Red Dragonfly Strikes Again

Chapter Thriteen

Wilbur soon opened his eyes slowly to see Rosemary and Savannah standing over him and checking his pulse. "Oh thank God. He's awake." Savannah said with relief.

Wilbur would rise up softly, looking around and scratching his head in confusion. "Where are the other heroes?"

"Coffman told them to stand down. They're in the city doing ground control."

"And Russell?"

Rosemary looked across the hall at her husband standing over by the window as he was deep in thought. His cowl would be his hands, his expression being full of anxiety, stress and fear. "He's...off to himself."

Savannah began to read his mind to see how he was feeling. So much regret, so much that he wanted to say that he was holding back. "I think maybe you should go talk to him." She said. "He'll open up to you more."

"Wait. Mom, what about you? Can't you talk to him?" Wilbur asked with concern.

"I tried. He just seems so...distant lately." Rosemary said as she looked down and rubbed at her belly. "I think it has something to do with the baby."

Wilbur immediately gave a sympathetic look as he got out of bed slowly, moving out of the room to sit next to Russell for a talk. "What's wrong with you?"

"Heh, I should be asking you the same question." Russell replied with a small chuckle.

"I'm fine, Russell. I've came back from far more worst." Wilbur reassured him and saw how much he was forcing his grin. "Why aren't you talking to Mom? I thought you guys had everything co-steady."

"We do. It's just...everything that's going on right now." Russell admitted, dropping the happy facade. "The pregnancy...the invasion...figuring out that I might die. It's all too much."

Wilbur saw just how done Russell was with everything and how scared he was. "What do we do now?"

"Nothing. We give up." Russell admitted coldly as he tossed his green cowl across the tile floor. Wilbur was shocked at what he heard. "You're just quit? Just like that?"

"I said we give up. But quitting works too, I guess." Russell replied sternly, pinching the bridge of his nose with irritation.

"But...you're Green Dragonfly. You always find a way, no matter what." Wilbur said, trying to cheer his stepfather up to no avail.

"Kid...sometimes in life when all odds are against you, the best you can do is throw in the towel. It's not worth fighting something bigger than you." Russell explained before scoffing. "I mean, who am I kidding? I'm no hero. I'm not a husband, I'm not a stepfather. I'm not anyone. I'm just a guy who's gonna bring a kid into a world of evil, where he'll be victimized for being different. That's if he isn't some Jeff Golblum fly creature made out of my fucking DNA."

Wilbur frowned softly, getting up for a second and grabbing his cowl off the floor and holding it in front of him. "Who made this?"

Russell didn't answer, looking away from the cowl in his face.

"Who made this?" Wilbur asked again.
"Kid please-"

"Shut up and answer the question." Wilbur said, trying his best to hold back the tears he had. "Who made a whole durable suit made out of metal of his own creation?"