Stella’s gaze fixed back on me with a determination that made me nervous.
Helping the city through a crisis had felt good, but I knew that much of the actual superhero job was fluff and bullshit.
"Well, I’m heading home." I wanted to escape the current conversation. "I’ll meet you back here tomorrow, Demoness."
She started to get up, but I saw Kim plant a hand on her shoulder to stop her.
The two of them turned, talking to each other again as I left.
I appreciated Kim for helping to give me space.
I hoped she was working with Stella to soften her reliance on me after the psych evaluation.
Tired, I headed out, excited for a peaceful night alone in my apartment.
I walked along the tents in the park, enjoying a bit of night air and moving away from the crowds.
When nobody was in sight, I let light pass right through me, becoming invisible.
Relaxing, I launched myself up above the rooftops with my next step.
It felt so fantastic to fly on my own, and it was a beautiful night.
I floated above the rooftops, not in a hurry, watching the sunset as I slowly made my way back to my apartment.
Life was good.
My secret had remained under wraps, and I’d helped another super control her powers.
The life I wanted hadn’t been derailed yet.
This was just a detour, one I was planning to end soon.
Stella’s face popped up in my head as I thought of the end of our arrangement.
I knew Stella would fight it, but it was best if she didn’t rely on me, anyway.
I’d just have to power through her big puppy dog eyes, wanting me to be her manager for longer.
I couldn’t be the only super that would be able to help her control her power.
Even someone like Kim with her immortality could probably become a battery for Stella now that I gave it some thought.
And as a hero, she’d be able to encounter monsters or villains that she could safely drain to keep herself afloat.
I smiled, feeling like I’d figured everything out.
With a little more control, which she was already learning, she’d hopefully become a decent hero.
I patted myself on the back for making a better hero than most of the ones I’d had to work around.
She would do good.
I hoped that she’d hold her own and not become the one craving fame, no matter the collateral costs in the battle.
But I couldn’t control her future.
That would be her actual manager’s job.
I was just a temp.
My apartment loomed up ahead.
I headed towards one specific window.
I’d set up a trick window in my bedroom.
It looked like a solid pane, but I had installed a little sliding door mechanism to it.
Waving my hand, I detached the lock.
The window wasn’t counterweighted, so it took quite a bit of force to pry open the window and float into my bedroom, closing it behind me and latching it.
Inside my apartment, it was quiet.
After the busy day I had had today and being surrounded by all sorts of new people, it almost seemed too quiet.
I shook it off.
Reminding myself, I liked the quiet.
It was peaceful, empty of people that I had to worry about.
It kept my secret safe.
I repeated all the reasons why the peace and quiet was good as I floated around my apartment, undressing and making my way into the shower.
Turning the handle, a cold spray emerged.
I stood there for all of two seconds before I got impatient.
I used my abilities to heat the shower head and make the water pouring out of it steamy warm.
I sighed as my shoulders sank under the water.
There was something about being under the hot spray that made my mind wander and drift aimlessly.
I was glad that I could help Stella.
But I couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if someone had been there for me like I was for Stella.
Could I have turned it around?
Would I have not become a monster?
No, our situations were different.
When my abilities had shown themselves, it had been different.
The world placed the death of over a hundred heroes on my shoulders, and sometimes, I couldn’t help but do the same.
Maybe they were right, maybe I really was a monster.
The idea chilled such that no amount of hot water was going to cut through it.
I turned off the shower without washing my hair.
I didn’t want to think anymore.
My wandering mind had betrayed me.
The warmth of it was no longer reaching as deep as I wanted.
Instead, I wrapped myself in thermal energy, drying myself off.
For that moment, I felt like I was in the middle of a nice dry sauna, warmth sinking into my bones.
Throwing on a towel, I half-expected Stella to be sitting in the middle of my apartment.
She wasn’t, and I realized that I might’ve been disappointed.
I laughed to myself, shaking that off.
Her bubbly energy definitely was fun, but it wasn’t worth all the hassle and risk she brought into my life.
Wanting a distraction, I picked up my phone and opened a dating app.
It was still on Melody’s cute face, and I smiled at the photo of her.
I’d hoped we’d be able to get together a few more times before it got serious.
Our night together had been fantastic.
I hesitated, considering still giving her a booty call.
"What are you doing, Zayn?" I spoke aloud to myself.
I put my phone down, deciding I just needed some sleep and to start a fresh day.
Today couldn’t happen again and again.
We’d wrap up the weekend, and then I needed to move on.
I couldn’t get any closer to the BSH.
Even if they didn’t know what I looked like so many years after the fact, continuing to involve myself with them was a risk I couldn’t take.
Getting into bed, I decided I’d start working to decouple myself and hand Stella off to Kim during our missions the next day.
But I was surprised it wasn’t as obvious to me as it should be.
As much as I hated Kim and her hero persona Wrath, I had to admit that she ran the BSH well and could handle Stella.
I hadn’t expected to be proud of working with BSH, but if I was honest with myself, it had been a tiring but great day.
Not wanting to evaluate those emotions deeper, I turned over to go to bed.
I pressed my head into the pillow, willing myself to sleep.