Generations

Chapter 8: Heroes of New

Chapter 8: Heroes of New

It was strange.

Before, he thought he was invincible. He was able to take down those things, those creatures, not worrying one bit about what happened to him. It wasn't like he didn't remember what they could do it him. Heck, he could still remember their first attack against him; how it was so bad it actually made him cry.

Not that he'd admit to crying of course.

But still, that thing hurt.

And as he rode in the car on the way back home, his whole body hurt. His muscles felt like someone decided to use them as a jump rope, his bones felt like they were used for drumsticks, and his head felt like someone took his brain and sent it through a blender. He was glad that the back seats of the van reclined, he wasn't sure he could stay sitting up for the length of the ride home.

"Does this hurt?" Dani asked as she began wrapping gauze around his arm. For all those years of being prepared, she had always hoped that old first aid kit was only a precaution, but for all her visions of disaster and how it could come in handy, this possibility was the farthest one from her mind. She was just glad her mom was here and still able to drive so she could tend to her kids, and especially her son. Seeing his courage, made her smile. True, he ignored everything she told him to do, risking everything to do so, but at least his heart was in the right place. And she couldn't be mad at him when he was in this bad of shape. Maybe when he was better though she’d yell at him a bit.

Jason nodded, feeling the pressure around his arm constrict, though it didn't hurt much more than normal. It was only after the battle that he saw all the attacks he failed to dodge. There were several on his arms, and a few on his legs. And there was one on his back that had already been bandaged up. Luckily he found a way to lie on his back so the seat wasn't poking into that scratch and there was something about the light strengthening his pain tolerance, or so his mom was saying. He really didn't know what she meant by that, but after seeing how he was bleeding everywhere, he was glad it didn't hurt as bad as it looked.

Simon sighed, feeling bad about feeling so good. Jason took every blow, every attack that came their way. The only thing that was hurting was the bottom of his legs, where the creatures skid along the ground after being hit by Jason's attacks.

"Feeling guilty?" Heather whispered.

"How'd you know?"

"Well, for one I'm a girl and I know these things. But I guess I feel it too. I mean Mom told me to stay close to her, but I wanted to do something more to help."

"You saved us though."

"But what if I hadn't?"

Simon knew what that would mean. If Heather hadn't found out how to stop those things when she did, then there was nothing he or Jason could have done to stop the attack. He held his hand out, seeing the shadows dance across it, and wondered why it took him so long to learn how to fight. He could see everything that was coming, but why couldn't he figure out how to use his own powers instead of needing someone else to fight for him. Even his little sister was able to find out how to use whatever powers she had. While he was just too weak.

"You don't think this is going to be over so soon do you?" Simon asked.

Heather shook her head. Seeing the worry, the stress, and the pain her family was broadcasting, she was sure there was more coming. And even though she couldn't imagine quite what, she had a feeling it would be even worse. Though exactly how, she didn't know. And she didn't want to. She liked learning, liked asking questions to get into the information that no one else would have considered looking at. But there are some things she didn't want to know. Some stories she wanted to leave at just that. Stories. And for some reason, that's how she felt about this. Those Xyscons were bad enough, but what if that was only the beginning.

"What are we going to do?" Simon asked.

"We're going to stay strong," Rose said from the driver's seat. "Things have been bad before, hopeless even. And if there is anything I've learned over the years it is that you can't give up. You can't let fear control you. Because if you let fear beat you then it's over. You'll be dead in a matter of seconds."

"Dead," Heather said, quaking with fear.

"Mom, don't you think you're-"

"The truth is harsh dear. And as we saw today, this isn't anything you can protect them from. You were their age once."

"I know but they're just so young."

"And maybe the only ones who can stop them."

"You mean the Darkwings?" Heather asked.

"Nightwings, not Darkwings," Simon said, once again lost in a thought beyond this car. He looked up at his family, seeing things he couldn't understand, sights obscured by the cloud of a great night, despite the blue sky in the distance. But beyond the sights was knowledge. These were the Nightwings. He couldn't see them, not yet, but he knew they were there. And they wouldn't stay there.

"I'm seeing something else, I don't know what, but we need to be ready."

"It's time for them to know," Rose said.

"Yeah, when we get back home, we'll tell you everything."

A heavy silence fell upon the car as Dani climbed back to her seat. She saw the solemn look on her kids' faces. This wasn't fair, but her mom was right. It wasn't so long ago that she was just like them. Young, powerful, and caught up in a war greater than anything the fairy tales could predict. As much as she hated it, as much as she wanted to have a normal life after that, some things just never changed.