The two hung from the edge of the building in an awkward silence.
"So... shouldn't we get back up?" The girl finally asked, breaking the stillness.
"Uh, yeah, we should." Rob sighed. Slowly, with one hand, he lifted her up, and she grabbed onto a part of the gargoyle. Their eyes met again, but they quickly looked away, climbing the body of the stone beast and back onto the roof.
Once they were back on solid ground, the girl folded her arms, leaning against the gargoyle. "Thanks for the save back there; I probably would've been caught if not for you." She thanked him.
"Oh, it was nothing; I didn't want to be caught either." Rob replied, brushing it off.
They fell into silence again, but the girl started idly playing with her hair. "So, uh, what did you want to talk to me about?"
"Oh, uh, I saw a post about you on the school Exposuregram page, and I was just curious. See, I'm kind of a comic book nerd; I never thought I'd meet a real-life superhero."
The girl giggled.
"What?" Rob asked
"Oh, nothing. It's just... you didn't strike me as a nerd."
Rob chuckled, a little embarrassed. "Yeah, I get that a lot."
'No, I don't.' His thoughts betrayed his words.
"Well, I've had these powers for as long as I remember, and I just thought, why not use them to help people, you know?" She explained.
"So you're Birchwood's hero of justice?" Rob teased, raising an eyebrow.
The girl giggled. "Oh, I wouldn't say that. I just started this whole superhero thing. For now, I only save people on campus. I'm just trying to see how things work out before I expand my horizons."
"You're a student here, right?" Rob asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Maybe I am; or maybe I'm a janitor or a lecturer," she said, smirking.
"Keeping a secret identity, huh?" Rob grinned, raising a hand, showing her his empty palm. "That won't do much when I've seen your face." He waved his hand, and her mask appeared in his grip.
The girl touched her face in realization. "Oh, I forgot you took off my mask." She snatched it from his hand and quickly placed it back on her face. "You pervert."
"I told you, I'm not a pervert." Rob raised his hands defensively.
"Yes, I'm a student here," the girl said, rolling her eyes. "What are you supposed to be, some kind of magician?"
"I'll tell you my identity if you tell me yours," Rob suggested, a playful glint in his eyes.
The girl sighed. "Fine, but you go first."
"Alright, my name's Robert Bassey, and I'm a detective who uses magical powers and martial arts to solve cases and fight monsters around Birchwood."
She burst out laughing.
Rob raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious. "What's so funny?"
"No, it's nothing. So what? You're like a private detective?"
"Yup, a private detective who fights supernatural creatures."
"So, you're a Supernatural Private Detective?" she said, grinning.
"Yeah, actually, that sounds like a really cool name."
"I know, I'm good at naming things," The girl said, grinning proudly.
"Really? So who came up with 'Lucky Paws'?" Rob asked, leaning next to her on the gargoyle.
"Well... eh, oh, shut up. Lucky Paws is a great name." The girl replied with a smirk, jabbing him lightly on the shoulder.
"So, now you go." Rob crossed his arms, clearly waiting.
"Well, I'm Lina Vael. By day, I'm a public health student in my third year," she started. Rob unconsciously touched his jaw as she spoke. "...And by night, I'm the hero Lucky Paws." She paused when she noticed Rob's hand on his jaw. "I'm sorry, does it still hurt? Let me see."
"Huh?" Rob blinked in confusion, realizing he was touching his jaw. "Oh, uh, no, it doesn't hurt."
Lina gave him a knowing look, clearly not buying it. "Ok, maybe it hurts a little," Rob admitted, rubbing his jaw sheepishly.
"Common, big guy. Let me see it." Lina's tone softened, a caring note in her voice.
Reluctantly, Rob gave in, and Lina placed her palms around his jaw. A green light emanated from her hands, and it felt as though the pain was getting absorbed, like a sponge soaking up water.
"Hey, how'd you do that? The pain's gone," Rob asked, visibly surprised.
"Oh, it's another one of my powers," Lina said, smiling.
"Wow, that must be really helpful."
"You have no idea. Every time I get hurt, I just heal myself. I've never had a long-lasting injury," Lina said, looking pleased with herself.
"Say, I've never heard a name like Lina Vael before. Where are you from?" Rob asked, his curiosity growing.
Lina's smile faded, and her tone grew solemn. "I... I don't know where I'm from," she admitted, her voice quieter.
"What?" Rob asked, confused.
"You see, I'm an orphan. The only memories I have of my real parents are from when I was a baby. They left me in the middle of the forest, where my foster parents found me. They said they were hiking when a fox came to them, carrying a baby in its mouth. The fox dropped me in front of them, looked them in the eyes, and barked, as if telling them to take care of me before running off."
"That's one heck of a story," Rob said, his eyes telling disbelief.
Lina gave him an exasperated look. Realizing he might've said the wrong thing, Rob quickly tried to backpedal.
"I didn't mean that in a—"
She cut him off, continuing, "My foster parents are the only parents I've ever known. Even though I wasn't their child, they raised me. They took me to school, fed me, and gave me experiences I never would've had if I had ended up in an orphanage."
"You must really love them," Rob said quietly.
"They meant the world to me," Lina replied, her voice thick with emotion.
"Meant?" Rob asked, a question hanging in the air.
"They're dead now," Lina said, her voice growing even quieter.
"Oh?" Rob said, now understanding the weight of her words.
"They died, and I'm all alone, surviving in this cruel world..." Lina trailed off, then realized she was oversharing. "I'm sorry, I'm totally venting right now."
"It's fine. I totally get it," Rob said, his voice soothing.
"What would you know about being an orphan?" Lina asked, her voice skeptical.
"My parents died when I was a kid too," Rob shared.
"I'm sorry," Lina said, her voice apologetic.
"No, it's fine,"
"How'd they die?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Rob replied with a half-smile.
"Try me," Lina insisted.
"My dad was murdered by the Easter Bunny on Easter Day," Rob said flatly.
Lina's eyes widened, then she tried her best to hold in her laughter. "What?"
"I'm not saying it again," Rob replied with slight exasperation, crossing his arms.
"I'm sorry, it's just... that sounds very far-fetched," Lina said, stifling a grin.
"You were delivered to your foster parents by a fox. Even a stork would be more believable," Rob shot back.
"Fair point," she conceded with a slight nod. "What about your mother?"
"She died when I was six," Rob answered quietly. "I don't actually have many memories of her. All I know is she was a great singer."
"Oh?" Lina asked, intrigued.
"Yeah, she used to sing a lullaby to me every night before bed. Her voice is the only thing that reminds me of her."
"That's nice," Lina said, her tone soft.
Rob noticed the necklace Lina was wearing. "That's a beautiful necklace," he complimented.
"Oh, this?" Lina glanced down at it. "It was a gift from my mother—my real mother, not my foster mother."
"How do you know that? You said your foster parents found you when you were a baby."
"Well, for starters, I was wearing it when they found me," she said, her fingers lightly brushing the pendant.
"Oh."
"But apart from that, I have this memory of my mother putting it on me. I wear it everywhere I go. It's my most prized possession."
They shared a smile, a quiet understanding between them.
Rob checked the time on his phone. "Wow, it's 3 a.m. I better get going; you probably have something to do, right?"
"Oh, yeah, I've got a report due tomorrow," Lina replied, sighing.
"Okay then." Rob took a few steps back, then jumped into the air, using his flames to keep himself floating. "Good night, Lina."
Lina blinked, surprised to see him flying. "Uhhh, goodnight, Rob. It was nice meeting you." She waved as he levitated higher.
Rob took off, soaring over the rooftops and toward the forest. He flew above the trees, heading back to the villa.
Quietly, he snuck into the room he was supposed to sleep, shifting the bag aside and slumping tiredly on the bed. He closed his eyes and dozed off almost instantly.