"I'm sorry." Dean bowed.
What the actual fuck?
"What the actual fuck, Dean?" Amy echoed what was on her mind.
She crossed her arms, glaring.
Dean had pulled her aside, practically begging for a private conversation. Now, they stood in an empty hospital room, the harsh fluorescent lights casting a sterile glow over his bowed form.
"I'm sorry for the way I treated you." He straightened himself and looked her in the eye. "I was arrogant in thinking that I could help you by just understanding how you feel about me and… about Vicky."
Amy snarled. She had just about enough with this shit. Before she could let loose, he motioned her to stop.
"Please, just let me finish. Then, you can ignore me forever. I promise I won't talk to you about this anymore. Are you fine with that?"
"Super," she shot back venomously.
Dean took a deep breath. "The truth is, I don't understand how you feel. My power only allows me to know, not relate. I thought that with enough time, I could help you get through this. I thought I was doing the right thing."
He shook his head and chuckled mirthlessly. "I wasn't. I'd only been pussyfooting since the beginning. It's not that I don't know the proper way to help you; it's just that I was afraid."
Amy scrunched her nose. "Afraid? Afraid of what?"
Dean sighed. "That Vicky might actually love you back that way."
"What?!" Amy's stomach lurched as his words sank in.
He combed his hair back. "It's not unnatural, you know, for you to fall in love with her. Hell, you guys aren't even blood related. Some people might find it weird, but that's how life is. All of us just pretend that we're normal."
He started pacing back and forth as Amy stood stock still, gaping. "We've had millennia to learn that you don't just decide how you feel about someone. That's what's disgusted me about my own power. That I could literally fucking mindrape people into loving me."
His words were like a gong to her ears. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was Dean… also afraid of his own powers? Just like she was of her own? Her mind raced.
"I've thought about burying it, you know? How I really felt, I mean. I thought that in order to be a hero, to be Gallant, I had to bury all that ugliness beneath me. I'm so fucking stupid." He swiped his hand in thin air and looked at her. "How the hell can I save anyone if I can't even deal with myself?!"
Amy gasped as she saw droplets fall from his cheeks.
"Hurting people is destructive. Half-assing helping others can be even more so. But the most destructive thing a person can do is lie to themselves. Being imperfect doesn't make you a villain. Being wrong doesn't turn you into a monster, Amy."
Amy's eyes stung. "Wh… What the fuck are you talking about?"
"You know damn well what I'm talking about."
Amy choked.
Dean took another deep breath, not bothering to wipe his tears. "Go to Vicky, Amy. Go to her and tell her the truth. All your feelings. Not just your love, your happiness, but also all your hate, sadness, anger. Everything that irritates you, from the smallest to biggest things. Everything that makes you feel good. Don't lie to yourself, and don't lie to her. Neither of you deserve to hurt."
He turned toward the door.
"Wait!"
He paused, glancing back.
"Why… why are you saying all this now?" Her voice broke, confusion mixing with desperation. None of this made sense.
He looked at her one last time, a fragile smile tugging at his lips. "I thought I was going to live forever."
And with that, he walked out, leaving her in stunned silence.
"Boo!"
"Ah! Aisha!" Brian shouted as his plate fell.
"Hahahaha!" She laughed as she dodged his attempts at grappling her.
She slipped and he caught her head under his arm, giving her a noogie.
"Hey!"
Both laughed at each other's antics.
Settling on the couch, Aisha turned on the TV.
"—In other news, the mayor's house was ransacked last night by the notorious villains known as the Undersiders. The—"
Aisha gave a whistle.
"Look at that, Brian. The Undies went to steal another pair of undies," she said, ribbing him.
It was so fucking funny to see his face flash through various emotions. It might have felt like shit to him, but that was what he got for keeping secrets from her.
"—newest member, the Scourge Siren."
A picture was shown of Siren standing in a rich looking hallway. To her sides were her brother and Regent, standing like opposites of black and white.
Fuck! She's so fucking cool!
"—are advised to flee on sight. Do not attempt to interact with them under any circumstance. They have been assigned as A-Class—"
Brian spit his coffee, much to her delight.
"What's wrong, big bro? You got a crush on Siren?"
Brian made another face, which was also fucking hilarious.
Brian shook his head and frantically looked at the time. "Uhh… Gotta go. Duty calls."
"Sure, sure."
More like, bootie calls, heh. Bug bootie, that is.
"Don't eat all the snacks at once, okay Eesh?!" He said on his way out.
"Okay!"
She then went to the drawer and took out all the snacks. "Heh, as if."
When she came back to the living room, however, she realized she wasn't alone.
"Uhh, oh hey, Brian! I was just going to put this back." She chuckled nervously.
Only when he didn't give his usual response did she properly look at the intruder.
He had his back turned towards her. Wearing all black, with twin katanas on his back. Bandoliers rested across his shoulders and waist. The hammer on his glock went "clack."
Aisha choked, taking steps backwards quietly. Only to bump into something. The cape before her turned to dust. She slowly looked up…
To see the demon mask of Oni Lee.
He pressed a finger over the mouth part of his mask and pointed his gun to the side of her head.
"Shh."
[Destination]
"Ah, welcome back, Mister Hebert!" Greeted Germaine, the cashier at the grocery store Danny usually went to.
"Hey, how's it going?" He waved back.
They exchanged pleasantries.
"You seem much more lively today, Mister Hebert. Any good news?"
Danny nodded. "Ah, yeah. It's my daughter. She seems to be doing better at school. Getting new friends and all."
"That is terrific! So happy for you and your family!"
"Thanks!"
He walked down the aisle—the one with the upper middle class products. Unlike his father or daughter, Danny wasn't a grubby penny-pincher. He liked to spend some money on luxury. He didn't get how the rest of his family line were able to get by with so few of them. At least Taylor never went stingy on hygienic and hair products.
"Um, excuse me." Danny snapped back to reality.
He looked at the one talking to him, surprised to meet someone who could match his height. The man was black and had short hair, and was also particularly thin. He wore a suit under his overcoat.
"I couldn't help but overhear," he said. "Are you Danny Hebert? As in, from the Union?"
"Yes?"
The man gave him a bright smile and shook his hand. "It's so good to meet one of Brockton Bay's best!"
"Ah." Danny chuckled embarrassedly.
Just when he thought the day couldn't get any better, this happened.
"Thank you for everything you've done for this city."
"No, no." He waved in denial. "I'm just doing my job."
"Hey, do you mind if I talk to you some time? About the state of Brockton Bay and how we can improve it?"
That piqued his interest.
"Oh, sure… uh…"
He extended his hand. "Tom. Tom Calvert, from the PRT."
"—truly shocking, that a villain that just recently came into the spotlight would turn over a new leaf and sacrifice herself to save her hometown. It just goes to show you that capes, no matter on which side, are hum—"
Click.
"—Cornell University sends their condolences to the deceased cape's family in Boston—"
Click. Click.
"—giant glass statue of the monstrous cape known as Echidna, along with the other crystallized capes and their clones—"
Click-click-click-click.
"—Travelers! Vile monsters who feed on people! Good riddance!"
Smash!
Oliver groaned, clutching his head as he slumped on the sofa.
Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Now he had to pay for damages!
"...Oliver?"
He stood upright. "Jess?"
He walked to her room's door. "I'm coming in, okay?"
"Okay."
"How you holding up?" He asked her as he sat on her bed.
She just gave him a brittle smile.
Right.
Fuck.
That was the wrong thing to say.
"It's going to be okay," she said, patting his arm.
Despite him being able to walk, despite her not even having her wheelchair anymore, despite the rest of their fucking team dying to that sick fuck bomber—
It was Jess that had to calm him down, not the other way around.
Oliver choked.
"What's wrong, Oliver?" Jess asked worriedly.
He hiccuped and sobbed.
"I, I want to be strong, Jess. I, I, I want t-to help you… but I just can't! I'm stupid and useless, and, and…"
Jess pulled him down to a hug.
He didn't resist.
"You are strong. You just don't know it," she consoled him with lies.
Oliver was scum. The worst of the worst. If he hadn't been able to save Jess in time, he would've hung himself by now.
He was weak.
But…
Jess kissed his forehead. "I'm cold. Please be my pillow for tonight."
"O, Okay." He gulped.
For her, he would become strong. He would kill Oliver, and only then would whatever that replaced him be able to accept her love.
He hugged her tight as she herself let go of her tears and sobbed into the night.