Nightclaw: Blood Moon Apex

Prologue: An Unforeseen Tragedy

-2021-

-Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA-

This can't be.....it just can't. I hope I am not too late.....

Her foot stepped on the welcome mat, and the sliding double doors leading into the hospital's grand lobby promptly opened for her.

Carla Rosenblood, also known as the werewolf superheroine Nightclaw and a founding member of the Paragons, hurriedly rushed into the expansive room and ran straight for the front desk. She presented as a girl with a slightly stout build, fair skin that almost appeared tan, dark hair, and black eyes with white sclera. At the moment, she wore a sleeveless black tank top, a pair of skinny jeans, and converse sneakers, with a few bracelets on her wrists and a leather backpack slung over her shoulders.

By the time she had reached the center table, she was already gasping for breath. "Calm down, young lady," the receptionist behind the counter said softly. "Take a moment to breathe, then tell me what you need."

"Is there a patient with the last name 'Rosenblood' in the impatient ward?!" Carla asked frantically.

The receptionist turned her attention to her desktop computer, moved the mouse around a little, and clicked a few buttons, eventually getting back to Carla. "Yes, there is. They're on the fourth floor; once you get there, you'll have to talk to the people at the nurses' station to find the correct room."

"Can't you tell me where their room is now?!"

"I'm afraid not, dear. The records are exclusive to each floor. I'm sorry."

"Fine.....thanks, anyway!"

She then bolted away in the direction of the elevators; as they came into view, a text notification pinged on her cell phone. When Carla read it, it only heightened her anxiety.

"Carla, Murray's heart rate has dropped to 31 beats per minute," her father, Dave Rosenblood, informed. "Are you on your way yet?"

Sniffling—and trying to prevent tears from leaving her eyes—she sent a reply as quickly as she could. "I'm on my way. Just hold on."

The poor heroine couldn't understand why this was happening. Just a few years ago—during the early months of Carla's career as Nightclaw and her induction into the Paragons—her younger brother, Murray Rosenblood, had consistently been in picture-perfect health; he had helped her into her transition as a superhero, and even appeared regularly as a guest on her podcast, Hero Theory, always making sure to bring an excitable, cheerful aura with him.

And then, all of a sudden, at the beginning of 2021, he had been diagnosed with a severe, inoperable brain tumor that no one could do anything about. It was now about seven months later, and Murray's condition had taken a turn for the worse. With Carla's mother, Martha Rosenblood, having already died of cancer in her childhood—when Carla was only three years old, no less—she couldn't bear to think of losing yet another member of her beloved family.

Carla then put her phone away, arrived at the elevators, then pressed the button to call the elevator. Upon entering, pressing another button for the fourth floor, and reaching the ward, her phone pinged again just as she stepped out of the doors; it was another update from Dave.

"Murray's heart rate is now 25 beats per minute," Dave reported, the urgency in his voice somehow obvious despite it being over text. "You must hurry."

"I'm coming!" Carla answered. She turned right immediately after leaving the elevator and pushed the wall-mounted button to open the large double doors to the impatient ward, not even waiting for them to fully open before squeezing herself through the opening and rushing to the nurses' station.

"Hello, young lady!" the woman behind the counter greeted. "How may I help you to—"

"I need to find Murray Rosenblood!" Carla wailed. "I'm his older sister, Carla. Where's his room?!"

This second receptionist immediately reacted with just as much urgency as Carla possessed at the moment. "Okay, umm....." the woman replied as she deftly sat back in her chair, returned to her desktop, moved the mouse around, and pressed several buttons on the keyboard at a remarkable speed. Then, she stood back up. "Room 4601, sweetie."

But when she moved her eyes from her desktop screen back to where Carla had been standing, the young girl had already disappeared. Hmm..... she thought to herself. Guess it must've been important.

Carla soon located the sign for Room 4601 and ran down the east hall as fast as her legs would carry her, desperately hoping that Murray was alright. Or, even if he wasn't, that she would still make it just in time to share some final words with him.

"Hey," she began. "I came as soon as I got out of schoo—"

However, she was met with the sight of her father Dave Rosenblood slowly and solemnly walking out of Murray's hospital room, with a team of medical specialists all decked out in scrubs rushing into the hallway and through the door to the room.....all from the opposite direction that Carla had come through.

Carla traded distraught looks with her father, already shaking her head in denial. She could even hear the sound of the heart monitor flatlining—even from outside the room—but she had hoped that she was somehow just hearing things. "No.....no....."

Dave looked just as saddened as his daughter was, trying his best to hold it together as he made the grim announcement. "Your brother.....is at your mother's side."

Carla felt like she was going to collapse, but Dave barely managed to catch her before she fell forward.

As Dave closed his eyes and also mourned silently, he and Carla remained hugging each other as the girl sobbed for what seemed like forever, with Dave physically turning both himself and his daughter away as the medical team left the hospital room with the bed carrying Murray's body.

***********************************************************************************************

-One Week Later-

Per Murray's wishes, his funeral was not too public, being restricted to close friends and family members only. Within the chapel, the officiant stood on one side of the sealed coffin, with the attendees on the other side. Carla was front and center, with Dave on her left side and her best friend, Brian Banks, on her right; all of them were in typical mourning attire. Surrounding the three of them were various cousins, uncles, and aunts from both sides of Carla's family, with her recognizing most of the faces from Martha's funeral, even though that had taken place so long ago.

As the minister concluded the eulogy, a group of six pallbearers hoisted the casket upwards, with the audience parting to give them some room. As the team stoically walked out of the chapel's double doors and proceeded to the cemetery yard, the Rosenblood's friends and family followed behind; the officiant himself was the last one out.

When everyone reached the cemetery and it came time for the coffin to be lowered into the grave—which had already been dug out prior to the ceremony—Carla, Dave, and Brian all silently touched it one last time before backing up. However, Carla doubled back, fully leaning over the coffin and putting her head against its surface while crying, much to everyone's sorrow. Dave and Brian looked at each other, then Dave slowly walked forward, placed a comforting hand on Carla's shoulder, and guided her away from the casket. As his hand remained on her shoulder, Brian also clasped one of Carla's hands to give her some comfort.

And then, the coffin went down.

It was the last time Carla would ever see her younger brother.