totally meta

chapter 19

Henry raced through the city streets, his mind buzzing with the threat hanging over Rachel's life. The words of the meta-human with the sonic scream haunted him: "Tell her the truth, or she dies." He couldn't let that happen, not to her. As he approached the café, flames roared from the windows, and smoke billowed into the sky. His heart pounded with dread.

He didn't hesitate. With a burst of superspeed, Henry rushed into the café, dodging falling debris as the heat pressed in from all sides. There, under a table, Rachel was trapped, coughing and covering her mouth as the smoke thickened.

Henry slid to a stop, grabbing the table and tossing it aside effortlessly. Rachel blinked up at him, tears in her eyes as she tried to steady her breathing.

"You again," she said hoarsely, her voice weak from the smoke. "I knew you'd come."

Without wasting a second, Henry scooped her up and sped outside, placing her gently on the ground away from the burning building. He knelt beside her, checking to make sure she was okay.

Rachel shook her head, wiping away her tears. "I don't know what your big mistake was, or who you are. But everyone has made mistakes, and I truly think you're a good person. Any normal person would've left me in there. Even my own brothers made it clear they would. But here you are, a total stranger, risking your life to save me again."

Henry stared at her, caught off guard by her words. He could see how shaken she was but also how determined she sounded. He knew he couldn't delay any longer—he had to tell her everything.

"A dangerous meta-human is after you," he began, his voice serious. "This fire—it was set as a warning. I was supposed to—"

Rachel cut him off. "I know. I've felt it. I'm not as clueless as you might think." She took a deep breath, glancing at him with a mixture of fear and resolve. "But before you say anything else, I need to tell you something. My own big mistake. You might hate me for it, but I think you deserve to know."

Henry went silent, curiosity and dread mingling in his chest.

Rachel's voice dropped, becoming more serious than he'd ever heard before. "Back when I was in 6th grade, there was this boy. He was awkward, quiet, and different. Everyone treated him like he was weird. His name was Henry."

Henry felt his heart skip a beat.

Rachel looked down at her hands, fidgeting with the sleeves of her jacket. "Everyone thought he was creepy. But the truth was, I'd... I'd been curious. I wanted to know what it felt like to be touched in a certain way, but I was too scared to ask anyone else. So I manipulated him into it. I made it look like he touched me in a way I didn't like, but it was all me. I let everyone believe it was his fault. And he paid for it. People treated him even worse after that. I never corrected them. I let him live with that lie because I was afraid of what people would think of me."

Henry's breath caught in his throat. His whole body felt numb, but somehow, he still heard her voice, each word sinking into him.

"I've never forgiven myself for that," Rachel continued, tears welling in her eyes. "I just... didn't know how to take it back. I didn't know how to fix what I'd done."

The silence between them was suffocating. Henry could barely believe what he was hearing. All this time, he had carried the shame, the blame, thinking it had been his fault.

Then, in a low voice, Henry spoke. "Rachel... that boy was me."

Rachel's eyes widened in shock as she stared at him, her face going pale. "What...?"

"I'm Henry," he repeated, his voice heavy with emotion. "The kid you let everyone believe was a creep. I've carried that with me for years, thinking I did something wrong. I blamed myself for the way people treated me after that. I never understood any of it until now."

Rachel gasped, covering her mouth in horror. "Oh my God... I... I didn't know... I didn't—"

"I know," Henry said, his voice steady now despite the storm of emotions swirling inside him. "You were scared. You made a mistake. But Rachel... so did I. I've made mistakes too, and we both have to live with that."

Tears streamed down Rachel's face, and she shook her head, her voice trembling. "I'm so sorry, Henry. I'm so sorry."

Henry looked at her for a moment, the pain and resentment he'd held onto for so long finally beginning to ease. "We can't change the past, Rachel. But we can try to do better now. There's a dangerous meta-human out there who's after you, and she's giving us 48 hours to tell each other the truth. Well, now you know mine. I don't know what happens next, but I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

Rachel sobbed softly, nodding as she wiped her face. "I don't deserve your help. Not after everything."

"It's not about what you deserve," Henry said softly. "It's about doing the right thing."

Without another word, Henry stood up and took a step back. Rachel looked up at him, still in disbelief, as he gave her one final glance.

Then, in a blur of red lightning, he disappeared into the night.