To Be A Hero

Chapter 9: How To Save A Life

"Stop running from me!" I yell, slamming the door shut, effectively trapping Milo in the kids' dorms. It's just me and him. He's wide eyed, frantic, angry, but frankly, so am I. I've been chasing him around all day, trying to talk to him, but he's being stubborn and has been running from me like I'm going to kill him. And while I never truly would, the thought of wringing his little neck for evading me all damn day does cross my mind.

"We need to talk about what you saw last week!" I say, and he tenses.

"Oh, you mean how I saw you destroy a punching bag barehanded?" He shouts back, eyes going to look at my knuckles. "They're not even bruised!"

I look at my hands, grimacing at the sight of perfectly healthy pale skin. My hands did heal a lot quicker than I thought they would. Within two days the pain, swelling and bruising was almost completely gone. I was so worked up over everything else going on that I didn't really question it, but now that he's brought it up...

Why did I heal so quickly?

"Look, I know what you saw was unusual, but Van Ark's treatments-"

"You said his treatments only made it to where you couldn't get sick," He growls out.

"That's what I originally thought, but I was wrong. His treatments, whatever they did to me, gave me the ability to... damage things. I can do more damage to things when I'm frustrated or angry, when adrenaline is pumping. I'm not for certain how it all works, but-but you know I'd never hurt you, don't you? I'd never do anything to hurt you, with these abilities or not. So I don't understand why you've been running from me."

I try to take a step towards him, but he steps back, making me pause. I understand what he saw was scary. I understand seeing me that angry, causing that much damage was an unsettling sight, but I'd never hurt him. He's my kid.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asks, his voice having gone quiet.

It takes a moment for my brain to process the question. "What?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It wasn't your business to know. It was no one's business but my own." I clench my fists, lips curling up in a sneer as it dawns upon me. "Is this why you've been avoiding me for an entire week? Because I didn't tell you about this?"

He says nothing, but the look in his eye tells me all that he needs to know. My jaw clenches, and I can feel a faint throb in my temples, signaling an oncoming headache.

"I thought this entire time you might be avoiding me because you were afraid, because what I did scared you-"

"I'm not afraid of you," He spits back, and I let out my next breath very slowly, trying to calm my nerves as best as I can.

"Yes, you seem to have made that perfectly clear. So the real reason you were avoiding me like the plague was because you were being a petty brat who's angry that I didn't tell you my business even though you had no right to know it. Yes, I believe I have it all correct."

He opens his mouth to retort, but I'm quick to cut him off.

"No, you don't get to talk this time. You're going to shut your mouth and listen."

His mouth snaps shut, teeth clacking together audibly. His eyes narrow into a glare, but I pay it no mind. Right now I'm angry, and I'm going to give this kid a piece of my mind, because I have too much to deal with already. I've been putting up with his attitude since before I stopped talking, but I can't do this right now, not anymore. I have other stuff to deal with, stuff that is too important for me to be distracted by Milo.