The path to be a hero

[SakuraAlkaid]

Luca had been able to cradle Mariah to his body during the explosion, leaving him to take the majority of the shockwave damage. They ultimately landed several feet away from the old building with her back half against his chest and half on the ground. Luckily, his actions had kept her from getting knocked out, or worse. He was not as lucky, however, and ended up knocked unconscious. As soon as the ringing in her ears dulled somewhat, she sat up and looked around at the mess surrounding them, ignoring Luca once she realized she could feel him breathing normally. "No...." she thought as her eyes scanned the scene.

She finally found what she was looking for and stood, running over to him immediately. "Alex!"

Once she was beside him, she fell to her knees and began assessing the physical damage he had taken. "Alex, can you hear me?" she asked softly, praying that he would be able to answer her. "Alex, please answer me..."

[kai the pkk]

Alex: (as it begins to rain the ringing in his ears causes her vice to be muffled as his eyes are shut and after a good minute he opens his eyes slowly and he notices Miri) M-Miri...?? ( he slowly sits up) ow...( he looks towards the rubble) I can't protect anything he was right I wasent strong enough then and I'm not strog enough now I'm worthless what good are these powers if I can't even protect those people they trusted me and I let them down ( He repeatly punches the ground out of frustration) Damn damn damn god dammit!!

[SakuraAlkaid]

"Calm down, darling," Mariah cooed softly, taking his now bleeding hand in her own to keep him from injuring himself further. She was just as upset about it as he was, but she couldn't let it kill her either. She did everything she could. They all had. Fate had just played out in a way they had no way of foreseeing.

"It's not your fault, Alex... We all did what we could, but no matter what extra gifts we have, we are still human... We can only do so much. The world knows that, and we have to remember that. If not, we'll drive ourselves insane..."

Luca finally sat up, rubbing the back of his head as he did. His hand came away faintly sticky; A feeling he knew all too well. He would most likely need a few stitches, but it was nothing terribly severe. He began looking around for Mariah and found her cradling the new hero instead, although it had been him that had protected her from the bomb. That, on top of what she had said earlier, set wheels turning in his mind.

She had fallen for her target. She had been sent after him for information's sake only, with the instructions to feign feelings for him, and yet she had actually fallen for him. Well, that certainly did explain a lot of things...

It also gave Luca exactly what he needed to make sure that she continued her job, whether she was now faking her feelings or not.

[kai the pkk]

Alex: ( her words somehow managed to calm him down or atleAst that's how it looked once he relaxed his hand from a fist and he sat there listening to her calming words)

Announcer: there's a bank robbery happening on the other side of town heros you must put a stop and catch the criminals! It's time for some more hero tv folks- ( most of the herosst scatter to the scene of the Bank robbery except it seems as though Miri Alex luca and surprisingly king stay behind)

Alex: moving on just like nothing happened...I don't understand ( he gets up slowly) you should go too psyren i'll just head home ( he struggles to walk) I hope I can still meet up with you back at that store

[SakuraAlkaid]

"No, it's alright," she replied as she followed him, slipping under his arm to offer support. "I wouldn't be much help as I am, anyway. I can hardly hear a thing right now..." Still, it was a little depressing to see that some people could just move on from such a tragedy so quickly. It didn't take her by as much surprise as it seemed to for Alex, but she still shook her head slightly in disappointment.

Luca caught up to them moments later, limping as well. "If at all possible, I would like to try to meet with you either later today or tomorrow, Psyren. I just want to make sure that you're alright after you get cleaned up and checked out," he asked in a way that was strangely familiar. Mariah nodded in reply, knowing deep down inside that that wasn't the real reason he wanted to meet with her. She would have to deal with that later, however. For now, she just wanted to make sure that Alex was okay and get away from the remains of the bomb. Luca nodded back and slowed to a stop, leaning against a nearby wall. Ambulance sounds could be heard approaching, and though he wasn't planning on using them, he decided to make it at least look like he would.

"Thank you for earlier, by the way," Mariah called as he stopped, a sincere and tender smile on her face. "I owe you..."

"That you do, my dear... That you do..."

[grave robbing adept rogue]

Evan had thrown his phone on the ground when it went off a while ago, but now he's dusting it off and checking for any major damage. The screen shattered but he can still get calls. He's late to the call from before but he had to get changed into his outfit. Hungover or not, I have a job to do. No reason for me to get pissed off when-- His thoughts get cut off by another call. His face curls into an angered scowl and he brings the phone behind his head and launches it out of sight. "Gaaaah! Dammit! This is not the day for me to be this busy!" Evan gags again but holds down whatever is left in his stomach. He continues on his way to the site where the bomb went off. "Uuugh..." he approaches the destroyed building and looks around, there were many bodies under the rubble the most he could do now was assist the police in digging up the dead and telling the families of their losses. "Man... I need a drink." A police officer seems to hear Evan and brings over a canteen filled with water, Evan pushes the canteen away. "The alcoholic kind, thanks for the offer though, I suppose it's time for cleanup?" The officer puts the canteen away and responds. "Yeah, we'd appreciate any help we can get, although most "heroes" left after they found out the bad guys were gone." Evan sighs in disgust. "Nothing more than over rated bounty hunters. They do more harm than good." Evan begins pointing out the spots where the police can find bodies. They begin clearing the rubble and find the dead civilians everywhere he had told them to look. "Anyone have any headache medicine?" The officer from before brings him some pills and Evan slips them under his mask. "Thanks" Evan doesn't get the next call because he lost his phone, it probably was completely destroyed from his last throw so he doesn't bother worrying about someone finding out his identity. He just continues locating bodies.

[kai the pkk]

Alex: let's head back to my place I need to get out of this costume( he hops onto his bike as he drives the two to his apartment and mariah helps him up the stairs to his room as he changes into his clothes from earlier and out of his messed up costume as he limps out towards miri) sorry you had to help me get here I dont want to be a burden on you but Uhh yeah welcome this is my home ( he zones out momentarily as he thinks back and begins to tear up Abit) I couldn't reach them...damn it...( he holds his side in pain) can I ask if you could help bandage me up Abit?

[SakuraAlkaid]

When Alex returned, Mariah helped him into a chair, saying, "Come sit down," as she did. Once he was sitting, she took a knee in front of him and gently brushed her thumb across his cheek. "It's alright, Alex. You did everything you could. Here, let me get you taken care of and we can talk about it later, okay?" She was gone just long enough to find a first aid kit in his bathroom and quickly wash the blood and dirt from her face before she returned to his side.

She didn't have any obvious injuries, aside from a few small scrapes and bruises, but her outfit was ruined. The jeans were so patchy below the knee that they might as well have been cut-off shorts, and the tank top was now a good two and a half inches shorter at the bottom. With the blood off of her face and neck, though, she could have passed for normal from the neck up.

"What do you need my help with, Alex?" Mariah asked as she sat before him once again, setting the now-open first aid kit down beside her.

[kai the pkk]

Alex: ( he take his shirt off revealing a bad cut on his side it's pretty deep along with a small cross shaped scar on his upper chest) I need to just be cleaned and I can let my powers take care of the rest of it...( he looks at her as he Takes the hand on his cheek in his ) but really we should get you cleaned up first I mean I'm pretty tough so I'll live but you have some cuts and bruises yourself thank you for helping me calm down btw I don't know what I would of done if you weren't there


---

Aarron: (watching the clean up) *yawn* so what exactly happened here

[grave robbing adept rogue]

Evan turns around in surprise at the familiar voice but hides his surprise behind his mask. "A bomb went off." Evan shrugs and shakes his head. "Everyone else left, so I'm here on clean up." A badly burned corpse is pulled out from rubble, it's missing some limbs. Somebody caught in the explosion no doubt. "Gonna have to check the dental records on that one..." If I wasn't in the bar with you all night, could I have saved some of them? I'll take the blame if any is placed. It's my burden to carry. Evan doesn't allow himself to cry no matter how gruesome the scene is. His mask covers whatever emotions he can't keep bottled inside. I'm gonna need a new phone, I'll have to register it with the heroes too. Tomorrow has to be better than this. Evan stops directing because he's pointed out every body. "The authorities should be able to do there jobs faster now. I'd like to help clear the rubble if I could." Evan is given a shovel and begins putting the rubble into buckets and dumping the buckets into dumpsters which are taken away and brought back every half hour or so. "If the heroes were sent to help with this, we could finish in less than an hour!"

[SakuraAlkaid]

"No, I'm fine. Really. My hearing's coming back, which is the only thing I was a little worried about..." Mariah replied, her free hand unconsciously reaching up to feel underneath her ear. "The scrapes are nothing big. Most of the blood I washed off was from my ears, so I promise I'm fine." Before he could argue, she opened a larger alcohol pad and gently pressed it against the edge of the cut.

"Sorry," she whispered, knowing it would hurt him. With a cut that bad, it would have to. "I know it hurts... Just squeeze my hand if you need to."

[kai the pkk]

Alex: n-no its fine trust me I may not look it but I've been through much worse( he accidentally squeezes down briefly as he loosens his grip as she finishes cleaning the wound) Ow Ow ow (he finally loosened his grip as she began wrapping bandages around him and he places his shirt back on) I just ( he almost seems embarrassed) if it isn't too kh trouble can you stay with me for Abit I- I dont want to be a lone right now ( he looks up as his eyes meet her the look in his eyes still sad And he was having still some trouble accepting the reality of the situation) Miri what you said before we're you serious? You'd reallY stay if I gave you reasons even after seeing me like this?


Aarron: hmm that's a damn shame... It really is quite unfortunate I guess you heroes can't win them all huh? Is there anyway I can help with the clean up?!

[SakuraAlkaid]

Mariah was fine until Alex asked his second question. A faint pink lit up against her pale cheeks, and she slipped her hand in his until her fingers were laced with his. "Alex, to be honest with you, you don't even need to give me a reason to stay as far as I'm concerned. I want to stay around, if you'll have me, that is..." She fell silent for a moment, her gaze never leaving his, before finally continuing. "And of course I'll stay for awhile. My friend doesn't need to see me today, and even if he did, he can wait for you."

Of course Mariah knew she would catch hell if Luca ever found out any of what she had confessed. She would have to make sure to never think about any of this whenever he was around, in case he decided to probe her memories against her will. She was a fairly strong telepath, but Luca was hands down twice as powerful as she was. She was already a little worried about what he would do to her for her actions earlier. It was obvious that that was what he wanted to talk to her about too, which frightened her to the core, but she would have to worry about that later.

[grave robbing adept rogue]

After hearing the question Evan grabs another shovel and bucket from the back of a police car. He is smirking under his mask as he hands Aaron the shovel. "Don't work too hard, no matter how hard we strive we won't finish it anytime today." Evan drops another shovel full of rubble into his bucket. I'm glad there are no other power users here, I can relax a little. "You don't seem very phased by the bodies pulled out, most people would have thrown up at least." Evan was barely holding off his own urge to vomit, but the main cause of that was his hangover. "So what's your story?"

[kai the pkk]

Alex: ...of course I couldn't imagine having anyone else your perfect Miri..i want to let you into my life..( he softly brushes some hair out of her face as he brings his face closer to hers as he stops before their lips meet cause he doesn't want to push it this girl was somehow able to calm him down even during his darkest hour she was able to pull hom back before his rage would turn into madness he may still be haunted by his face but he feels like he doesn't have to carry that burden alone anymore) sorry I don't want to be pushy if this is too much you can just say so...( truth be told he was still hurting from how he couldn't save those people and his past was slowly starting to creep to the surface but he didn't allow it to show for now)

---

Aarron: it's nothing new to me ive seen my fair share of bodies...you may get used to it but it still hurts to see (he grabs the shovel as he takes out dog tags from under his shirt) I fought in the war that erupted soon after the lost Christmas event of course once you heroes arrived the fighting had stopped but over that time I watched my comrades get shot right before my eyes I even watched them fall to the hands of rogue power usersbht of course that's what life was about then I had no choice ( he begins to help out around the area) besides I want nothing more than to help give these folks a proper burial

[SakuraAlkaid]

"I shouldn't be letting this happen... I know better than to let this happen, but I... I want it. I want to quit being used to get close to possible King candidates only to rob their secrets and leave them for Luca to push past.. But he would never let me go that easy. I'm too useful to him... He'll never let me be happy with Alex, with or without quitting...Damn it, what do I do?..."

Her thoughts tormented her, twisting her stomach into knots. "I just want to be happy again..." she thought as she leaned forward, closing the small gap between them.

A single tear traced her cheek as she did, as she knew she had made her life a lot more difficult with that one small action. At the moment, however, she could care less what would happen to her.

"Come what may..."

[grave robbing adept rogue]

Evan looks toward the sky, black smoke still lingered in it from the explosion, it was the only thing obscuring the blue sky. "I could drink to that. Now all I need is the beer to go with it." Evan was helping however he could, this moment while tragic is almost therapeutic to him. This person he met the night before is worth of being called a hero, unlike the power users who leave the police to clean up a mess they started. "Hero T.V. has it all wrong. People like you are the only ones worthy of the title 'Hero', I can't even compare. If you had powers you'd be perhaps the only power user I could respect." He continues working while talking. "If they didn't have powers, they wouldn't even voice concern over something like this, let alone lend a hand."

[kai the pkk]

Alex:( completely shocked though he manages to reciprocate though as he manages to pull her closer to him by moving towards te couch and he eventually pulls back regrettingly) i-I ummm it is now I realize it's a good thing I remembered to put my shirt back on ( he laughs playfully) you sure you okay with this? I mean I don't want to sound silly I can't promise that won't happen to me again unfortunately but I do promise to let you into my life...I want to make you happy
----
Aarron: surely the heroes aren't all bad I mean your helping with the clean up aren't you? Trust me though when I say this I'm no hero but of course it isn't their fault perhaps their mind has even corrupted by their powers and they even feel as if now they have the responsibility hit get corrupted by media and fame

[grave robbing adept rogue]

Evan sighs, slowing down in his work. "You have no idea. Everyone there is either so arrogant they wind up doing harm without knowing it or are only in it for the fame and recognition. I'm different, I hate my own organization but thanks to my powers I'm forced into it, otherwise I'm labeled a rogue and my freedoms become severely limited." Evan speeds up his work again dumping bucket after bucket into the nearest dumpster. "I seriously believe I'm the only one in that bunch of fools with any sense of responsibility." Responsibility... in order to keep my two lives separate I behaved normally last night... I should have been here but I was hungover. Who am I to talk about responsibility? Evan sees the sun starting to dim on the horizon. "Not much longer until we can't see what we're doing, then we've done all we can." Only a few people know what Evan's power is, because his power can't be seen and it has no form of contact with others. The only ones who know are a few people in jail and the ones who have read his application to Hero HQ. "You're more of a hero than any of them." I think... I will have to give up my normal life in order to atone for this. Can it be helped? He lifts up some rubble and puts it in an almost full bucket. No more Evan? Is that the answer? I will give it all up. Now I understand, it isn't possible to be called hero without such a sacrifice. "I guess the time for pretending is over. I'm done with the heroes, they aren't worthy of that title."

[SakuraAlkaid]

" 'I want to make you happy'... I hope I can only do the same for you," Mariah thought to herself as she stared back at Alex. She couldn't help but wonder what she had just set in motion for herself, as well as Alex, but it was too late to dwell on that now. Whatever it would turn out to be, it was already set to happen.

"I'm fine, Alex. Don't worry. If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't, trust and believe," she replied with a soft laugh. "Let me put all of this back up and we can talk about everything more, alright?" Mariah said as she put the first aid kit back together, taking it and the trash back to the bathroom. She honestly just needed to take a breath for a moment, but cleaning up seemed to be the perfect excuse.

"I really hope I didn't just force us into the same ending I had teasingly hoped to avoid before..." she thought as she returned the kit to it's proper place in the bathroom. "But then again, going out as they did might be easier than anything Luca could do to either of us.."