GraceFall [ONC 2024]

12

Mid-Town Park - Arclight City ...

Leona Lawrence stumbled through the blazing portal, falling upon the grass with little grace. The robes she had worn in the sub-dimension of Crystonia, tattered and singed, fell about her as she tried to gather her wits and bearings. As soon as she saw the familiar landmarks around her, tears welled in her eyes, but she couldn't celebrate her return to Earth. Not yet.

Pushing her bruised and battered body from the ground, she turned to face the portal as it began to throb, emitting strange, flaming energies that threatened to reach out and carry her back to the world where she and Principle had spent the last year of their lives. Leaning back, away from the gathering winds, her hand rose to her mouth as she whispered prayers, begged for the portal to remain open a little longer.

"Please. Oh, please." Discarded newspapers, leaves and other objects tumbled past, devoured by the portal as it began to diminish. "Just one more time. Beat the odds one more time!"

The portal had almost gone, the storm force winds growing stronger the smaller it became, until she feared it would disappear, leaving Principle and the most precious thing in the universe still on the other side. It would take another year for the energies that had opened the portal to grow again, but she couldn't see anyone surviving that hellscape any longer. He had to make it back. They had to make it through.

With one, final pulse, the portal began to collapse in on itself and Leona began to wail in despair. He hadn't made it. For all his strength, all his powers, all his determination in the face of threats greater than anyone should ever have to face, Principle had failed. As the winds began to fade, Leona fell to her knees, clutching the thin robes to her chest, heaving sobs escaping her mouth.

A flash! A blur! And in the very last second before the portal collapsed, someone else stood before her and Leona's tears turned from loss to joy. Principle had prevailed! He stood there, hovering above the ground, his cape gathered in front of him and Leona knew he had not only survived, he had not returned alone. In the end, Principle had done what he always did. He had beaten the odds. He looked down to her, a face filled with joy, and unfurled the white and gold cape.

"I found him." With care, Principle offered the greatest prize toward her. "I found our son."

"Oh, Tony!" She collected her baby from his strong hands, holding the boy to her chest, her other hand reaching out for the man she loved so very much. "I thought you would be too late. Your powers. They ..."

"I managed to break the shackle in time. I'm weak, weaker than I've been in a long time, but I found him. Our beautiful boy." Powerful fingers stroked their child's hair with pride. "I couldn't save Victor, though. He may be my greatest enemy, but he doesn't deserve what they'll do to him."

"He made his bed." Leona couldn't even scowl. Victor had started all this with his insane plan for revenge. Instead, she and Principle, Tony, had created new life. "Oh, my god! My mom and dad! They'll think I'm dead! I have to ... I've got to ..."

"It's fine. I'm tracking local tv stations. We've only been gone ... three days. Three days! And ..." Principle's head whipped around. Leona knew that look. "I have to go. Something bad is happening in Faraday City. I ... I ..."

He frowned, his eyes turning back to her and their child. For perhaps the first time in his entire life, Principle hesitated. She could sense the urgency. From the tensing of his muscles, his posture, the look upon his face, she knew their new arrival had changed things. Principle's priorities had changed and wavered, but she wasn't about to let that happen. She, nor their child, would not be the reason for the world's greatest hero to shirk his responsibilities.