Hopes and Memories

Delinquents

"Final stop, Norman Hills," The announcer spoke on the intercom. Corinna sighed, grabbed her bag, and walked off the train towards the escalator, surveying her surroundings. Suddenly, the building began to rattle and collapse, dust blocking everything from vision. Corinna heard screaming and shouting from behind her, everyone began pushing each other to get out faster. Corinna shoved her way to the station center, ensuring everyone else who got out wasn't hurt. The debris from the collapsed ceiling made it almost impossible to see who was coming out and whose still in there. Multiple people were coughing from smoke getting into their lungs and many were injured from the collapse and the hoard of panicking people. Corinna checked on the first person she saw with major wounds.

"Are you okay ma'am?" Corinna asked an elderly woman who was shaking and visibly wounded, Corinna kneeled to help the woman. "My husband," was all the woman spat out. She grabbed Corinna's hands and looked dead into her eyes. "Please help my husband," the woman pleaded. Corinna understood staring at the gray abyss, she knew what she had to do. "Please take care of your wounds, I'll make sure you and your husband leave this place together," Corinna assured the woman, handing her a bandage for her wound that sliced her arm. "Thank you, sweetie," the old woman gave Corinna a grateful smile and held her hands tightly.

Corinna ran straight into the smoke, protecting her face from the debris.  Not being able to see anything, Corinna looked at her hand and flipped it over, a flame appeared in her hand making a light source. "Hello?" she yelled out, hoping for a response. Corinna cautiously walked farther into the boarding platform, looking for anyone who would need help. "Even with my flame I can't see anything, something isn't right," Corinna thought to herself, putting her guard up. With one hand holding her flame, the other was blocking smoke from getting to her lungs. She heard rustling coming from a pile of collapsed debris, Corinna went to investigate with her guard up. "Hello is anyone there?" Corinna shouted in the direction of the rubble. "Help-" she heard a voice say faintly, almost inaudible. She rushed to the rubble and quickly lifted the ceiling tile from the person. "Sir, sir can you hear me?" She shook the elderly man who was barely conscious. "Sir, let me help you," she assured the man, he nodded. Corinna looked at the man's wounds, his legs were pretty messed up but he should be just fine. His torso was cut up badly, with cuts all over the place, and lots of bleeding. "I need to focus there," Corinna thought as she placed her hands on the man's chest. A sudden burst of light came from the man's chest, lighting up their surroundings. "How do you feel, sir?" Corinna asked the man as she helped him up, he looked at where his wounds were, he saw not a scratch not even a scar. "How did you do that? Are you an angel? A god?" The man embraced the girl in gratitude, Corinna chuckled not answering. "Whoever you are, you're my hero," The man exclaimed. "You're wife is waiting for you, safely. Do you know if anyone else is down here?" Corinna asked the man, he shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think so, I believe I'm the only one," he replied to her.

Suddenly, the station began to shake again causing the old man to lose his balance. Corinna quickly went to help the man get back on his feet, but as soon as Corinna stepped closer to the man, she felt a shift. The old man's aura changed from helpless to powerful, powerful enough to overwhelm her. The old man looked back at Corinna with pitch-black eyes and a malice smile, Corinna slowly backed up and stared at the stairs, debating if she should make a run for it. "You truly are a hero," a deep corrupted voice echoed on the boarding platform, coming from the old man. "Do you know why I just hate heroes?" the corrupted voice croaked. Corinna's flame grew bigger, feeling threatened. "I'm not sure I want to know," Corinna hesitated. "You heroes claim you protect everyone, but where were you when I needed you the most? I hate you all! I hate you all, I hate you all," the disturbed voice repeated over and over again, with a diabolical smile full of malicious intent.

"Sir, if you could just take this someplace else that would be great but I'm sorta in a rush and I don't have time for this," Corinna smirked, hoping to get on his nerves. "You're not going anywhere," the man stood up, changing his appearance from an elderly man to a younger man, not that much older than me, he looked half human and half shadow. The energy coming from him was immense and he looked ready to attack. He raised his hands and the station began to rattle again, causing the top floor to completely collapse on the two of them.