When Lightning Strikes

Chapter 14 -- You're just a shadow

Jonas throws his hands up in exasperation.

"Seriously?! You get another dope super power and I'm stuck with reading people's minds?!" Jonas exclaims, loud enough for his neighbors to hear, I'm sure. So much for secret identities.

"Hey, Jonas, calm down." Ash says, coming over from the door frame.

He takes a deep breath and sighs heavily. My slight eagerness has left my entire being. Jonas may have overreacted just a smidge, but he's right. I'm not a hero, so he should have my powers. If I could give him my powers, I would.

Ash and Jonas have a whisper war behind my back as I look up at the sky. It continues to snow. All of our teeth are chattering.

"Okay, you're right." Jonas and Ash break and turn towards me with a gleam in their eyes.

"I'm sorry, Del. I'm just a --"

"No. Stop," I hold up my hand, starting to get a headache. "Please. I know this isn't fair for you and if I could get rid of my powers at this point, I would. If I could pass my powers to you, I would. I'm not a hero, Jonas. I don't even know--" Jonas grabs my hand and whisks me off my feet. As he tosses me over his shoulder, Ash heads back inside his house. What's going on? She's not going to question this?

"Jonas put me down." I comment. He slides me off his shoulders and sets me down with his hands on my waist.

"You need to see something. So rush us to the top of the town hall building five towns west of here."

Curiously, I watch his eyes search my own eyes. I grab his hand and rush us to Kingsville. This better be good.

We reach the roof of the building with a bit of a hassle, considering I was practically carrying him to get us here. I may have mentioned this before, but I'm not the most fit person. It's pretty upsetting to confess such a thing, but I don't have time to work out between school and trying to find a way to end Red Raven's plans. You know, if he has plans.

Turning my heel, I face Jonas to see him smirking. I cock an eye brow, only for him to gesture for me to sit down in response. We carefully sit on the edge of the building.

"What are we doing here, Jonas? There's ten villains on the loose!"

Jonas quickly snaps his neck to face me, "Shhh! Della, just, observe for a minute."

I huff and cross my arms. What am I looking for? There's a burglary a few blocks away, if my eyesight isn't failing me. I cautiously turn my body to Jonas. He's watching intently at a homeless center.

"What's this all about?" I can't hold back my question anymore.

He runs his hand through his dark hair, ruffling it for only a second before it falls back into place. A slight sigh comes from his lips as he puts on a patient facade. He never shows patience towards me.

"All those people down there, they need a hero too."

I blink before replying, "Almost every town has a designated hero, they'll be fine." I mutter the last part, not feeling very sympathetic at the moment.

"They don't seem to..." He turns his head to look me in the eyes. "They need someone who's brave."

"They can look somewhere else." I stand up from the edge and turn my heel. Only, making that move too quickly was my downfall. Literally.

"Jonas!" I reach for him but grasp at the air as I tumble over the side of the building. A window ledge a foot below the roof is what I grip onto to keep from my death.

"Jonas!" I squeal, not caring how desperate I sound at the moment. When Jonas peers over the edge, I begin to wail like a baby. I can't die! Not today!