When Heroes Fall

Chapter 5

Lien snuck around to the backside of the gas-station, stepping over yesterday's garbage to step on box to grab onto the window that she knew would be left propped open. Grabbing the small window frame, Lien pulled herself up and through the window, keeping the box of insulin balance between her legs. Lifting herself up and then gently lowering herself, Lien scanned the bathroom. The florescent lights flickered above. Empty, good, she nodded to herself. She picked up the box, tucking it under her arm as she entered the third stall. The toilet seat was cracked and yellowed. Using the toilet as a step, she pushed on the center ceiling tile. It moved easily under her fingertips. Sliding it aside, Lien reached into the ceiling and pulled out a large, black backpack. She dropped the backpack to the ground and jumped off the seat.

Unzipping the pack, she pulled out her civilian clothes from the day. The gas station sat just around the corner from her house, and most of the time it kept her mom from asking too many questions. Slipping out of her super suit, Lien changed. She shoved her other outfit back into the bag, hiding the case of insulin vials underneath her clothing. Slowly, she peeled off her mask, grimacing as it pulled against the already scabbing skin on her nose. She slid the mask into the bag with everything else and zipped it shut.

Stepping out of the stall, she caught her reflection in the mirror. Blood stained the skin under her nose and a thin cut tore over the bridge of her nose. Moving closer to the mirror, she inspected the already forming bruise. Gently, she prodded the skin. It didn't feel broken, thankfully, but it was going to be hard to hide. Lien cursed under her breath. Nightstar had been lucky getting that hit in.

Lien ripped a piece of paper from the towel dispenser and turned on the faucet. She ran the towel under the water. With the damp paper towel, she dabbed her nose, clearing away the dried blood. She frowned. The paper towel hadn't helped much. Tossing the paper towel in the garbage, Lien turned to the door. Leaving the restroom, she kept her head down. The gas station attendant was glued to their phone, paying no mind to Lien as she slipped outside. The night air was cool against her now bare arms.

Tightening her grip on the straps of her backpack, Lien turned the corner to her house—a small one-story home behind a half-painted white fence. Weeds creeped up between the cracks in the sidewalk and the grass would need to be mowed again soon, but the sounds of the late-night lulled Lien into a tired yawn. She pushed open the wooden gate and trudged up the steps to the front door. The rusted doorknob turned under her hand. She stepped into the kitchen.

Lien froze, heart hammering in her chest louder than it had been back in the alley, noticing the lights on over the kitchen table. Sitting there with a cup of coffee, no doubt cold, in her hands, was her mother, Hahn.

Hahn sat wrapped in her light blue robe, pajamas underneath. Her long black hair laid in a loose braid over her shoulder. Bags lined the underside of her eyes. Her whole body sagged, weighed down by the day. Lien wondered what time her mom would have to be up in order to make it to her shift at the hospital the next day. Lien attempted to smile.

"Hello, Lien."

"Hey, mom," Lien squeaked, avoiding her mom's gaze, "what are you still doing up?"

Hahn raised a brow. "I could ask you the same."

"Right," Lien shuffled off her shoes, but stayed by the door, "I just...needed some fresh air."

Hahn sighed. Her coffee cup clinked as she set it down on the table. She shifted, inviting Lien to sit down at the table with her. Lien hung her head, walking over to one of the two empty chairs at the table. She flopped down, sinking into the chair. Lien raised her gaze, meeting her mom's concerned eyes. Hahn reached out, taking Lien's hand in her own. "You know, dear, I love you...and you can tell me anything."

There is a quiet beat. Lien slipped her hand out of her mom's grasp.

Hahn frowned. "I know things have been difficult since...well, since your father passed, maybe you should consider seeing Dr. Roman again."

Lien's gut turned. She stood, slamming back her chair. "I don't need a therapist. I don't feel guilty about dad's death. And you can say it. He's dead. There. See, I can talk about it—I am fine. The only thing that needs to be fixed—the only thing that's broken is the world. The only thing broken is a police department that shoots a social worker. The only broken thing is that the insurance policy wouldn't pay dad's life insurance. Okay! I am fine. I am not the thing that needs to change. I am not broken!"

Lien panted. Hands quaking, Lien exhaled. She unfurled her fists. "Sorry, I—uh, I shouldn't have yelled." Lien sank back into her chair.

Hahn leaned over, kissing Lien on her forehead. She rested her forehead on Lien's, breathing deeply. Lien closed her eyes, holding back the tears. "It's late, we should both get some sleep."

Lien nodded.

Hahn stood, leaving her coffee on the table. She placed a hand on Lien's shoulder and gave a quick squeeze. Lien leaned back in the chair as her mom left the kitchen for her bedroom. Lien stared at the ceiling, the popcorned texturing casting shadows. She watched the ceiling fan cut through the light for a moment. School in the morning would be awful, and she had a test in history that she hadn't studied for at all.

Groaning, Lien stood up and made her way to her bedroom. The room was cramped, fitting a broken dresser and her twin bed, along with the minifridge she used as a nightstand. Lien knelt by the mini-fridge, grabbing the vials from her pack and setting them in the fridge to deal with in the morning—she could have Mage stop by and then deliver it to the people who need it.

Thinking of Mage, Lien whipped out the burner phone she kept with her Chaos suit and flipped open the cover. Scrolling down, she clicked on Mage's avatar, bringing up their last text conversation. Typing quickly, she checked in to see how Mage and Boulder fared. Ellipses appeared. A moment later a series of emojis appeared; a thumbs up, a heart, a magic wand, and a rock followed by a random combination of hearts and rainbows. Lien rolled her eyes, texting back to have Mage pick up the package in the morning. Lien flopped back on her bed, bouncing on the mattress. Her eyes fell closed. Everything felt heavy. Grimacing, Lien rolled over and yelled into her pillow.