A Vigilantes Story

Sparks Filled With Debris

Regan Barnes

I was awake before anyone else, staring at the ceiling, my mind racing with everything we'd learned yesterday. Even after hours of talking through ideas and strategies with Hope and Max, nothing had felt certain. We had spent hours debating our next steps, yet now, in the early morning darkness, the weight of the unknown lay heavy on me. But sitting around waiting wasn't my style. I threw off my covers, pulled on my hoodie, and moved as quietly as possible out of the room.

As I reached the kitchen, I nearly jumped when I saw Scarlett already seated, scrolling through her phone. She looked up and gave a quiet laugh. "You're up early."

"Couldn't sleep," I admitted, pouring myself a glass of water. "You?"

She sighed, setting her phone down. "Same. Things just... keep racing through my head, you know?"

I nodded and leaned against the counter, my mind flicking back to the fight we'd had with those other superhumans last night. It hadn't been easy for any of us, but for Scarlett and Daniel, I knew it had felt like a mirror of their own trauma. "I was going to take a walk through the park. I think better when I'm moving. Wanna come with?"

Scarlett's eyes brightened a little. "Actually... yes. That sounds nice. Let me grab a jacket."

The early morning was still dark, a heavy mist hanging over the neighborhood as we walked toward the park. The silence around us was oddly comforting, and I finally felt a sliver of peace. "How's Daniel?" I asked quietly, careful not to disturb the early quiet.

Scarlett shrugged, a small frown playing on her lips. "He's... complicated. After everything we've been through, sometimes it's hard for him to let his guard down. Especially after meeting you all. He doesn't know who he can trust, even now."

I nodded. "He's not wrong to be careful. It's good to keep a few secrets in this line of work."

Scarlett smirked, pulling her jacket tighter. "What about you, Regan? Got any secrets we should know about?"

I felt myself smile. "Wouldn't be much of a secret if I told you, now would it?"

Scarlett laughed, and for a moment, I could see the weight lift off her. "You're right, you're right. It's just... I don't know. I didn't expect to find people who understood us, who really got what it's like to be... different."

We fell into a comfortable silence as we wandered deeper into the park. The mist was starting to thin, but the trees were still heavy with dew, their branches reaching out like silent sentinels. The air was cool, filling my lungs with a strange clarity.

"Do you think we're doing the right thing?" Scarlett asked suddenly, stopping in her tracks. Her voice was barely a whisper, as though she feared breaking the early morning calm.

I looked over at her, watching the way her eyes searched the ground as if it held all the answers. "I think... we're doing the best we can with what we know. The right thing? I don't think it's always clear until way later."

Scarlett let out a small sigh and nodded, wrapping her arms around herself. "Yeah... I get that. I just wish it didn't feel so..."

"Uncertain?" I finished for her, raising an eyebrow.

"Exactly." She gave me a tight smile, and we continued walking, our footsteps echoing in the early dawn stillness.

The sky was just beginning to lighten, a soft blue haze filtering through the trees. Scarlett and I walked quietly, each of us lost in our thoughts until I couldn't stand the silence anymore.