Hero Academies

Chapter 9: I Don't Care

On the first day of school after the winter holiday, Liam was walking with his teammates to the main building. After continuing to force Zayn to wake up earlier to eat a proper breakfast, it had become habit for them to all walk together.

None of them were really talking, so the brunette’s mind wandered off to his curiosity about the dark eyed teen’s dislike of Danielle. During New Year’s, Liam had gotten a text message from her. He had happily responded, glad to hear from the other girl, but he had noticed Zayn’s look of distaste when he told everyone who he was talking to on the phone.

Liam saw the familiar expression once again when they entered the school. They had turned a corner and bumped into said girl on the way to class. While the brunette smiled at Danielle in greeting, he noticed Zayn’s attempt to keep a neutral expression.

“Hi Liam! Long time no see right? I hope you had a nice vacation,” she happily greeted with one of her bright smiles.

“It was great, thanks. How was yours?”

“Oh. Same old same old. I almost got sick of staying home for so long. Listen, I got to go, but it was great seeing you again. The dance was great, we should go out again sometime. See you!”

Liam waved goodbye as the curly haired girl walked away to her next class. Noticing the upset expression on his friend’s face, the brunette wanted to ask what Zayn had against Danielle. However, he figured if it was something Zayn hadn’t told him yet, it was something the dark eyed boy didn’t want to share, and he didn’t pry.

It was not long after noon when Liam was called down to the hospital ward. Professor Conlin had stepped into the gym room with a grim expression on her face. “Liam, I need you to come with me to the hospital ward.”

The hospital ward was a special section in Hero Academies, a medical facility that granted the needs to any injured superhero. Whether it be training or mission related, it was the go to place to mend injuries. It was normal for an actual superhero to come for treatment there, as it was one of the best places to adjust to a hero’s needs, complying with weaknesses and special necessities. The brunette had gone there on occasion before to heal injuries such as burns or broken bones.

However, this time he would be dealing with something much more serious. Professor Conlin explained to him the situation. “One of our recent graduates returned from a mission. His name is Kyle Walters, a geokinetic. We sent him overseas on a mission in Portugal, but communication was cut off during a battle with an enemy. We used our tracking devices to locate him, but by the time we got there, he was sick and injured.

“Our doctors took some blood samples to see what was wrong with him, and we figured out he was poisoned. We don’t know what with though, so no one can provide an antidote. This is where you come in. Liam, I know you’re very new to this, but your power might be the only way to save him. Our doctors are fumbling, trying to keep him alive as long as we can, but if we don’t treat him soon, he will die. Not only is he a valuable member of the Hero Society, he also has very important classified mission information that only he knows about.”

Liam felt sick to his stomach at the proposal. They were depending on him to save a person’s life. He knew that the day would come where he would have to use his power in such a way, but it was so much sooner than he expected. Yes, he had progressed in his ability a lot ever since he started out, but this was a whole new degree. A person’s life was in his hands, and if he messed up, this person’s death would be on his shoulders.

“I don’t mean to pressure you,” she continued. Too late for that.

“But I need you to at least try. You have to know, this is very important. None of us will blame you if you can’t save him. This is a long shot in the first place. We’re only expecting you heal him enough to prolong his life a little. So please, I need you to do your best to heal him.”