𝙉𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡 (𝙗𝙭𝙗)

Chapter Twelve

Cody P.O.V

It was weird returning home after everything that happened today. I wasn't surprised to come home to a dark, empty apartment. I don't know what I wanted to be there when I arrived, but the same old lifeless apartment was not it. The longer I stared blindly at the dimly lit apartment, the more I knew what was bothering me.

Deep down, I wanted someone to be there. I wanted my parents to be waiting anxiously on the couch for me to come home, worried sick after hearing the school was destroyed. I wanted someone to care, and based on the emptiness of the apartment, it was clear that no one did. At least, not in the way that I wanted them to.

Perhaps Zach was right about one thing. Earlier, I acted like nothing was amiss, like today's events weren't worth worrying about. I had been ignoring it all until now, pretending that everything was fine. The truth, though, was that it wasn't. I had been so focused on keeping my family's secret that I didn't have the chance to stop and consider the extent of today's events. So many things could have gone wrong; the few people I cared about could have died. Realizing that hit me hard. I couldn't imagine living in a world without Hannah around. Secrets and lies aside, she was the only person in this world that I have ever considered to be my friend. I don't think I could ever forgive myself if someone I cared about died because of my father's carelessness.

If nothing else, today's events only further justified my contempt for superpowers. Nothing good has ever seemed to come from having them or knowing someone who does.

There was nothing in the living room that I hadn't seen before, and its emptiness was only a sad reminder of what I always come home to. I couldn't stand to look at it anymore. I carried myself towards my bedroom, not that I made it that far. Before my hand could even touch the door handle, the front door slammed open, and in stormed my parents.

The moment they stepped into the apartment, the mood drastically changed. I could sense the anger in the air, anger that could be traced back to my father. There was something frightening about angering my father. I already didn't get to spend that much time with my parents; I didn't want to waste that time fighting with them. Not that I would have a choice this time.

"DAKOTA!!" Dad screamed, his voice echoing off the empty walls. "Get in here now!"

I could hear the rage in his voice; the intensity of it filled me with dread. For a split second, I thought about disappearing. I wanted to avoid my father's anger, avoid his wrath. I was could easily slip into my room, but that would definitely only anger him more. I didn't wait for him to scream for me again, taking the hesitant step away from my door and towards the living space. The moment I came into sight, their attention immediately shifted to me.

It was worse seeing my father's anger up close. No, what was worse was seeing my mother standing behind him, her arms crossed in what I could only assume to be disappointment. There was something worse about knowing that neither of my parents were going to hear me out. I diverted my eyes away from them, feeling unable to look at either of them. I didn't know what to do aside from awkwardly standing before them, waiting for something to happen. I tried to tell myself that I was prepared for anything they could throw at me, but deep down, I knew that I really wasn't.

"Sit down, now."

I bit the inside of my cheek, wishing once more that I could just disappear to make this entire situation go away. That would be asking too much, though. I did as dad said, moving away from them and towards the couch. Once I sat down, I kept my eyes on my intertwined hands, my head bowed down, my hair casting a shadow onto my face. In a sad way, I felt like I was about to be questioned by the police instead of my own parents. Like they were strangers almost. With how little time I spent with them, calling them strangers wouldn't be that far off the mark.

I waited for them to say something else, to initiate the argument to come, and they didn't disappoint. At least, dad didn't.

"What in the world were you thinking?!" Dad snapped at me. I could only glance up at him, confused. What did he mean, what was I thinking? Was he referring to earlier when we had the chance encounter while he was in his villain form? Did he think he could pin that situation on me? "Did you even stop to consider what could have happened?" For someone people have called a genius, my father was really stupid.

"What are you talking about?" I, on the brink of snapping, asked back. Asking only seemed to add more fuel to the fire as things around the apartment started shaking as dad's anger grew.

"What am I talking about?" Dad let out a humorless laugh. "What do you think I'm talking about!" It hurt having him shout at me like this. "What were you thinking interfering with my fight today?! What if something had happened? What if our secret was revealed?!" You know, for a second, I thought he might have been worried for me, for my safety. I could feel tears building up in my eyes as my entire body was on the brink of shaking. To think that my father would be more worried about protecting his stupid secret than about the wellbeing of his child.

"Seriously?" I couldn't help but ask. Was that seriously all he had to say to me? Was there nothing else either of them could say? It almost felt worse having mom there, watching the situation silently. It was as if she was in business-mood and not mom mood. Would it kill her to support me a bit, or was she deadset on siding with him? "That's all you have to say to me?"

"What else would I have to say?! What else is there to worry about?!"

"ME!" I snapped, leaping off the couch. My sudden motion seemed to startle the both of them. "You could try and be worried about me!" It felt good to say it, to get it off my chest.

"What's there to be worried about, Dakota?" It was the first thing mom said, and it hurt to hear. I stared at her in shock. Why were they both like this? Didn't most parents worry about their children? Oh wait, I have to remind myself that these people aren't ordinary, nor should they be parents.

"I don't know. Maybe you could have been worried about your son, who could have died when the school started to fall apart! But forgive me for not seeing the bigger picture that is your stupid 'hidden' identity! Next time my life is threatened, I'll try to put your villain's life first. It seems like you two do anyway," I started to walk away from them before remembering something else dad had said. I turned back to look at them, glaring at dad. "And by the way, it isn't OUR secret. It's yours," I said, pointing at dad.

I didn't wait to hear what either of them had to say. I turned away and hurried towards my bedroom. I knew I couldn't stay in the apartment, at least, not if I wanted the argument to end. The moment I stepped into my room, the darkness greeted me with open arms, pulling me in. It was comforting, returning to the shadows. I used my shadow form to faze through the wall, and just in time, as my parents had started to head for my room, likely to continue the argument I left behind. I could almost hear them through my outer wall, upset about my disappearance. I tuned them out, though, to focus on my new environment, something I've experienced a handful of times.

There is something indescribable about floating thousands of feet above the ground. It was a feeling unlike any other. But at that moment, I wondered what it would be like to return to normal, to truly fall. To feel the air as it rushed around me, to see the skyscrapers as I quickly descended to the ground, the lights as they zoomed by. I've pictured all of it before, imagined that scenario. But for the first time, I thought about actually doing it about taking that plunge, if only to feel alive for those fleeting moments. I spitefully wondered if they'd be worried then, after the fact. A part of me wanted to find out, to see if they'd genuinely care. The more rational part of me, however, stopped me from committing to the idea. Instead, I slowly flew down towards the busy streets, stopping in an alley to reappear.

Walking through the busy streets was oddly calming. It gave me the chance to get my bearings together and figure out what I wanted to do, where I would go. My options, while short and sweet, made perfect sense. Where else would I go aside from Hannah's? 

A/N: -_-'