Crash and Burn

Mile by Mile

A few weeks ago
"You're gonna have to do better than that if you wanna be a hero, kid!" There weren't many worse things than training with Keigo. I was running the streets on foot while he was scraping the skies mocking my speed as I attempted to keep up with him.

I too had wings but I wasn't all that great at controlling them "easy for you to say! You've got wings!" I ducked as he dove for me "less backtalk, more running! C'mon, I ordered pizza!" With those three words, I picked up the pace drastically.

"You wanna try using those wings again?" I gave him a nervous look "I'll step in if anything goes wrong, promise!" I flapped once or twice trying to build the courage "C'mon kid, I'm not gonna let you break your arm again"

I pouted at his decision to bring up a memory I was embarrassed by "I was 10 years old! Get over it!" With all the anger I'd built up, I managed to get airborne for about 10 seconds before crashing back down face first into the concrete. "We need to work on your landings kid"

My brother landed next to me with an outstretched hand "you realise I'm gonna fail right? I can't even get my wings working for a start-""Hey! You're gonna do great! And hey, if you don't make it, we're partying with junk food anyway. What kind of brother would I be if I wasn't proud of you no matter what?"

He nudged my shoulder "so you hurt anywhere?" I smirked at him "just my pride" a low chuckle escaped his lips. Keigo and I were pretty close for siblings but he practically raised me! He took care of me when I was sick, and the school runs were absolute worst but he knew how to make me forgive him.

"How about I race you home?" I groaned loudly dreading my legs aching more "You do realise you'll need to do a lot more if you wanna make it as a hero, right? You can't really slack off?" I gave him my best pout knowing he couldn't change the way the world works "I'm trying kid, but I doubt the villain count will change in three years"

Becoming a hero wasn't always what I wanted, but after seeing Keigo do such a great job - he made it look so easy! So then I gathered my courage and told him I wanted to be a hero too!

At first he thought it was adorable and part of a phase so he started taking me on little training rounds just for my indulgence. But after a year went by or so, he realised I was completely serious and started taking our sessions just as serious as I was...and that brought us here

The second we got to his penthouse, he flopped on the couch grinning at my self doubt "Hey kid, you're gonna do just fine. And you bet we're throwing the world's most badass party the second you graduate! You know why?" I raised an eyebrow tiredly dishing out the pizza

"Why?" it didn't take him long to flap over to the kitchen. It was we one of those questions where I could already feel like I knew the answer before he said it - Keigo was only predictable if you were close to him

"Cause you, kid, are the number three hero's baby sister!"

I groaned mentally as I ate the pizza slice, it was so good but I felt so tired meanwhile Keigo was still practically bouncing off the walls. "Let me see something" I felt Keigo's hands stretch out my wings seeing if I was hurt anywhere or if anything was wrong

"You seem fine, look don't feel bad about the whole flying thing - you'll get there!" flying had come so easy to him so of course we were both confused when it became my main struggle, and then didn't improve.

I thought of myself like a bird with broken wings - they're a burden and useless so what exactly could I do now? Just flap around like a flightless pigeon? At least he believed in me like no one else did...and that should've been enough

But i felt like something was missing from my life, and deep down I think he knew that. So as a teenage girl, he was giving me my space to work it all out for myself like some sort of complex puzzle...the thing is, I suck at puzzles! All puzzles! That's why I loathed family game night so much, and that's why he just arranged them more often, so he could torture me through board games and quizzes.

To be honest, I'd rather pluck my own feathers and rub salt in the wounds while they dripped in hand sanitizer to really make them burn but if he ever caught me doing that...let's just say he wouldn't exactly approve