All Luke could see was darkness. He felt like he was sinking into it, like at any moment it would consume him and that that would be it. He couldn't remember how he got here. There were…flashes. Pain. That he remembered. And…someone else there. Someone he had wanted to save? To stop? Both? He wasn't sure.
"…how is he?"
Something came through. A brief distortion in the darkness.
"…not sure…running more tes…"
The sinking feeling was fading, being replaced with something else. He could suddenly feel things around him as his mind became more aware. He could feel his body, feel the dull aches across it, especially in his chest.
"…but he can't…it's just…"
He recognized that voice. He wasn't sure from where. But he knew he had to get back to it, right now. He forced himself to move, in any way. He felt his eyes move slightly and then, all of a sudden, there was a crack of light that nearly blinded him. But it felt good so he kept going.
He blinked and slowly felt the fog of darkness lifting as he woke up. He blinked again, getting used to the light, and looked around, taking in his surroundings. He was in a bed. A hospital bed. But what was he…
It all came rushing back to him. The fight with Swarm, Gabriela in danger, him being stabbed. He gingerly touched his chest, wincing. He'd also been stabbed across his body. But he was alive. He'd made it through, somehow. But…did that mean…
He almost shot up out of the bed but a sharp lance of pain stopped him. He groaned and lay back again. Guess he wouldn't be moving anytime soon. But…he had to find out what happened. If Gabriela was still alive or not? If he was, she must be too, right?
"Luke?"
He looked up and saw his parents in the doorway, staring at him in shock. "Mom? Dad?"
"Oh thank god!" his mom cried, practically leaping at him.
"Ow! Mom! Injury!"
"Oh, sorry," she said, instantly getting back up. "I…just…you scared us so much."
"I did?" he asked, still wondering how he ended up here.
"Luke…" his mom took a step back, looking at him with concern. "Do you know what happened last night?"
"Uh…"
At that moment, his dad came back with a nurse in scrubs. "Well Mr. Decker," she said, giving him a smile. "I can't tell you how good it is to see you awake."
"Oh, um, thanks. How long was I out?"
"Not that long, fortunately. It is now 12 pm on Saturday," she said as she began checking the machines and IV needles. She then went through a series of questions, checking Luke's cognitive functions, like his name, the date, and the president's name, all of which he answered. "Now, this might be a tough one. Can you say what happened to you last night?"
"Uh…not really sure myself." He couldn't very well tell them the truth so he had to come up with something quick. "I…got up to get some dinner at like…1 or something. I went to bed early. It was a rough and tiring day. But I was hungry, so I went downstairs. And while I was making a plate, I heard a noise coming from outside. At first I thought it was nothing, but it kept getting louder so I went out and checked the yard. And then…" he raised his hand helplessly. "I'm guessing I got stabbed."
"Yes, that is correct. We're still trying to ascertain the type of weapon, but you were stabbed in the chest. It managed to avoid damaging your major organs too much but it went straight through, scraping your right lung. Honestly, it's a miracle you're alive."
He heard his mom sob at that and felt a wave of guilt come over him.
"If you hadn't gotten here when you had…" the nurse shrugged helplessly.
"How did I get here?" Luke asked curiously.
"We were hoping you could answer that. One of our paramedics found you in an ambulance. If he hadn't, we might have lost you. You're very lucky."
"Yeah, thanks."
The nurse did a final check over before giving them the room. Luke breathed out, trying to wrap his head around all this. Obviously Travis had been the one to save him. So, did they beat Swarm? He desperately wished he had his phone right now so he could check, though he did only have Franklin's number.
"Oh Luke," his mom sobbed while his dad just remained quiet though Luke could tell from his stony expression that he was desperately trying not to break down.
"I'm sorry mom."
"Oh, you have nothing to be sorry for. Though I will ask you not to go outside late at night ever again. And Amy will never leave the house. She can just forget about school!"
"Mom, it's ok," Luke tried to reassure her.
"How is it ok? My baby got stabbed! In our own backyard!"
Luke winced a little there, since it hadn't…well, he had gotten attacked in the backyard, he just hadn't been stabbed there. Actually, now that he thought about it, the image of Amy wandering out there alone and getting attacked like that made him feel like a stone just got lodged in his throat.
Yeah, she's definitely never leaving the house ever again.
Eventually his mom calmed down and she decided to go get a coffee. Then, it was just him and his dad who kept his stony expression as he sat in the chair next to the bed.
"I'm ok, dad," Luke told him. "You don't have to-"
"Don't," his dad said, stopping him. "Don't tell me that I don't have to worry." He took a deep, shaky breath. "We got the call this morning, you know. Just a few hours ago. I'd only just woken up and was getting my toast when the phone rang. You didn't have any ID on you, so it took a while until one of the doctors recognized you from a game." He shook his head and Luke was shocked to see tears dripping down his face. "I don't think I've ever been more scared in my life. I think I broke at least ten different speed laws getting here. Your mom was in hysterics and I…I was trying to keep it together but I was honestly no better. The doctors told us you were fine but the only word going through my head was 'stabbed.'" He stared at Luke then, and all pretenses were gone, his stony expression having crumbled away into a distraught one. "My boy…was stabbed. And all I could think of was the last time we spoke and-"
"Dad, no," Luke interrupted this time. "That was…I hadn't had a good day and I just…I needed a break. That was it. Nothing against you."
"I figured, but it didn't change the fact that I argued with you right before you almost died."
"Well I didn't really plan on almost dying you know?"
His dad looked like he wanted to smile but couldn't. "How on earth are you so…cavalier about this? I'm…a mess. And you know me."
"I…I don't know." Honestly, Luke should be a mess. He had almost died. Swarm had come so close to killing him. The nurse even said that it was amazing he hadn't lost as much blood as he had. If it hadn't been for his power, keeping everything inside, he probably would be dead. He should be terrified or having a breakdown or something.
But…he was still alive. And that was what mattered in the end. It was the same after the attack on the school. As long as he was alive, he could keep going, no matter what. The thing scaring him right now was wondering if Gabriela was still alive. If Travis was, or any of his other friends. He hadn't even thought about it, but since he was attacked at his home, it made sense that others might be too. He didn't care if he got hurt, as long as none of his team had.
His team. When had he started referring to them as that? He had made it clear to Travis before he didn't want to be on a team like this. Football was his dream, not superheroing. So why…
"Well," his dad said, getting up. "We…sort of…came here in a rush…so…"
"Oh, my phone," Luke said hurriedly. "I, uh, want my phone. If you're going home, I mean."
His dad blinked before smiling. "Sure thing. Anything else?"
Luke listed a couple more things and as his dad turned to go, he stopped him one last time. "I am fine, ok? I know I don't look it and that it must have been…terrifying. But I'm ok. Well, as ok as I can be." He gingerly touched his chest again. "So don't worry now. It's like you said. Us Decker men don't go down easy."
His dad chuckled softly. "No. We really don't do we? Well, just make sure to apply that attitude when we get back to training once you've healed up."
Luke felt a tightening in his chest, but he ignored it. "Of course. See you soon."
As his dad left, Luke's smile left his face and he looked back down. For as long as he'd known, football had been his dream. He'd worked hard every day to ensure he could achieve that dream of being a pro football player. Of being the best.
So why…why did he not want to do it anymore? It wasn't just the recent games. He'd started feeling it a while ago. He still loved the game, but the drive just wasn't there. Whenever he did his training, he'd asked himself why was he working so hard for this? Now he asked himself, did he really want this? Was this still his dream?
Because the truth was, when he had been facing Swarm, bloody and barely standing, he'd felt it. That drive, that…passion. He'd felt more alive in that moment than any other day of his life.
The truth was…he did want to do more superheroing.
Knock, knock.
He looked up, startled, and became even more startled when he saw who it was.
"Sorry…just wanted to check in on you."
"Oh, um, of course, come in," Luke said, gesturing as Emily walked in.
Emily had slept so late that morning, though she felt she was justified given what she'd been through. After Swarm went down, to her fist, they'd argued a little over what to do next. Gabriela wanted them all to go to the hospital but honestly Emily thought that would raise too many questions about them. She may be exhausted right then, but her injuries weren't too bad. Gabriela was the same while Franklin, Travis, and Madison looked like they'd gotten away with it with only a few scrapes and bruises.
The ones to worry about were Sumin and Luke.
Thankfully, Sumin's injuries weren't too bad. More superficial than anything. They were being discharged right now in fact.
But Luke.
Emily had been thinking about him from the second she woke up. Seeing him like that, lying in his own blood, not sure if he was dead or not, have been the worst moment of her life.
She had left home as soon as she woke up, thankful that her mother had gone down to the beauty salon so she wouldn't have to explain all the cuts and bruises across her body. But when she arrived at the hospital, she had seen his parents there and decided she didn't want to impose on them. Besides, as she was walking there, the sudden fear of knowing whether or not Luke was alive overcame her and she just had to get out of there.
So she found herself looking for Sumin instead, finding their room just as they were set to leave. "Hey," she greeted.
"Oh, hello," they replied, smiling at her. "It is good to see you are well."
"Yeah. Same to you."
"So…what happened? After, I mean?"
Emily told them everything and they sighed in relief when they heard Swarm was down. "Any idea what happened to him?"
"Travis went back and checked. Some…officers took him away. His microbots are gone though. We took them all out. Or, at least, Travis did. So, he's powerless now." I hope, she added silently. Still, it had been like she said. Without his microbots, he didn't really have anything.
"And Luke?" they asked.
"He's here," she said slowly. "I, uh, I was going to check on him. But his parents are there now, so…not a good time."
Sumin nodded. "Crazy, isn't it? To think that this our life now."
"What's crazy is that I don't think it's going to stop," Emily replied.
She wanted Sumin to refute her just then but instead they just nodded solemnly. "It seems that would be the case, yes."
"Why do you think these powers chose us? Like, what…made us stand out?"
"I do not know. Perhaps nothing. Perhaps…it was just random chance."
Some chance, Emily thought. Together, they had taken down Swarm. Seven teenagers against a man with an army of microbots. That was something that couldn't happen in the real world. Then again, she was questioning what the real world even was anymore.
Sumin's parents soon returned and Emily left, though not before giving them her contact information as well as the group chat Travis had set up for them. They couldn't risk another miscommunication snafu like what had happened last night. Then, she set back out for Luke's room, both hoping for and dreading what she would find there.
She arrived just as she saw his dad leave. She took slow, tentative steps until she reached the doorway, just peeking around the edge. And she saw him sitting up, looking lost in thought.
But alive. He was alive. She let out a long, shuddering breath she felt like she'd been holding in since last night and felt a million pounds lighter. She had always found him to be a constant irritation in her life but right now, she couldn't imagine any part of her life without him in it. Though she still hoped he would stop asking her out.
She knocked on the door and saw him jump a little. "Sorry," she said. "Just wanted to check in on you."
"Oh, um, of course, come in," he said, gesturing. Emily walked in and took a seat next to him. "So, uh, how are the others?" he asked hurriedly and she could tell that that question had been on his mind for a while.
"You're the one who got stabbed in the chest, scaring all of us half to death, but you're worried about everyone else?" she asked.
"Well yeah. You guys are my t- friends. You're all my friends. So of course I'm worried about you," he said, rubbing the back of his head.
Emily frowned, thinking that he was going to say something else for a second there, but she moved past it. "We're all fine. Sumin got the worst of it after you but even they're fine. They're getting discharged now." She went on to explain what happened after he lost consciousness. He sighed when he heard, leaning back in his chair.
"So Swarm…was our science teacher?"
"Yep."
"Wow. That's…really disturbing. You know they always say 'stranger danger' but clearly you also need to watch out for the people you know too. Cause they might turn out to be mad scientist psychopaths in disguise."
Emily couldn't help but snigger at that. "Yeah, exactly. I wonder who else might be a criminal in disguise?"
"Mr. Evans in World History. He always gives me the stink eye."
"I think that's because you put a stink bomb in his desk."
"Oh come on, that was just one time. I put three in Mrs. Turner's desk and she forgave me."
Emily laughed again. "Didn't she give you triple the homework that week? And detention for the next two weeks?"
"Yeah, you're right. She must be a psychopath too."
Emily rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm glad you're still you."
He gave her a look. "Who else would I be?"
"Good point." She looked at him closely. It was hard to connect this Luke, the one she recognized, to the one from last night. That picture of him, lying there in his own blood, stayed with her, no matter how much she tried to forget it.
"Hey." Emily looked up and saw Luke had taken her hand. "I'm ok. Really."
"I know you are, I can see that."
Luke gave her a look. "You don't have to worry, you know. This isn't going to happen…again," he finished awkwardly.
Emily gave him a sad look this time. "I think we both know that's not true."
Luke sighed. "Yeah."
"Back when Travis asked you to…be a part of this, what did you say to him?"
Luke leaned back, thinking. "I said…I had my own goals and that I didn't want anything to stand in the way of them. I was talking about football. I didn't want my powers to mess that up. But, they did." He told her about the games and how he felt guilty no matter if he used his powers to win or not. "Last night, though. When I saw Gabriela's signal and I knew she was in trouble, I just rushed over there as fast as I could. And even though I nearly died, I…"
"Felt fulfilled," Emily finished. She'd felt it too.
When Travis had talked to her, she'd also wanted no part of joining up. He wanted to prepare for this greater world of super beings but Emily was happy pretending it wasn't there. As long as she didn't bother them, they wouldn't bother her. But she did get involved when fighting Swarm. And his warning still rang in her ears. That they would need him for what was coming. She didn't believe that bit for a second, but she couldn't help wonder at what was coming. She knew though that it wasn't something she could ignore.
Because even when she was almost dying every few seconds, fighting for her life and the lives of her friends, she had never felt more fulfilled. Her whole life, she'd been trying to prove something. Overcoming every fear, facing every challenge, pushing herself in every way she could. Even flaunting herself with those ridiculous modeling gigs. All of that was just her trying to make herself feel better, she knew that. And she knew it was just her trying to fill a hole inside her that could never be filled.
Except for last night. She hadn't been thinking about herself then. About what her dad might think. About anything like that. She just thought about stopping the asshole causing so much damage. And for the first time, that hole inside her hadn't felt so big.
Because she had completely forgotten it was there.
She wasn't quite sure what to make of this. Part of her wanted to keep doing this, to keep looking for that feeling of fulfillment. But her mind also kept going back to Luke's prone body. That could just have easily been her.
It was a lot to think about. She did like using her powers. She couldn't really imagine letting go of them now, something that surprised her a little considering how much she wanted them gone in the beginning. But she didn't really want to be part of this bigger world, not if it meant constantly risking her life like last night.
But that's why you felt fulfilled, a voice in her mind whispered.
She sighed and glanced over at Luke who looked lost in thought as well. He seemed to be going through something similar. From what she knew about him, he did love to play football. But, from what he'd just said to her, it was like he'd lost the reason why and now he was just doing it because. And what happened last night had given him a new cause.
She wasn't sure that necessarily a good thing. But she shouldn't talk since she was debating it herself. Chasing that feeling of fulfillment.
"What kind a pair are we?" Luke suddenly asked.
"We're not. There are seven of us," Emily reminded him.
"Right," he chuckled before his face became serious again. "A team."
Emily blinked in surprise. "A team?" she questioned.
He shrugged. "I don't know. I mean…just feels right, doesn't it?"
Emily thought back, remembering training with Madison, coming together to save Gabriela, fighting alongside against Swarm, her and Gabriela and Madison teaming up at the end.
"Yeah," she nodded. "It kind of does." They stayed like that for another minute before Emily turned back to him. "Hey Luke," she said.
"Yeah?"
"Let go of my hand before I knock your lights out."
Luke glanced down and hurriedly removed his hand. "Sorry. Though, you didn't notice either which I think means you're warming up to me." He smirked, raising an eyebrow. "So, does that mean-"
"No, I'm still not going out with you!"