I don't own anything.

Breath left my lungs just as I tried to suck in more, I felt like Alexandria had stuck her hand in my gut and was using my organs as a stress ball. The dull aching feeling pulsed, trying to keep me down, but I leaned back instead, avoiding the right hook that would have clocked me in the jaw instead. I hunched over further, denying the man another chance at a liver shot. I had overextended on a jab, bringing my right arm too far up to block the uppercut to the liver.

In front of me, Mark Dallon, no Flashbang, was stood in his white bodysuit. I didn't really want to think about the green armor plating that was layered over it. The large man had managed to block a number of my hits with the plating, and let me tell you, punching spiked metal plates is not fun, even if you have super strength.

I gave as good as I got though, I thought, after tapping aside a probing jab from the white-clad hero and sending one of my own straight into his chin. Now dazed, Mr. Dallon wasn't ready for the hook I sent into his cheek. That being said, there was a reason that this man was the one instructing me on how to fight up close. Flashbang rolled with the punch, taking most of the bite out of it. Not only that, but he used that moment to launch a brutal kick into thigh, almost sending me sprawling.

I was about to launch into a series of heavy body shots to regain momentum, even if all I wanted to do was drop to the ground and nurse my aching leg. Letting Flashbang dictate the tempo of a fight was a horrible mistake, one that I hadn't made since the second lesson on CQC I'd had with the man. I didn't have the time to let the first punch fly though, as a shrill ringing sound came from the house, signaling the end of the session.

I was not ashamed to say that I dropped to the ground immediately upon hearing it. That last kick wasn't the only one Mark had driven into my legs today, and it was only pure bullheadedness that had kept me fighting as long as I had. Looking over at the man who had been instructing me since my induction into New Wave the week before, I couldn't help but wonder how the man was still standing.

I never hit at full strength, control being the first thing that Mr. Dallon had taught me, but I was still hitting him considerably harder than most heavyweight boxers could on their best days. Though I guess it made sense. Flashbang had been a hero in Brockton Bay for decades, and unlike most of the other members of New Wave, Mark could neither fly away from danger, nor did he have some defensive ability that would protect him if anyone ever got close.

Oh sure, he could probably just detonate some concussive light orbs point blank, but that would leave him vulnerable if he ever exhausted himself in the field or if the use of his powers could injure bystanders. So, by necessity Flashbang was the foremost expert of physical combat in all of New Wave.

Even still, the man had just taken a number of punches and kicks, any one of which would have put down a lesser man, and he barely seemed worse for wear. Simply walking inside to turn off the ringing alarm. After a few moments, the shrill noise cut off and Mr. Dallon was back, offering me a cool bottle of water. "Thank you." I took small sips to avoid having a repeat of my first session. I had been so thirsty after playing Flashbang's punching bag that I had simply gulped down most of the water in one long draw, only to vomit it all up along with my lunch. Apparently, drinking a large amount of fluid minutes after or during heavy exercise is not a good idea.

"Good punish at the end there, just make sure to either check a return kick or punch hard enough that whoever you're fighting can't kick at all." That was another thing I'd noticed. As much as Mr. Dallon had hammered restraint into me, he also reminded me constantly that I shouldn't be afraid to use my strength. You don't want to kill anyone, but love taps aren't going to get you anywhere either. And it was advice I was trying to take to heart, but seriously injuring the closest male role model I had was not something that I was entirely comfortable with. I doubt that I would have the same issue if I came across Lung or Kaiser.

"Thanks! I just hope I'm ready for tomorrow." I could almost feel Mr. Dallon's eyes turn to me at the statement.

"You nervous about your first patrol?" He asked. And after taking a moment to try and catch my breath, I replied.

"I don't know. The patrol looks like the easy part. It probably sounds stupid, but I'm a lot more worried about school." And honestly, I was. At least out on the patrol, I knew what to expect. There would be criminals, and I would attempt to apprehend them. I would fight them, they might injure or kill me, but I was okay with that. If I could help even one person like I had been helped, then it would be worth it. School on the other hand, I had no idea what to expect.

"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." And just like that, Mark seemed to have already known exactly what I was thinking. "I know that it can be scary Sam, and unfortunately this is not the kind of problem you can solve just by punching it in the face. But trust that you'll be okay. You're a good kid, and if the others at school can't see that then it's their loss. And remember, you'll have Vicky, Amy, Crystal and Eric there to help you out if you need it." My lips twitched up into a little smile, I could only hope that Mr. Dallon would be right. Though he hadn't led me wrong yet.

Brockton Bay General was not exactly what I would call well-stocked and well-staffed. Just like the rest of the Bay, it seemed to drudge on stubbornly in spite of that. The smell of antiseptic and chloroform in the halls were oddly familiar, even though I had never been in any hospital before, let alone this one. I nodded and smiled at the nurses in the hall, some of the men and women in scrubs even mustered enough energy to smile back. Must be a new rotation. And distantly, I wondered how I knew that.

It took me some time to find the ward I was looking for, the colored lines on the floor were fading and made some hard to distinguish. In looking for the pediatric ward, which was color coded navy, I had found the oncology department, which was color coded indigo, by accident.

As the automatic doors sprang open for me, I almost walked into the doors as they opened towards me. I managed to avoid embarrassing myself, though I did see one of the male nurses carrying a food tray smile at me a little too widely. I resisted the urge to glare at him and kept walking.

I found my reason for coming here a couple doors down, hunched over a kid with a thick white cast on his leg. On the bright side, you could barely see any of the plaster's original white under the signatures covering virtually every inch of it, the kid had a lot of people looking out for him. When she noticed me standing in the doorway, Amy, dressed in her red and white robes shooed me away towards the waiting area as she finished up with her patient.

I sat down at one of the cheap plastic tables that seemed all too common at the hospital. It wasn't empty, I must have come at a busy time since the only available spot seemed to be at a table where a little girl was drawing flowers. When I sat down, the squeak of my chair drew her attention.

"Hello mister!" She didn't skip a beat, simply greeting me before going back to her drawing. "Hi." I mumbled back. I hadn't met any kids since I had arrived here in Brockton, and I didn't have any of the handy instincts that I got when I cooked or entered certain places. I was more than a little out of my depth, but maybe if I didn't encourage her, she would draw quietly.

"Mommy and daddy didn't buy any flowers for Lily, so I drew her some. Do you think she'll like them?" Evidently trying to keep quiet wasn't going to work. I looked back up at the drawing the girl was showing me. It was certainly colorful, yellows and reds and greens clashing with each other across the sheet of paper. "I'm sure she'll love it. After all, you made it for her." That seemed to brighten the girl's mood a little, though she still seemed a little down as she continued coloring in one of the petals, this one in purple.

I didn't know what this Lily was in the hospital for, and I wasn't sure I wanted to know either, but it was nice that someone was there for her. My lips quirked into a smile as an idea came to me. I tugged on the light inside me, and as always, it eagerly answered the call. The bright white light flowed into my hand as I thought back to the orchids Mrs. Mackey from next door grew in her front yard. A moment later, the shape solidified, and I was holding a glowing white orchid in hand.

The light construct was smooth and warm to the touch, devoid of the sharp edges and rough grip I usually made them with. A spear or sword was very different from a flower after all. "Hey, can you give this to Lily too. I think, if she's here in the hospital, she can use all the flowers she can get." The girls smile grew brighter than the light I held out to her, and honestly, that was all that mattered.

"Can I? Really?" I gave her a little nod, and with a shout of thanks, the girl took off down the hall. Drawing in one hand, light flower in the other and the biggest smile on her face. "That was nice of you." The soft voice broke me from my musings. While I had been focused on making the flower, Amy had walked into the waiting room, still in her white robes though the hood was down leaving her curly brown hair out for all to see.

"Yeah, it's nice to be able to do something." I said softly, and it really was. For the last week I had been preparing to go out and fight crime, to stop villains and criminals from hurting others. And the thought was great, I was excited to go out for the first time. But being able to do something for that little girl, to bring a little bit of joy to someone who was hurting, it was something else. Vicky had taught me that when she found me, that being a hero wasn't all about stopping the bad guys, it was about helping people.

Amy seemed to agree with me as she gave me a little nod. I hadn't been able to see it with the hood on, but she looked exhausted. The bags under her eyes had bags under them from being there so long. For a moment I wondered if Amy had taken a break since she had arrived at the hospital after school. After a moment of thought, I realized that she probably hadn't.

Vicky should have finished her patrol about an hour ago, and I had expected to see her here forcing her sister to take a much-needed break, but instead it seemed that that duty would fall to me today. I pushed the twinge of worry for Vicky away. If she was hurt, I would have heard something by now, and Amy definitely wouldn't be here if her sister needed help.

Shaking my head, I slid the Tupperware I had been holding over to the other girl. "Last time Vicky and Crystal ate them all before you got home, so I thought I would bring you some this time." As she opened the container, the smell of cinnamon and ginger reached my nose almost instantly as the fresh cookies were exposed to the open air.

The crisp snapping sound that rang out when she bit into the first gingerbread cookie she'd fished out was music to my ears. According to the recipe I had found online, if they had a good snap they were baked properly. The appreciative hum that came from the healer brought another smile to my face. Cooking and baking had given me something to do while I wasn't busy with Lady Photon or Flashbang during the day, and it was a great outlet. The pleasure people derived from my creations always made me flush with pride, and it had encouraged me to look for more recipes to try out. I had even traded a couple with Mrs. Pelham, as she too was an excellent cook.

"I thought you could probably use a little break as well, so I thought I'd come sit with you for a bit." My statement got her to look up from the box of treats, a confused frown slanting her eyebrows. "Oh, I thought you just needed me to fix you up. I know you and dad sparred again today." That made me frown too, couldn't I just come to see her without any ulterior motives? She was my teammate now, and hopefully a friend too, though with how snarky she usually got with me I'm not sure she saw me the same way.

"No, I mean, yes, we did spar. But I'm fine, just a couple of bumps and bruises." She nodded absently, nibbling on her cookie. After that, it was relatively smooth sailing. We spent some time talking about how she was doing at the hospital. Though she seemed to take some special joy in ruining my appetite when I took one of her cookies. I did not need to know where some kids shoved their toys, ignorance really is bliss sometimes.

"By the way, do you know where Vicky is? I thought she'd be here forcing you to take a break after her patrol." And suddenly all the banter was gone, replaced by another frown, this one much deeper than the last. "She's on a date." Oh, well that explained why I hadn't seen her. I'd heard that Vicky had a boyfriend of course, but I hadn't considered that. Something stuck out to me though, Amy seemed to be especially grumpy when she mentioned it. Did she not like Vicky's boyfriend, or did she just not like that she wasn't going to be seeing her sister today because of it?

"I need to get back to my patients… Thanks for the cookies." Before I could respond, the girl had made her way out of the waiting room, her hood flipped back on. Absently, I grabbed the empty Tupperware before making my way out of the hospital. What was that about?

That night, I was sat on the Dallon's roof again looking up at the stars. It was almost a ritual for me at this point. Every night before I went to bed, I would spend some time just watching whatever stars were bright enough not to be drowned out by the city lights, and similarly, every morning was spent watching the sun rise over the water of the bay, illuminating the city.

It was relaxing and allowed me some time to think about all that had happened and changed for me since I had arrived. Though this had also alerted me to the fact that I did not need much sleep. A couple of hours was enough to rejuvenate me, allowing me to wake completely alert in time to see the dawn. It was a blessing, at least to me, as I would have doubtlessly been overwhelmed without the little ritual to center me. Everything was changing so fast, even with the extra time to think about things I found it hard to keep up.

I was broken from my musings when I heard a strange sound. Looking up, I could see Vicky flying in. She was dressed up, for her date I suppose. She was wearing a white skirt reminiscent of her hero suit, but with a pair of black tennis shoes and a blue blouse on top. As she got closer, I realized what the sound was, she was crying.

She didn't even seem to notice me as she flew at her window, pulling up at the last second. The blonde seemed almost frantic as she tried to pull the slanted window leading to her room open, slumping down when she didn't get it immediately. "Vicky, are you okay?"

Startled, the girl looked at me, her eyes wide as she wiped at them with her sleeve, trying to erase the mascara and tears that had run down her face. "Ye- Yeah I'm fine." I imagined that I looked about as unimpressed as I felt right now. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but there's no need to lie." She seemed more surprised that I called her out on it than anything else. Slowly, I made my way over to her, careful not to make too much noise. It was late and I don't think she wanted her parents up here seeing her like this.

When I got within arm's reach, Vicky stuck her arms out and clamped then down around me, burying her face in my chest. Distantly, I was glad that I'd worn one of the black shirts Crystal and Vicky had picked out for me when we went shopping.

We just sat there for a while, neither of us saying anything. I rubbed small circles on her back while she calmed down, the sobs slowing until they eventually stopped. "What happened?" I broke the silence. Her blue orbs met my own and she stared for a while before she answered,

"I broke up with Dean." Oh.

"Oh." Never let it be said that I don't speak my mind. A broken little laugh escaped Vicky as another sob pushed her face back into my chest. "Yeah, Oh. I was just so damned angry at him. It's been weeks since we did anything outside of school. We finally find some time and then he cancels on me." It was like a dam had broken, as she told me everything.

"I know he's busy with school and his dad's company and stuff, but I have stuff to do too, and I make time for him. I just don't fucking get it!" She continued, the sobs gone, leaving Vicky ranting instead.

"And you broke up with him?"

"Yeah, when I got his text, I called him and kind of blew up at him." She whispered.

"Do you regret it?" "No." "Okay."

For a little while longer, we just sat there in silence. I wouldn't, couldn't judge. I had never been in a relationship, I had no idea how any of this worked. All I could do was be here for my friend. After some time, she shifted, her face once again looking up at me from where her cheek was plastered to my shirt.

"You would make time for me, right?" It took me a moment to register, but when I thought about it, if I had been in her boyfriend's place, I couldn't see myself not making time for Vicky. "Yeah. Yeah, I would."

She just looked at me for a little longer, and then there was something on my lips. Soft and warm. Distantly I realized that the thing on my lips was Vicky's mouth. Vicky is kissing me!

And then the instincts came, different from what I felt when I cooked or walked through the hospital, more primal in a way. It told me how to shift her in my grip, how to hold her to make her feel good. What to say to make her fall, how to twist her towards me, how to make her fall.

What the fuck is happening?

The rational part of me, probably the only part that wasn't too busy enjoying the kiss to still work properly, screamed at me. Unlike in the kitchen, or in the hospital, these instincts were not just different, they were plain wrong. I didn't want to tempt Vicky. Okay, I did, but it was wrong. I couldn't do that, not to her. Startled, I pulled away.

Looking down, I saw Vicky's eyes again, those gorgeous pools of blue crystal. She moved forward again, but I pulled out of reach, trying to gather myself. For a moment, she looked confused, and then came the hurt. I will not make her cry. I resolved.

"Vicky." She looked back, her gaze having moved downwards to hide the tears that were forming in them again. "I don't want this to be something you did in the moment and regret later. If there is going to be anything happening here, I want it to be because its real." It wasn't a complete lie, I don't think I could have lied to her in that moment. But it was mostly a way for me to buy some time.

I wanted her, I wanted her so damned badly, but I needed to find out what was going on. As much as I wanted her, I also didn't want to hurt her. Looking down, I realized that everything had finally become too much for her, and the blonde on my chest had falled asleep. Carefully, I opened her window before gently carrying her through and setting her down on her bed. With a little smile, I tucked her in and wiped the last of her tears with my sleeve.

I hopped back out of the window and closed it softly before I spread my wings and took off. Sleep would not be coming easy tonight, and I needed to figure out what was happening. What was wrong with me?

A/N: Okay, this chapter was pretty loaded. I tried to add a lot of dialogue because that's something I've struggled writing in the past. For some reason, it always felt too robotic and either had too many descriptors or not enough. I'm hoping to get some feedback on that to see where I can still improve.

Other than that, I wanted to thank you all for the reviews. Anyone who sent a review up until this point should have already gotten a response from me. If you haven't seen/read the responses, check your PMs. Anywhos movin' on! I hope you guys enjoyed, and I'll see you next time.