Underground Hatred - My Hero Origins (MHO)

21: The Definition of a Hero

Word Count: 2031

(Kat)

 Despite the soft landing, Kat stumbled slightly, catching herself in the process. A force wrapped around her midsection to keep her upright, a squeak escaping her mouth. Wide amber eyes spotted the ground inches from her face, but her legs slowly picked herself back up along with the force, steadying her to rock on her feet. Slow stabilization kicked in.

Peeking to her left, Kat spotted Davis standing there with hesitance, hand halfway extended to almost grab her once falling figure. Blue light floated from his fingers to her torso, which slowly retracted with her gained ground. The glow behind the visor dimmed, leaving darkness to settle back over their awkward figures.

Kat brushed herself off, watching the light dissipate. A nervous laugh escaped her lips as she said in a hushed, embarrassed voice, "I don't think I'm gonna ever get used to flying."

"I—It's my fault for a sudden l—landing. Don't blame y—yourself."

"I'm also clumsy," Kat added, her head tilting somewhat to the side. She glanced at the ground, kicking at the pebbles that her sneakers sank into. "This ground doesn't help either."

"Yeah..."

Spinning slowly in a circle, Kat peeked at the surroundings. The west sky was dark with stars to still litter the front, but the east side was beginning its ascent of the sun, the once black sky turning a light blue on the horizon with a mix of orange to accompany it. The air was filled with frost, coating the insides of Kat's lungs—not to mention the industrial smell that caked the morning smell. The warehouses lying around were spaced out, massive parking lots flooding the surroundings. Some buildings were falling to the ground, some had some wear and tear, and some appeared brand new, as if they were built only months before. The concrete jungle was rough, new saplings of buildings, old oaks towering with their shingles and glass branches falling. The ghostly shadows that followed only created a haunted forest of uncertainty, yet odd beauty of manmade structures.

Kat and Davis were planted atop one of the new saplings that was beginning to spread its wings. The gravel beneath their feet was new, steam billowing out half of the vents that stuck out like leaves. The lack of humankind walking the streets gave an eerie, abandoned feeling, as if Kat was the only adventurer beside Davis. The single sign of life was the work and drive of the vents, explaining the individuals who resided in the trunk of the tree. The light of the windows lining the top of the massive walls gave a warm, cozy sensation of their orange hue, a dreamy haze to follow.

A childhood dream drifted to Kat: she wished to examine the world from a rooftop. Either on a house or a regular building, but she wanted it to be outside, carefree. The wind to play with her auburn hair, no rails to hold her back from the edge. It was an adrenaline rush, the dream that always seemed to give her the autonomy she craved. She wished time after time again to sit atop a roof—with or without anyone, she never cared—and soak in the beauty of the world around her, to imagine soaring away from the world she despised with every ounce of her soul.

"Damn," she muttered, standing at the edge of the building, a small, concrete wall that went to the middle of her shin to prevent her from approaching anymore. She never realized she wandered to the edge, glancing at the east sky and its watercolors. The city sat behind her to the west, a vast world to the east: a place she wanted to explore. A place she craved to feel actual grass and trees instead of the city-bound nature that sat artificially for aesthetic purposes.

"It's beautiful..."

Kat peered over her shoulder, finding Davis to be standing right beside her, taking in the sunrise. The tiniest sliver of light crossed his face, a bloody orange tint to it. The breeze that blew around the two picked up his hair a bit—just as it had in her dream. Her heart picked up, the pounds stabbing her sternum. Her fingers itched to move towards Davis's hand; she remained motionless.