Hidden Heroes

ŃĮNËTEĘN

Maximus was washing the dishes with the TV still on. I couldn't see what was on where I was watching him but I assumed it was the news. He looked stressed, incredibly pale and had a scratch trailing along the side of his cheek. His hair was unkempt and empty bottles of cider were scattered along the counter. He must have had guests over. He usually has people around him when he's feeling down.

I finally got the nerve to get out of the bushes and walked over to the door and raise my hand. I froze and thought about what would become of this. I haven't watched the news in a long time so I don't know the price I would have to pay. Maybe Maximus hates me now for not coming home. Should I even take the chance?

"Maybe I should just leave," I mumbled as I turned my back.

Just then, I heard the door swing open.
"Fable?," I heard Maximus say.

I could feel my hands start to tremble and I heard them to my chest to stop them. I turned around and let put a sigh before speaking.
"H-hi?"

His hand struck me across the face and I stumbled backwards. I just laughed as tears streamed down my face. "I-I deserved that. Completely."

I fell to the ground and cradled myself into a little ball. My feet were covered in blisters from the long walks I would have to take since public transportation was not safe. I was so physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted I could pass out right then. I couldn't even focus on the stinging pain that Maximus just gave me with his slap.

I could feel Maximus squatting next to me and we sat in silence on the little steps in front of the door. After a while, he put his arms around me and I accepted his embrace. I was too tired to hug him back.

"I hate myself Max," I told him.
"No," was all he said.
"I want to die."

I looked up at him and he shook his head. "No you don't. Just shut up."

"You are making this reunion very hard, Max."

He glared. "Maybe it wouldn't have to be if you hadn't left in the first-what is that?"

His gaze moved to the black eye that I got from Robert. I touched it slightly and rolled my eyes. "Nothing, just what happens when you run away for, like, almost three weeks."

I waved my hands. "It's no big deal. What is a big deal, though, is this huge scab on my knee that's most likely going to scar."

I patted my left knee and he let out a breath. "You know, this isn't going to be easy for you, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"But the good news, since there were no witnesses that you were the one who assaulted Hero Blake, they put you off the hook a week ago. Apparently, a kid named Zachary said you injured yourself from a fall so that's where they got the blood sample from. They have no viable evidence so they can't arrest you for anything."

I felt my heart beat quicken and I jumped up only to fall back down. I cried in disbelief. "Oh my gosh, I'm such a baby," I laughed with pure joy.

"Lizbeth."

I wiped my face and looked at Max. His expression didn't change. "Did you hurt him? Did you injure a top ranking hero?"

I crossed my legs, resting on the narrow sidewalk and leaning on the fence behind me. "Were you even listening to me when I was talking to you three weeks ago?"

I palmed my face. He just crossed his arms and laid against the door. "Well?"

"No," I lied. "It wasn't me."

Max rose his eyebrows, then smiled and rolled his eyes. "Of course, that's why you ran off. Cause you didn't do it."

He quickly grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me so we were inches apart. I could see the glint in his eye, he was definitely pissed.

"How much longer do you plan on deceiving everyone with your pathetic bluffs?"

I narrowed my eyes. "As long as I have to."

My hand, on instinct, gripped Maximus's wrist and sent a shock. He released his clutch and held on to his wrist. He looked at me, unbelievingly. I cocked my head.

"What? I told you, it's not me."

I grabbed his face in between both of my hands. "Look into my eyes, Maxie. Loooook."

He squinted. "They're a little purple-Oh my gosh, they're purple!"

"Mmhmm. Now, can I go to bed because I can't feel my legs?"

I put my arm over his shoulder and he led me up the stairs. Once we reached my bed, I kicked off my sneakers and pulled off my hoodie. I laid on the bed and covered my eyes with my arms.

Maximus lingered by the doorway for a moment, wondering what to do next. "I'll go clean up now."

"Yeah, you do that."

I waited a few minutes after I heard his footsteps fade away behind the closed door. Then, I got up slowly and hooked my hoodie on a rack behind the door. I nearly put my shoes to the side and I pulled up Chance's number on the phone.

I waited for him to pick up but he never did.
"Shit," I muttered, texting him to call me.

I went through my bag again and my hand hit something unfamiliar. I wrapped two fingers around it and carefully pulled it out. In my hand was a small vial filled with a thin, red liquid.

I put my finger on the top of the cap so nothing would be sure to spill out and flipped it over. The liquid moved very quickly to the other side and I raised it to the streams of sunlight. It glinted like a gemstone, it was almost fascinating. But I knew what it was.

It was then that I noticed that somehow, the vial was halfway empty. I flipped it back over and I raised my finger. A needle took its place, the red liquid still leaking from it.

My breath quickened and I called for Max.

"Max? Max! Maximus!"

I felt my heart beat moving the poison throughout my body. The rate my heart was going at was not helping either.

"Fable, are you okay?"

"No I'm not!"

He threw open the door just as I threw the vial on the ground. It shattered and Maximus looked at me in confusion.

"What the-"

"It's evil."

"I got that. Why'd you call?"

I sat down, my legs still trembling.

"I have a lot to explain, don't I?"

================================

Lots of luck and other stuff 🍀