Shots In The Dark

Heroes

Just to give some context, I imagined both of these characters as super heroes since I've been reading a lot of books like that recently haha.

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Hi, this is is future Hanze coming to tell you that this has been in my drafts for nearly a year so um if there's a drastic change in writing its because of that. I don't know how to feel about this chapter, but I hope you enjoy!

If this is what being good meant, Jo didn't want it.

The worst part was that she actually tried this time. But people didn't see that. They saw her for her past mistakes,all those times she had screwed up. Well, if those people were so good then why didn't they forgive her? All this talk about second chances and redemption yet no one actually gave it to her.

She was looking down at the city, watching as civilians continued on their individual lives.  The moon was out and glowing brighter than ever and Jo was reminded how the moon often symbolized loneliness in a world full of shooting stars and dazzling nights. 

"The moon shines brightest when it's alone," she noted, "maybe I'm like that too." Jo turned around when she said this to look at Sam, whose expression was one of surprise. He had been hiding in the shadows ever since she had flown up here after the accident, most likely to check up on her. And although Jo had known the whole time, she pretended like she hadn't.

"It wasn't your fault," Sam blurted. He stepped closer , allowing his features to be bathed in the moonlight, "they shouldn't be blaming you." His eyes were wide and a part of him seemed unsure, not in the words he was saying but of voicing them out loud.

Jo clenched her jaw but didn't say anything. 

"Look, I'm serious," His voice came out much stronger this time as he took determined steps towards Jo and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know you," he said softly, "I know you were trying to help."

"But I couldn't," she spat. Her grip tightened on the ledge. "I only made things worse."

During the robbery in the West State bank where twenty-seven people were held hostage, Jo created an escape route that was meant to free the hostages. Instead, it resulted in providing an escape route for the criminals.

Tears started to prick her eyes but she blinked them away. Sam's hand moved from her shoulder and instead wrapped around her. The gesture only helped release the dam she was trying to hold back. She sobbed uncontrollably in his shoulder and gripped onto his arms. The worst part was that she wasn't crying because of the people. She was crying for herself. She hated the way people hated her and there was nothing she could do about it. She hated the way that she tried so hard to be good but moments like these, where even in the darkest of times she was still thinking selfishly. 

Heroes weren't meant to be selfish. They were supposed to be like Sam, or her brother. Jo wanted to be good for the sake of her brother. So that he could look down at her with pride in his eyes and b happy that she's filling in his shoes. Just once. she thought, just once I want to do something that would make him proud of me.

At the thought of this, she choked out an even louder sob than the ones before. Sam stroked her hair and whispered a repeated "It's okay." Whatever she had done in her past life must have been amazing to earn a friend like him. 

"Thank you," she said softly in his tear-stained shoulder. She buried herself deeper in his arms and whispered, more to herself than him, "I don't deserve this." 

Much to her dismay, he puller her away from him so that they were seeing eye-to-eye. "You're not half as bad as you think you are, you know."

Jo sniffled. She hated crying. And this, this wasn't even crying. This was pathetic. It was a flat-out mental breakdown that shouldn't have meant anything. She's screwed up so many times, why is this any different?

"Go home," he told her softly. "Get some rest. Binge on Netflix. Whatever makes you feel better." Sam's lips curved into a smile at the very end. Jo nodded her head silently and looked up to his veiled eyes. She slipped off his hood to press a tender kiss to his cheek. 

She'd be lying if she said part of the reason she had wanted to be good wasn't for him.