Show Me a Hero

Chapter VIII

I trace the scar on her thigh with my finger. "What about this one?"

"Another fight. This time with an invisible man."

I raise an eyebrow, skeptical. "Be serious," I tell her.

"I am! Dead serious!"

"Where do you find these people?"

"Pfft. I don't find 'em, they find me."

"Spoken like a true troublemaker."

"Flattery will get you everywhere."

I giggle, and she pulls me impossibly closer to her, arms wrapped around me from behind. She sticks her nose in my hair and inhales deeply. "You smell so good," she says, nuzzling my hair now.

"You're so weird."

"Yeah, but you love it."

I don't say anything.

She sighs, placing her chin atop my head. "The sun is setting here..."

I turn my head to try to get one last kiss before—

She's gone.

~*~*~*~*~

Eduard tilts his head in confusion. There's something blocking the front door of his house from opening. He pushes again, harder this time, and it budges somewhat for his efforts. "Max, take a look inside for me, would you?"

"But of course." Max sticks his head through the front door. When he pulls back, his face is even more ashen than usual. "Ed...Ed, call for help."

Eduard feels his heart jump into his throat.

"It's your mam, Ed. She's collapsed."

~*~*~*~*~

Nylekae groans, emerging from the pile of ash her previous body had burned into. She blows out a puff of smoke. "Well, that's never fun."

"What took you so long?" Jim shouts worriedly, hands cupping her face.

Nylekae straightens. "Jim, you moron, what the fuck are you doing?!" She grabs him and drags him back behind her car. "You coulda been shot!"

"I needed to make sure you were okay," he explains. "You know how much it freaks me out every time you die."

"Yeah, well, imagine how much I'd freak out if you fucking died, you imbecile!" She punches him in the shoulder. "Especially since your death would be fucking permanent!"

"Can you show your concern in less physical ways?" he grumbles, rubbing his shoulder.

"Ugh, now it's my turn to be naked. What a cruel joke the universe has played on me."

"I think the shooter's gone. Seems like they thought they'd accomplished their mission."

Nylekae sighs, shaking her hair, and Jim coughs, waving away the cloud of ash. "Aw, Ny, stop, you're gonna get your nasty death dirt all over me."

"Just grab me the robe from my trunk so we can go home."

~*~*~*~*~

"What the hell happened?" JJ slurs, opening the door wider to allow Jim and Ny inside. "I thought you were on bar duty."

"I was. And yet somehow, I still end up getting killed." Ny scrutinizes him and JJ can feel his hackles rising. "Looks like you had a rougher night than I did."

Ignoring that, JJ asks, "Who did it?"

"Some invisible guy and his sniper friend." Nylekae shivers and pulls her robe tighter around herself. "I'ma go take a hot bath." She scurries past JJ and up the stairs, leaving a trail of ash in her wake.