Universal Heroes- Book 3

8~10

Blue Moon
I was asleep when I felt something hot touch the back of my neck. I jolted awake, immediately feeling a slight pain in my forehead when I turned to face who disturbed me. It was Ethan.

"What're you doing?" he asked softly.

I've been working with these guys for as long as they got their powers and I barely was able to tell the difference between him and Elijah, who unfortunately for me brought the crystal up about an hour ago.

"Just trying to help." I said, taking a glance at some experiments on the shelf to the right of me. "What's that?" I asked him.

"For you." he said, giving me the cup he held. It was green tea, presumably fresh from the brewing stand.

"Aw Eth.."

What I did learn however was how they all had a good heart and burning passions. Unlike other people I've seen slowly drift in the past, they work together through the thick and thin, even if the forces of evil can get to them. And, they were always willing to help people who deserved it. Especially after how I treated the twins I didn't think either of them would return.

"Maybe you should take a break.." he said, putting his hand on the bruise on my forehead.

I laughed nervously. "I was just tired. Now you go clear your mind n shit I have to get back to work." I said slowly standing.

Ethan grabbed my hand and put me to sit again. "It can wait."

"No it-"

"You overwork yourself too much. Didn't that one break we have make you feel alive?"

"And how did that end?" Ethan suddenly fell silent and I realised I was becoming that girl again. I sighed and shook my head. "I'm sorry..for everything really. I-I don't know what's happening to me."

"And that's fine." Ethan started. "Like Star said, this has been hard on all of us." He looked back at Alex's body on my bed, practically looking like a mummy with the amount of bandages wrapped around parts of his body to stop him from losing more blood than he already had. "But common to all of our knowledge, you can work as much and as hard as you want you can still end up failing."

The last statement took a while to sink into my head, like a slow poison death. As I realised his intention, the stress I had merged with a new found outrage. Had he really not have faith in me? Or his friends?

"You can't be giving up now." I said lowly while shaking my head.

"I don't want you pushing yourself over your limit for an 'if'." he stated worriedly.

I stood up and slammed my hand on the table. "I can fucking handle it!" I shouted. In a calmer tone I continued. "But more importantly the thing that drove you and all your friends into going into that dangerous ritual was the fact that he would've done the same. You're the determined one, where's that trust in everyone you usually have?"

"I'm just scared! Is that what you wanted to hear? I'm fucking scared, okay!"

Silence overcame the room again as a blue aura lit up around him. It was a demon power of his - a cute one in my opinion. The ability to show emotions through auras. His eyes were squeezed shut with tears hitting his lap as he held his head down in somewhat defeat.

"I don't want to lose anymore...I've lost my sanity..and Elijah almost died too many times. Amie risked her life facing Sunny of all people-"

"Ethan..." I sat down as my temper cooled again, "...believe me when I say that being a hero, and more so being a demonic hybrid hero is full of risks, losses and sacrifices. We all end up giving up shit we value, but it's all for a greater price. It's okay to be scared, but please do not give up that one thing that keeps you going because of everything you lost. You only get deeper that way."

He sniffled and put his hand on mine, but not in a loving way. He was glad that I was there for him, and frankly I was glad he was able to help me realise what was important in all of this.

"Why don't you go chill now that your part of the job is over. Now that you've helped me calm down a bit, I'm gonna bring us home. Thanks for the tea by the way." I said.

"No problem." he said in a lighter mood before leaving.

After I had closed the door behind Ethan and reassured myself that he was a safe distance away, I walked over to Alex and touched his forehead. He was burning up which meant 2 things: he was finally gaining some sort of consciousness, but along with the slight expression of discomfort written on his face there was also something wrong with him either physically or mentally. His vitals which were once slowly but steadily rising again were beginning to drop and I had ran out of every safe medication I had.

An if, Ethan said. Those words reverberated in my brain as I gently dragged my hand to Alex's right wrist, where cuts were finally healing under the bandages and the glow of the half moon shone dimly. I couldn't let all of it be in vain, but I had to remind myself that I did all that I could. Then it struck me that this was now up to Alex, as weak as he was at the moment. Here was where he had to make the choice of fighting for his life again or letting it go. Though judging by the sudden stress put on his body, I believed what his option would be and an opportunity opened up, even if I didn't want to resort to it.

Before leaving, I grasped his wrist and with tears falling from my eyes I lightly whispered,

"Please wake up Alex. We can't do this without you."