Hoping for Heroes

Chapter 43

Harley and her mom continue banging on the door, screaming out for Isaac, but receiving no response. Harley must've generated some energy in her hands without realizing it, because on her final hit the door flies off the hinges, surrounded in a purple glow of energy. She wastes no time to burst in, finding Isaac shivering on the ground.

"Isaac," she gasps, falling to her knees beside him, her mom on the other side. She tries to grab his face to make him look at her, but he rolls away. "He's freezing."

Alayna grabs Isaac's face in both of her hands, not letting him roll away. "Look at me," she demands. His head lolls toward them, but his eyes are unfocused.

"What's happening to him?"

"I don't know." Isaac continues shaking, and Harley sits back on her heels, covering her mouth with one hand. "Isaac, you have to turn. Isaac, come on!" 

Harley, while still shaking, summons some energy and thrusts her hands toward him, forcing him to turn. He sits up abruptly, resting against the bed. Harley sighs in relief, wiping the blood coming from her eyes.

"Did you see them?" Isaac asks, teary-eyed. 

Harley shifts forward, closer to him. "Who?" she asks.

"There were five of them. They wore black." Harley has to swallow the lump forming in her throat as she sees a tear roll down Isaac's face. "I couldn't... I couldn't see their faces. They were covered."

"Like masks?" Alayna asks.

"One of them... I could see his eyes. They were greenish-yellow. Like a... Like a firefly." As Alayna gets up to check for signs of forced entry, Harley moves forward again so she is kneeling directly in front of Isaac. He lets his head fall forward onto her shoulder, and she runs a hand through his hair.

"How did they get in?" Harley asks her mom.

"They didn't," Isaac says, picking his head back up. "It was like they came out of the shadows." Harley sits up as she sees her mother's head pick up.

"Mom?"

"I might have an idea. I need the two of you to stay quiet, just for a few hours."

"From everyone?" Isaac asks.

"We can't lie to Scott about this, Mom," Harley sighs.

"Just 24 hours," Alayna says. "I need to speak with Argent."

"They could've killed him."

"They didn't. I think that's for a reason." She walks out before she can say anything else. Harley sits awkwardly for a moment, before looking back to Isaac. 

"Come on," she stands up, offering out a hand for him. He takes it, standing up. Rather than letting go, however, he tugs her into a hug, resting his face in the crook of her neck. Harley hugs him as tightly as she can. "You're safe now, I promise. I'm not gonna let any demons get to you without going through me first."

He smiles against her neck. "How about that movie now?" 

She rakes her hand through his hair, pulling away from the hug. "How about you take a hot shower and go to bed, hmm?"

"Will you be joining me?"

"You're a pig." She shoves him away, smiling as his laughter that borders giggling. "Go, I'm serious." 

"Yeah, yeah." He looks at her for a moment, as if contemplating something.

"What?" He just smiles at her. 

"Nothing." He walks out to go take his shower, and Harley turns back to look at where he collapsed. Her smile drops as she remembers what happened.