Cape Crossed

Chapter Twenty-Six

The hospital roof top was an unpleasantly cold place to be. The autumn wind whipping through the exhaust vents wrapped around Hannah's ankles and up her loose scrub bottoms around her calves. The cold wasn't the worst thing she'd ever felt. Her heightened strength kept her from feeling the worst chills.

He same couldn't be said for the teeth chattering super by her side. "This wasn't something we could do inside? Or over coffee?" Crimson Sword asked through his shivers.

"I didn't want anyone to overhear." Hannah looked him over in his suit, trying not to laugh at how he'd wrapped the cape around himself like a blanket.

"Well what is this big secret then? I can feel my feet going numb."

"How did you tell your boyfriend about who you are?" Hannah sighed when he looked at her confused. "About you being Crimson Shield."

His back stiffened and he took a step back. "Why?"

"I... I'm going to tell Jake, about me, about Silver Shield," Hannah said, letting each word drop into the silence like boulders.

"Hannah, you can't," Crimson grabbed her arm and shook her.

"And why can't I? Why shouldn't I tell the person I want to spend the rest of my life with my biggest secret?"

"Because it just sticks a target on his back, especially with the way Hijack has been going after you," he argued.

"But if he knows, maybe he'll know what to look out for to keep himself safe. He'll know to call me because I'll get help to him faster than the police. Besides, who are you to decide whether I do or don't tell him?" Hannah pointed an accusatory finger at him, walking towards him as he hurriedly stepped back. He only managed to keep out of her reach by hovering above her.

"Then why ask me about it?"

"I wanted to know how you did it, not whether I should or not," Hannah snapped. "I'm telling him." The finality of the words made her knees shake. Crimson grabbed her by the shoulders to keep her upright.

"You're sure about this, Hannah?"

"Super sure. Besides, if it all goes wrong I'll just run off to the base in Alaska and take on an entirely new identity," she joked.

"Great idea," Crimson scoffed. His earpiece flashed and he tapped it, going quiet as he listened to the voice on the other end. "I gotta head out. Call me if you need to run, I'll help you pack." He let her crush him in a hug before jumping off the rooftop.

Hannah took the stairs, grabbing her bag on her way out the hospital front door.  She offered a half hearted wave to those who called out to her but avoided anything that might start a lengthy conversation. It wasn't as if she could focus even if someone did stop her. The gears in her mind were grinding together noisily as she rehearsed her speech.

"So, Jake, here's the thing... I wear spandex and fight crime. That's right, I'm a super! No, that sounds so stupid," she groaned into her hands. "This doesn't have to be so hard. Hey Jake, that sure was fun when I saved you from that billboard huh? Bet you'd like to know how I did that."

As she moved in and out of crowds, Hannah reworded her speech, desperate to find something that worked. Their apartment was getting closer and closer until she could see the main door across the street. She took a deep steadying breath and stopped mid step to pick up her ringing phone. "Hey, babe. Are you home? There's something I really have to talk to you about."

"Hannah? Hannah! They-" Jake's voice came through the harsh static on the other end.

"Jake? Where are you? I can barely hear you," Hannah said, trying to speak slowly in case the connection was bad on his end too.

"Hannah you have to call someone!" There was more static and shouting on the other end of the phone.

"Jake? What's going on?" Hannah pressed her other hand to her ear to block out the passing traffic. "Where are you?"

"He's safe, for now, nurse."

"Hijack," Hannah whispered, her knees wobbling for a moment before she straightened them. "What did you do with him?"

"I just told you, he's fine. If you want him back you'll send you're friend to collect him," Hijack answered. "I'll keep the door unlocked for Silver Shield, make sure she comes alone to the address on your screen. Alone, nurse Harris. Got it?"

"Got it," Hannah snapped through grit teeth. The line went dead and her knees gave out fully, sending her to a hard kneel on the ground. The cold from the cement seeped through her pants, but it was no match for cold in her blood.

On the rooftop of her apartment, a figure leaned over the ledge as if about to jump to the ground below. Everything in Jake begged him to comfort her, to tell her it was all fake and he was fine. His hands tightened on the burner phone in his hand till he felt the plastic groan in protest.

He watched her rise slowly to her feet again and pull out her phone. As she turned to walk back the way she came, Jake turned to run the other way. It was finally time.