Reddit Stories 2019

Herofall

"It is a sad day for us all," Icejet said over the radio. She been in many dire situations. Faced loss many only saw in nightmares, but she always kept her cool. After a decade of working with Captain Strongarm, she'd become numb to the horrors of crime-fighting. The news had always done well to cover the particular unpleasantness of their work, focusing instead on the people saved and the villains caught.

Icejet was no Strongarm, but she was resilient. That was why the League decided this particular task should fall to her, not that they had any choice. Owlette was busy with her research. Lovesong obviously could no longer handle the PR. The news had to come from one of the League's heroes, and none of the others had the recognition of its founders.

It had to be her.

"It is a sad day for us all," Icejet repeated, stumbling over her statement. The words seemed to rearrange themselves. Reading was never her strong suit. Her lips trembled as she carried to the next line. "Jake.. Jacob Flannygan, known to us all as Captain Strongarm, has passed away."

Icejet let out a sob. She'd been able to hold back the tears until now, but saying those words cracked the dam. It hadn't been real until then. Just yesterday, Jake made her breakfast. And now he was gone. 'Passed away.'

All she had left was the claddagh ring he had given her a week ago.

"He was an inspiration to us all. He knew what it meant to be a hero and he died protecting not just the city, but the world. Captain Strongarm was more than just a hero to me. He was my... he was a friend. He will be..." Icejet crumpled the paper. She couldn't read through frozen tears anyway. "I miss you, Jake."

The words echoed through the silent room. The host, the techs, Icejet's own assistant stared at the crying woman, unsure how to proceed. They had always seen her standing proud by captured villains or confidently from a rooftop. Once in a Santa hat in a snowy musical.

They never saw her broken.

The next few months saw a change in Purgatory. Since the rise of the League, the city came a long way from its roots. But Captain Strongarm's death emboldened the villains. Like rats from the walls, they spread throughout the city, enacting their will.

Jake would have been happy to know his humanitarian efforts paid off. The criminals were not the petty thieves of the League's early days, but the terrorists, crime bosses, and cults of their later years. Without the inspirational force of Captain Strongarm and the peacekeeping skills of Lovesong, the city slipped back into a state fitting its name. More and more heroes rose to the challenge. Perhaps with more support, they could have saved the city.

But Captain Strongarm was dead. Lovesong lost his voice. Owlette retreated to her library.

And Icejet stayed home.

A full year passed before peace was found. The new generation of heroes - Juultrick, Photosynthesis, and Karen - established an order. Less efficient than their predecessors, but keeping crime mostly locked down. Lovesong and Owlette still made appearances, reminding the world that they were still around, even if the papers no longer printed their names.

Icejet stayed home. A frozen bottle of vodka held by an emotionless woman in a robe became a common sight around the League offices. Common enough that the new generation didn't bother to stop discussing business when she wandered through to the kitchen.

"I've never seen anything like it," Juultrick said with wide eyes. "He was like an animal. Nothing I threw at him could get him to stop. He was psycho, dude. He broke a steel beam with his bare hands. I had to get out of there."

"What'd he look like?" Karen asked.

"I dunno. He was wearing a mask. White guy with red hair." Juultrick breathed out the smoke from his vape, twisting it in the air to form a heart wearing a crown. A pair of hands held the heart out. "He had a ring that looked like that."

For the first time in a year, Icejet felt... anything. Her heart and mind raced. Dropping the bottle, which shattered frozen vodka on the floor, she ran to the table, sliding to a stop. The three kids gave her a confused look.

"Where?" she demanded, resisting the urge to vomit. Alcohol did not respond well to running, even just a few feet.

"On his finger?"

"No - I..." Icejet sighed. "Where did you see him?"

"He was at that old factory. You know, the one where Captain Strongarm died."

Karen gently hit him. "Dude."

"What? Oh, yeah. Sorry."

Icejet was gone before his apology, racing out the League HQ entrance. She ignored the confused shouts of the League's staff and visitors, determined to prove her theory. For a normal person, running while drunk would be near impossible. But Icejet was no normal person. She spent years learning how to walk on ice. Running while tipsy would be a-

Icejet tripped. With reactions honed by years of crime fighting, she created a soft bed of snow for her face. Despite how comfortable it was, the swirling storm of emotions and honking car encouraged her to her feet.

Then she saw him.

Driving toward her, Jake Flannygan did his best to remain inconspicuous by lowering the baseball cap on his head. Icejet froze, not literally, as she stared into his eyes. Her stomach wanted to puke. Her heart wanted to be held by those powerful arms once more. Her mind wanted things to make sense.

Instead, she stood in the middle of the road, failing once again to keep the tears out of her eyes. This time, she was overcome with joy and disbelief. She wanted desperately to say something, but her mouth wouldn't respond. All she could do was stare at her fiancé.

He offered an awkward wave

Icejet returned the wave.

Then Jake hit her with his car.

Everything happened so quickly, Icejet's body didn't register the hit until Jake stepped out of his truck, calmly walking to her. He knelt next to her as she gasped for breath. His eyes offered nothing. Not sadness, fear, or warmth. Nothing.

"Hello, Kyrie," Jake said. "Long time, no see."

Kyrie coughed blood. The pain that wracked her body was nothing compared to the pain in her heart. Her stomach still wanted to puke. Her mind still wanted things to make sense. Her heart wanted to stop hurting.

"You shouldn't drink in drive," Jake said calmly. With one strong kick, he pushed the truck into a nearby tree, further denting the hood. "That'll do. Remember kids, always wear a seatbelt."

"Why?" Kyrie asked through a mouthful of blood.

"You signed the contract, Kyrie. With the big man himself. We all did. Things didn't work out the way he thought with those kids around but they'll get theirs. Wrath's here to collect."

Jake gentle placed his hands by her head. "Welcome back to the League for Incapacitating Villainous Enterprises, Kyrie. What a dumb name. See ya later."

Kyrie felt a crack then everything went black.