"Good morning everyone! And welcome back to another special broadcast! I am your host, C.C. Lake, and today marks one year since we tragically lost a beloved villain-turned-hero, Madame Morose, who sacrificed herself to save the world from nuclear obliteration. In commemoration of her brave sacrifice, Morose Inc. will be hosting a live memorial service on the Moon, where they will be unveiling a statue that will bring hope and inspiration for future generations. Shuttles have already started boarding world leaders who plan on attending in person, but the world is anxiously awaiting the appearance of Rocky, who hasn't been seen in public since that tragic day. He's scheduled to say a few words in her honor, and as her former lover, the world is anxiously waiting to so see if he will endorse Morose Inc.'s latest decision to--"
The TV was shut off abruptly, and a figure moved in the shadows of the darkened room. He moved slowly towards the bathroom, flipped on the light switch, and let the bright bathroom light illuminate his tired and sullen face. Rocky stared at himself, reflected in the mirror, and thought about the long year he had endured without Madame Morose. Although it had only been a year since that fateful day; to him, it had felt like an eternity of waiting and searching for a sign that she would return. The rest of the world had moved on long ago, but he was still holding on to hope; sure that she was still out there somewhere.
"There's no way she could've survived that blast!"
He had heard that a thousand times, but if it were true that she had unlocked some hidden powers that were like his own, then there was a chance she could've gotten away in one piece. Granted, she would've definitely been hurt by the explosion, but she still could've survived it.
"Even if she did survive, how are you going to find her in space? She could be anywhere!"
He had reviewed the footage, gathered data, and spent several sleepless nights creating simulations and calculating several different trajectories in the hopes of finding where she might be, and although he only managed to narrow it down to a handful of star systems, it was enough for him to begin his search; even if it meant it would his final mission.
"If she were alive, and she had unlocked her 'powers', then why hasn't she sent a message or come back on her own?"
His body shivered and prickled with goosebumps. He didn't want to admit it, but he was afraid of the answer to that question. He desperately hoped that she had a good reason for being unable to communicate or travel back to Earth on her own, because the alternative was that she was either dead or she simply didn't want to return. His body shivered again. He felt ashamed to admit it, but he was deeply afraid of the possibility that she had lost interest in him, and that she was terrorizing some other planet with some other hero. His pride wouldn't let him accept the possibility that maybe she had moved on with her life, just as everyone here had moved on with her death. He didn't want to believe that she had willingly chosen to abandon him.
*Tuh-luh-luh-luh, tuh-luh-luh-luh*
The phone in his hotel room rang. He walked over swiftly, but hesitated to answer; he wasn't sure who could be calling him at this hour, so he needed to be ready for anything. He picked it up, and aggressively asked, "Who's this?"
A woman's voice spoke quickly: "We're on a commercial break so I don't have much time to talk," it was C.C. calling to check in on him and ask, "So are you really gonna to show up? What are you gonna say? Have you--"
"C.C., stop!" he interrupted her questioning, "I haven't made up my mind yet, since the last time we talked, and all this questioning isn't going to help me figure it out any sooner!" He paused to give her a chance to respond, but then quickly added, "Plus, I know you're just looking for an inside scoop for your show!" Their friendship had become strained in the aftermath of the Mars incident. Her coverage of the whole fight had skyrocketed her career into TV news media; meanwhile, Rocky had become a social recluse in his search for Madame Morose, and he wanted nothing to do with the public spotlight anymore. To put it simply, he wasn't sure how much he could trust her anymore.
أنت تقرأ
What is Love?
العاطفيةA collection of short stories about love, relationships, sex and romance. Inspired by my real life experiences but also formed from the depths of my imagination.
