Hope

Chapter 3

Niall was finishing up packing supplies. Harry and Liam went to bed a couple hours ago. Honestly, he doubts Harry is actually sleeping, but he doesn't want to disturb him in case he actually is. Niall was actually having trouble sleeping tonight. He couldn't believe they were actually going back, but at the same time, he didn't know what was going to happen. Last time they faced Louis, Zayn, and Serena, it didn't end well. Niall knows it's time to go back and they can't hide forever, but he can't help but be scared as to what could happen. He's not going to lose Harry or even Liam for that matter. Both Harry and Niall have grown pretty close to Liam over the past year to the point where they've started thinking of him like a big brother. He knows that neither Harry nor Liam wants him to use his healing power, but if one of them gets hurt, he's going to heal them.

Their powers have been growing stronger, but he also doesn't doubt that the powers of the other three have also been getting stronger. To be honest, he knows they need to go back, but it was Harry who managed to convince him that it was time to go back.

"We need to go back home," Harry said when the two were alone. Liam had just left for work.

"I don't know, Harry," Niall said. "I think we're still needed here."

"We've taken down every criminal group that has crossed us. We're going to finish up taking down the biggest one tonight and then there will be nobody for us to take down. You know that. We're not going to be needed anymore."

"You don't know that for sure. More people could start causing trouble."

"This was supposed to be temporary, Niall. We have already stayed here longer than intended. We left everybody behind under mind control, including our families. We're already 15 now. I don't want to turn 16 here with my family still under mind control." Harry's voice got softer, just barely a whisper. "Plus, I don't really want to stay here any longer."

Niall knew that this past year has been the hardest on Harry for reasons that none of them want to think about. "Ok," he gave in. "We'll go back. We just have to convince Liam first."

"Want to surprise him at work again?" Harry asked with a small smile.

Niall laughed. "He's probably so sick of us doing that."

Harry shrugged. "He can deal."

Going back will be dangerous, but Niall knows that they can do it. It is time to save everyone. What good is calling themselves superheroes if they can't save their home?

Niall walked out the back door, sat on the step of their little porch, and looked up at the sky. It was past midnight, so the sky was very dark with lots of stars. He's actually conflicted if he will miss this place or not. A lot of bad things happened back in their hometown that led them to be here, but at the same time, bad things happened while they were here too. They can't escape the responsibilities that have come with their powers and now, they have their biggest challenge ahead. If they could figure out a way to knock Louis and Zayn out of the mind control they're under, they might stand a chance. Niall thinks back to the big fight right before they came here. He remembers seeing something on the back of Louis and Zayn's necks. 'Maybe that's how Serena is controlling them,' Niall thinks.

"What are you doing up?"

Niall whips his head around to see Liam standing there. "Couldn't sleep," Niall replies. "You?"

"Me neither," Liam says and sits down to Niall's left. "I was just lying in bed staring at the ceiling. I didn't want to just lay there anymore if I wasn't going to sleep." Both boys turned to look at the sky. "It looks nice tonight, huh?"

"Yeah. We're probably not going to get a calm moment like this for the next few days at least."

Liam nodded. "Hopefully, we can save everyone quickly. I definitely don't want to drag this out too long."

"Me neither. I was thinking that if we can get Louis and Zayn out of Serena's control, we might stand a chance. I remember seeing something on the back of their necks. Maybe that's how Serena is controlling them."

Liam thinks about it. "Maybe. We would be more powerful if we could get them back on our side. Although, they will probably ask about everything we did this past year."

"We don't need to tell them everything though."

"No, we don't."

There are a couple minutes of silence before Niall speaks again. "Why did all of this have to happen to us? Why, out of all people, did we have to be the ones to end up with powers and carry all this weight on our shoulders?"

"I wish I could say," Liam answered honestly. "I've been thinking the same thing a lot since we got here. I like to think that there is a reason. Maybe it was fate. Maybe it was luck."

"Bad luck?"

"It depends on the way you look at it. Yeah, a lot of bad things happened to us, but we have also done a lot of good with our powers. We've helped a lot of people. Maybe the bad things that happen to us balance out all of the good that we do."

Niall scoffed. "You really have thought about it a lot, haven't you?"

"Thinking this way makes it not seem so bad. A lot of bad things have happened to us, but I think it will turn around eventually. Also, wasn't it you and Harry who convinced me that it was time to go back."

"Harry convinced me first," Niall admitted.

"So, it was Harry's idea."

"Why are you guys talking about me?" The two turned to see Harry behind them. "Don't look so surprised." He sat down on the right side of Niall. The three of them looked back towards the sky. Eventually, Harry fell asleep with Liam following shortly after. Both of them had their heads on Niall's shoulders. It wasn't too long after that Niall found himself drifting off to sleep.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed!