Chapter 3 - It's OK Kiddo

For a second I just have to let it all sink in. My daughter has powers. I want to believe this is good. But this world, this world isn't safe for her. Now The Man on Fire knows she has powers so do all the wrong people.

I have to stop him here and now. He can never leave. I've never wanted to kill, but for my daughter I will.

By the time I rise to my feet, both The Man on Fire, and Claire are gone. I pull myself along the wall, and look through the hole I made in the side of our house, and see the two of them fighting outside. Claire has all my powers. I hoped so dearly that she wouldn't.

I clamber outside towards the fight, and then I see it, but Claire doesn't. He's about to release his flames. I had seen him use it in the past, but it was only ever meant to be a last resort, used in an unwinnable scenario, at the time it engulfed the surrounding 50 meters in flames. Now there's no telling how strong it is.

Without thinking I propel myself forward grabbing him at the waist. I leap into the air and just keep going. My flight is returning, for how long I don't know. Hopefully long enough. Then I feel it. A second set of hands. Claire is beside me, ushering us further up, up to where the air begins to thin. I push Claire away before she passes out, and it allows me to springboard further up. After a few seconds the flames finally go out, and i just let myself fall. I've done it. I've saved her.

I let go of him, and we both enter a free fall back towards the ground. At this point I know there is no one to save me. No one is going to catch me, we've moved too far away from the house. Claire wouldn't even know where to start looking.

I look over at The Man on Fire. He's unconscious. He's falling at the same speed as me. If he hits the ground he'll die, and that will be the end. I try to tell myself letting him die here and now is the right thing to do. But I know it's not. I feel myself growing weaker but I have just enough energy left to aim myself towards him. If I can fly for just a little longer I can save us both.

I grab onto him, and attempt to propel myself forward to no avail. My flight has gone again. I look on him to see if there's anything that could be of use. His uniform is far more advanced than anything I had ever used before. And then I see it. A single button on his shoulder. A personal parachute.

I press the button, and the currents of the air drag him away from my grasp. He's safe. I hope to myself that he'll take this act of goodwill to heart, but to be honest I don't think he has a heart anymore.

I look down, and I've broken through the cloud layer, and all that is left is impact. I feel the energy drain from within me and I pass out.

The next thing I know, is impact. I feel this more than I have ever felt anything. My body aches all over, but I'm alive. My enhance durability must have returned just enough to keep me alive. I look around, and I'm surprised that no one has come to investigate the giant crater I'm currently sat in.

It must have been some time since the impact. Evening had faded away into night long ago. The trees around me were familiar, but unknown at the same time. I can't have gone far, if I'm still in the same forest.

All that's left now is to make my way home. If you could even call it that now. I can't be sure how much of home is actually left at this point. But there is one thing left there. Claire.

I leap to the top of the trees to find a vantage point. At the top I see it. The charred trees. But that isn't all. The enforcers are starting to comb the area. Luckily they're starting from the opposite direction to the house. But I can't waste time with the little victories. We have to get away. There's no telling what could happen if our "Super" nature is revealed.

I walk for what feels like hours, trying to get back to the house. At this point I don't know if I'm even going in the right direction. And then I hear it. It must be about 400 metres away. Crying. Claire.

I muster up what strength I have let and run as fast as I can towards her.

The first thing I see is the house, if it could still be called a house. I had destroyed most of it coming in, and it looks like Claire crashed through the roof when I pushed her away. I edge toward the house and the crying gets louder.

I look through the hole in the wall and see nothing. I go to shout, but nothing comes out. A part of me knows that I'm not prepared for what could be coming next.

Claire shouldn't be here. She was supposed to leave with my wife. If she's still here, is Sara ok?

I look through the rooms until I reach Claire's bedroom. The crying is louder than it has been so far. She's inside. I open the door and I am met by my daughter, her eyes filled with tears, and lit up red, ready to release at anything that comes through this door.

When she sees it's me, her eyes dim back to their natural blue, and she crumbles to the ground. I rush over and embrace her. "It's OK kiddo, it's me. We're ok".