Bat Out Of Hell

Heroes Pt. 2

She had a neighbor, Laura Grace. Laura was seven, she was eleven. For five years, she hadn't spoken. But she asked if Laura had any abilities, Laura told her that she could fold her tongue like a taco, and was the only person in her second-grade class who could do so. Laura said she'd be leaving soon, her parents would be coming to get her soon. They had signed her up for this. Her stomach hurt all the time and sometimes she cried at night, but her parents were coming soon. Laura told the other girl that she was sick, but she was getting better, she was sure of that. The doctors were supposed to make her better.

One day, when the older girl called out to Laura Grace, only silence was returned. Perhaps she had gone home.

April 12th, 2015

"I'm sorry, so who are you?" Trish asked Willow later, as Jessica continued to rewind and replay the final moments of the fight with Kilgrave caught on the camera. "And how old are you?"

"I'm Willow," the girl said. "I'm in eighth grade."

"Jesus, Jessica," Trish said, sounding exasperated. "What is she doing here?"

"Don't let her fool you," Jessica said. "That's the Manhattan Angel everyone has been talking about. Conspiracy forums can't seem to get enough of her."

"Wait... no," Trish said. "Really?" She lowered her voice. "I mean she can actually..."

"I'm right here," Willow said from where she was sitting next to an outlet, charging her phone. She peered at Trish from behind curtains of long, black hair that had fallen over her face.

"Sorry," Trish said, her face turning red. "I mean, can you?"

Willow squirmed at the question and her wings drew themselves tighter into the sides of her spine. "You saw the video."

Trish opened up her mouth, as if to ask another question, but then shut it again, turning away and looking back towards the screen. Jessica took a swig from a bottle and replayed the video with Kilgrave again.

"He didn't have to tell me to do a goddamn thing and he had all the control," Jessica said.

"Gotta admire his commitment," Willow said, as she watched Kilgrave take hit after hit.

Jessica sighed. "Look at that." She hit play again and scoffed. "Even I feel sorry for him. I just helped his case." She took another drink. "I'm such an idiot," she said and switched back to watching Kilgrave's childhood video. Kilgrave's eyes opened as the video started again. The first scream started, the sound haunting, and Willow stood up, mumbling something about needing to go to the bathroom.

The floor in the hallway, seemed to shrink and grow under her feet as Willow's vision tunneled. She sat down on the ground, tucking her head between her knees as she tried to steady her breaths. In and out, in and out. She flexed her fingers, the tingling feeling returning, and clenched them into fists. Sumerkey.

"Take a deep breath. Calm your mind. Compliance will be rewarded."

"Willow?"

The girl recoiled when Trish put a hand on her shoulder to check on her. "Don't do that!" She fumbled to pull her earbuds from her ears and fell back on the tiled floor, her eyes wide.

"I could hear your music from in there," Trish said. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Willow said, her chest rising and falling quickly, her breaths shuddering.

"If this is something you can't—"

"I'm fine," Willow repeated, sterner this time. "I was just taking a break." She stood and tucked her headphones into her jacket pocket. "What did I miss?" She followed Trish back into the room, where Jessica was panning back through one of the Kilgrave videos.