Hero & Villain

Calen | 1742w

  I regain consciousness slowly, taking a shallow breath and trying to open my eyes before deciding it's too bright to bother. My heart aches, like how I imagine it would feel if Lance decided he didn't love me anymore. I release my breath, realizing I was holding it in because breathing hurts. Everything hurts. But, I suppose that's to be expected after you're murdered.

  A tremor passes through me, and it takes a moment to realize it wasn't me that caused it. I force my eyes open despite the discomfort, both surprised and mildly horrified by what I find.

  Lance is cradling me against him, his head bowed as he sobs raggedly, tears creating tracks through the ash covering his cheeks. His tears evaporate as they drip from his cheeks, only a few falling far enough to dampen my bloody shirt. Feeling disoriented, I peek out from my comfy spot against his chest.

  The field is blackened in a huge circle around us, ash covered bodies littering the charred grass, though most don't seem to be dead. There's a crowd wandering around, checking the bodies for life and generally looking a bit dazed. I see a few people waving their hands in front of their faces like they're having trouble seeing anything.

  I look back to Lance, wondering why he's still heaving in ragged breaths and sobbing, his eyes squeezed shut. Doesn't he know I'm okay, that I healed?

  I weakly nudge my nose against his shoulder, then reach up and prop my arm over his shoulder as I attempt to pet his hair. "Lance?" I croak, and his eyes snap open, blazing blue eyes gazing into mine.

  He lets out a choked sound, reaching to cup my cheek before he hesitates and looks at his hand, equally as ash covered as his face. I try to smile, but my dry lips crack and it turns into a wince. Ignoring it, I move to muzzle his hand before looking back to his eyes, which are still brimming with tears.

  "I don't understand..." he whispers, his voice hoarse and crackly.

  I sigh contentedly as I lean against his chest again, shifting to wrap my free arm around his waist in a crooked hug. "I'm your Kitten," I murmur, burying my face in his shirt then sneezing from the smoky, ashy smell.

  He lets out a watery chuckle, then shakily gets to his feet and starts toward the crowd. "But how are you alive, my Love?" He asks, adjusting his grip slightly so he can kiss my forehead, where I can feel his lips trembling. "You are alive, aren't you?" He sounds suddenly vulnerable, prompting me to look into his anguished, hopeful gaze.

  I just nod, tilting my head back and pouting at him until he kisses me. I can tell he's being gentle, like he's worried I'll break. I definitely appreciate it, because I feel like I might.

  "Don't you know?" I mumble through my soft purr. "Your Kitten has n-nine lives. Well, s-six now..."

  His grip tightens slightly in shock, and h pulls away from his quest of littering kisses on every inch of my face. "Six?" His eyes are wide and shocked. "You... three times..." he trails off, looking horrified.

  I relax further into his hold, still purring. "Only once t-today."

  He stops at the edge of the crowd, scanning the Heroes and Villains, like he's looking for someone in particular. Gently, he adjust my position until I'm upright and able to lay my cheek on his shoulder, held up by one of his arms under my thighs and one holding my lower back gently.

  I'm surprised to see a smattering of Hunters milling about in the crowd, but I suppose it makes sense. The ones like Lance who never wanted to be recruited must have turned on their fellow Hunters, eager to change the order of things.

  Everyone knew it was unjust, how the Hunters handled things, but nobody ever bothered to get together a big enough group of supers to make a difference. Lance seems to find who he's looking for, because he starts forward with a purposeful walk.