Deserted Highways

It's a Revolution, I Suppose

the place where she'd been, her blood dried on the sidewalk.

A hand dropped on his shoulder and he stood so abruptly that his knees popped, and he ripped the person's fingers from his shoulder, holding their wrist tightly, and swinging towards what he hoped was their face. The person raised their other hand, catching his fist and forcing it down, dropping several books and a bag to the floor in the process. "Fuck," he heard a feminine voice exclaim.

Slowly, this vision of Kaelie faded from the backs of his eyelids, and another face swam into focus in front of him, violet eyes and chocolate hair. He looked at the ground, saw his books and his bag scattered in front of her. "Holy shit, darlin'. You expecting someone else?" she asked.

Jace's breathing slowed steadily, and he lowered his arm. "Goddamnit. I'm sorry. I just- I don't know. I'm sorry. You're?"

"Hera," she said.

"Thank you for grabbing my things," he said awkwardly.

"You looked really upset," she said. "Are you okay?"

"I- look I just can't really talk about it-" he stammered.

"The president's a damn idiot. Fucking bullshit is what the press release was, if you ask me," she continued. "Genetically engineered super people? What movie is this?"

Jace just stared at her, more confused than ever. The same feeling of familiarity washed over him. "You. You're the girl from yesterday."

"The one who saved you from getting flattened by the truck?" she said, a knowing tilt to her mouth. "Yeah, that was me. Someone trying to kill you, love?"

"You don't know the half of it," Jace mumbled. "Thanks for that. And again, for getting my stuff," he said louder.

"What happened back there?" she asked, glancing back at the building. She knelt to the ground suddenly, and Jace realized that he hadn't yet moved to pick up his things from the floor in front of her. He kneeled next to her.

"You lost someone," she said, not a question, just a fact, like she already knew.

Jace's heart thumped painfully and he found himself just sitting on the ground, his bag in his lap. Hera sat down next to him, close enough that he could feel the warmth of her body. "I'm sorry. You don't need to tell me. I get it."

She sat there for a while, next to the boy. "You never told me your name," she said after a while.

"Jace," he said, and then it was quiet again. The breeze blew across her face, her hair tickled her skin. She knew she needed to go. Jordan would be wondering where she was, and she didn't have the patience for his questions again. She stood, brushing her hands off on her skirt.

"Well, Jace. Try not to die, yeah?" she said, and she walked away before he answered, and before long she couldn't see him sitting against the building anymore. She walked slowly, and eventually found herself opening the door to the small apartment.

Jordan was in front of her almost immediately, crowding her against the wall. "Where the fuck have you been?"

"Don't yell at me, Jordan," she said coolly, ducking under his arm. He reached out, grabbing her wrist and spinning her back to face him. She glared at his hand on her arm, but he didn't release her.

"Did you know, Jordan?" she asked.

"Know what, Kaelie?"

"Did you fucking know that the president has plastered our faces across the news as some kind of vigilantes? As the villains? They flashed a still of me murdering the fucking Hunter child, they flashed your employee badge," Kaelie shouted angrily.