled to be assigned to you. But I clearly had the wrong idea about you. What you did yesterday made that clear. You're a fine young man. And under different circumstances, you'd've made a fine hero."

That remark caught me off guard to say the least. And bittersweet as it may have been, it was good to know that there was one less person in the world who hated my guts. All I could do was give another slight nod in reply.

"Oh?" His voice caught my attention again. "It looks like you have some visitors?"

Visitors? But who would…

"Hey there, Mr. Modesty."

Oh you've got to be kidding me.

Sure enough, Tina with those odd eyes of hers came into eyeshot, followed by an all too familiar fuzzy face.

"Hey, Kaleb!" Megan greeted, giving me a quick wave.

It's not like I wasn't grateful for them coming to see me, but I really wasn't sure I had the patience to deal with the two of them right now. Not to mention…

"My my. And just who might these girls be?" Aunt Linda questioned, half teasingly and half literally. Apparently, this was just what she needed to cheer up as that trademark smirk of her's reappeared.

I cringed internally. Megan would be easy enough to introduce. But Tina...that was whole other story considering that promise I made her. But if nothing else, I was a man of my word so I might as well bite the bullet. God, the two of them weren't gonna let me hear the end of this.

I sighed. "Aunt Linda, this is Megan, one of my classmates." I gestured to my fuzzy compatriot before doing the same to the other. "And this is Tina…" I grit my teeth together. "...my g–"

"Great friend." Tina suddenly interrupted, something I wasn't expecting at all. "He's a really great friend." She repeated.

That awkward little outburst momentarily wiped the smirk off my aunt's face, clearly thinking that I'd just been banished to the dark abyss known as the friend zone. But it reappeared just as quickly once she realized I'd actually made some friends.

Standing to her feet, she quickly scurried over to the two of them before simultaneously pulling them both into a hug. "Thank you. You don't know how long I've waited for this knucklehead to finally have friends. And two beautiful girls at that."

God I don't think my face could get any redder. And the little wink Tina shot me over my Aunt's shoulder only made it worse. I swear that girl had to have a sadistic kink.

I was about to shoot her a glare but Aunt Linda snapped her fingers before I got the chance. "Oops. I just remembered the doctor needed me to fill out some paperwork. You girls can look after my wonderful, single nephew right?"

Smooth, Aunt Linda. Real smooth.

Her little comment sailed over Megan's head, but Tina easily picked up on it. "You betcha. He's in good hands."

I swear Aunt Linda had a hidden superspeed Quirk considering how fast she ditched the three of us. That woman seriously watched way too many Hallmark movies.

Surprisingly, it was Megan who was the first to speak up. "I'm sorry, Kaleb." She whimpered. "I'm happy you rescued Jessica, but I almost got you killed. I should've been the one to go inside." The look on her face reminded of a puppy who'd just been caught chewing on something it wasn't supposed to.

I couldn't help but smile a little. "It's alright, Megan. It's not like you twisted my arm. It was my choice to do that."

Her face lit up. "You're not mad at me?"

"Of course not. Why would I—mphhh…"

I didn't have a chance to finish before I found myself being smothered by her again. But instead of a bear hug, it was her oversized funbags making it even more difficult for me to breathe as she nuzzled the side of my head.

"Yay! I was so afraid you'd hate me!" She squealed happily before Tina came to my rescue, prying Megan off of me. For a moment, I took back every bad thing I said about her.

"For fuck's sake, Animal Girl, you're gonna end up killing somebody with those things." She scolded after separating us. Meanwhile, I was still trying to catch my breath, definitely feeling the consequences of my lung damage.

"I did it again didn't I?" Megan pouted.

Tina sighed loudly. "Just try to be more careful would ya. And if you really want to apologize, go grab us some snacks from the cafeteria."

The wolf girl's ears immediately perked up at the mention of food. Not even bothering to ask for directions, she nodded vigorously before trotting out of the room, although clearly trying to keep her animalistic instincts restrained since we were in a hospital. Which meant that the only people left now were me and Tina, who gave me a teasing, seductive smile. I'd seen enough porn to know where this was headed.

What? I was a fourteen year old boy who went through an early puberty. And I seriously doubt you have any room to talk.

"Tina, don't get any funny ideas. I have a bedpan and I'm not afraid to use it." I threatened, suddenly feeling like a fish being circled by a shark.

Even though my warning had the opposite intended effect by making her burst out laughing, I suppose it worked all the same.

"Oh man, you're so much fun to mess with! You should've seen your face!" She giggled loudly. "Did you really think I was gonna seduce you?"

I felt my face heat up again. But whether it was from anger or embarrassment I couldn't say for sure.

"What's your deal, anyway?" I snapped, finally having enough. "I can't ever tell if you're serious or not. Hell, I almost told my aunt you were my girlfriend because of our deal but apparently that was a joke too. We barely even know each other so why do you love messing with me so much!?"

Tina obviously wasn't prepared for the lack of sarcasm in my little outburst, a look of surprise and maybe even a touch of regret mingled in her expression.

"Scooch over." She oddly requested with an uncharastically serious tone in her voice.

At first hesitant, I eventually decided to do as she asked and wormed myself to the left side of the bed so she could sit down near the middle of my body. Once she did, she turned so I could see her face (minus the eyes) but it was enough for me to realize something was different with her this time around. She looked...vulnerable.

"Hey, Mr. Modesty, what if...I wasn't joking?"

"About what?" Her question didn't really narrow it down too much.

"About the whole girlfriend thing. What if I actually liked you?" She asked again, and this time it clicked in my mind what was happening right now.

No this can't be right. This is probably just another one of her tricks.

But try as I might to find any hint of humor in her voice or demeanor, I couldn't.

"W–Wait a minute. You're messing with me again, right?"

"Not this time." She replied, dead serious.

I couldn't believe it. Tina really had a crush on me. For all the craziness that had happened in the last few hours, this easily took the cake. And all my dumb ass could do was lie there sputtering like a dying fish.

"So you...like...I mean like like...b–but...why?" I emphasized the last word because I really wanted to know the answer.

She chuckled at my babbling. "Because under that sarcastic mask, you're a sweet person who's really lonely, just like me."

Earlier I might've taken offense to that, but her last little comment took me by surprise. "Like you? But don't you have friends you hang out with?"

She shook her head. "Nope. Not too many people want to hang out with the school slut."

School slut? This was the first time I'd heard anything about that. Then again, I really didn't keep my ear to the ground as they say.

"You didn't know, did you?" She asked, and I shook my head to confirm. She chuckled sarcastically before explaining. "Until you and Jessica came to town, yours truly was the talk of the school."

Despite the smile, it was obvious Tina was hurting inside. Treading carefully, I pushed her a little more. "They're not true are they? The rumors?"

"Not a single fucking one!" She spat, becoming visibly angry, though not at me. "But apparently all it takes is some butthurt asshole who tried to force himself on me saying that I enjoyed spreading my legs and the whole goddamn school believes him!"

Although I couldn't see her eyes, I knew she was crying. And I felt a little bit ashamed that I hadn't seen through that mask of her's to begin with. I was starting to see how we were alike.

"And eventually you decided to just go along with the act since nobody would believe you." I guessed, speaking from experience and knowing I was right.

Meanwhile, I'd forced myself into a sitting position, and although it was exhausting, Tina needed a shoulder to cry on right now. I gently placed a hand on her shoulder, letting her know I was there for her.

"Did you know that my mom of all people actually sat me down and lectured me about it. My fucking mom!" She continued to rant.

I didn't say a word. I'd been in Tina's shoes quite a few times. She just needed to get it all out and someone to listen.

"But then when I heard about who you were, I thought I finally might've found someone who understood me. Then I watched you try to bluff your way out of that fight, and I realized that you were just like me, a scared kid hiding behind a mask. I think that's when my fake feelings for you actually became real."

I stayed silent a little bit longer, trying to figure out my own feelings and making sure I put them into words correctly. Finally, after a good minute, I gave her a reply.

"Look, Tina. It's nice to know you think of me as someone special, but I can't return your feelings. Not because I don't find you attractive or because I don't like you, but I don't think either of us are ready for a real relationship."

She stared down at me for a second. Then a disappointed smile appeared. "I guess I just got rejected, huh?"

"Romantically, yes."

"Ouch, who could've guessed you'd be so picky?" It was pretty easy to see through her teasing now.

"I wasn't finished. You were right about me understanding what you're going through. I've been dealing with it since I was little."

"Then how–"

I didn't let her finish. "I can't offer you a solution, Tina. Because I haven't found one myself."

Her expression went dark. "So what, we're just stuck like this forever? Slaves to the rumors?"

"For now. But I think we both have people around us who know who we really are. Who know you're not loose, and that I'm not a monster."

She scoffed. "Easy for you to say. My own mom didn't believe me."

I gave her shoulder a squeeze similar to the way Mr. Mack did with me. I guess the old guy was rubbing off on me. "I believe you, Tina."

While I wasn't sure how she'd respond to that, the last thing I expected was for her to lean over and kiss me on the cheek. I felt my face flush with embarrassment.

"You know I read a lot of comic books and watch a lot of superhero movies, but I never thought I'd meet a real life Steve Rogers." She chuckled.

I chuckled back. "Trust me, I'm not Captain America."

"I didn't say you were." She countered, standing to her feet.

I didn't get a chance to respond as Megan returned with arms full of snacks, Aunt Linda in tow.

"I call dibs on the beef jerky!" She chirped.

"I don't think so! I better get a few pieces!" Aunt Linda called after her.

You know today had been pretty rough all things considered, but I think almost dying kinda put some things in perspective. My aspirations of being a pro hero were permanently put to rest due to my injuries, but my little chat with Tina shed some new light on my life.

Ninety-nine percent of the world might hate me, but it's that one percent that I should've been focusing on instead of the majority, because they were the ones who really cared about me. Aunt Linda, Tina, Megan, Mr. Mack, hell even Dr. Jones saw the good inside of me when everybody else saw the bad. Maybe when Uncle John said all people need saving he didn't mean it literally. I might've saved Jessica from that fire, but more importantly I think I just helped save Tina from herself.

As I pondered all of this, I eventually made one thing clear in my mind. I was going to stick with my last name. For me and for Uncle John.

…..

Observing the situation from behind the portal once again, Paradox and his diminutive companion continued their banter.

"I assume you have enough proof now?" The professor posed goodnaturedly.

The small creature stroked his beard yet again. "You don't have to be so smug about it, Timewalker. The boy was able to overcome his cowardice, but at what cost? His body will not be able to handle the transformation process in its current state. We have the technology to heal him, but the laws of time will not allow it. They made it clear we are to interfere as little as possible."

This response didn't phase Paradox. "You are correct. But there's no need for us to interfere. After all…"

He opened another one-way portal, one that was focused on the girl hiding behind the door outside Kaleb's room. The girl who'd been listening to the entire conversation between the two people who dared to defy her. The girl who was about to help the two of them out of some twisted sense of pity and guilt.

Paradox smirked as Jessica Valentine quietly made her way down the hall back to the elevators, placing her phone up against her ear while she waited for it to arrive.

"Hello, is Regeneron available? He is? Then tell him the Valentine family needs a favor."

"...Time has a funny way of working itself out."

….

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