Phoenix Epilogue

Honestly, I think a small part of me didn't want to wake up to the brand new world. But, like clockwork, my body responded, sense by sense came until the sound of the beeping monitor became too much. Then, like an old shutter, I rustled my eyes awake and absorbed my surroundings for all their worth.

A row of doctors had their way with me, operating through multiple scanners and complicated machinery. Eventually, when they noticed my consciousness, Girder managed to enter through the door, ordering the other people to leave while pulling up a seat.

"I'm glad that your awake Omna, I was beginning to get sick of the hospital food," he said in a dry and witty tone.

I was about to form a smile till my mind made flashes to what had happened. With that, my heart quickly jumped in intensity, and I leaned up to ask.

"What happened to Julia?" I said fearfully.

Girder quickly adopted a calmer posture, telling me the whole truth.

"Calm down Omna, Aegis is fine. She's comatose, but she was in a lot more stable condition than you. I don't know when she will wake up, but full recovery will happen."

With those choice words, I finally remembered what I did, the full weight crashing down.

"Oh, god, I remember it all now. Please tell me if Lucia and Beowulf are alive. Did I really-?"

With that, Girder held up a shushing motion as he explained.

"Don't go there, Omna; you don't have to feel guilty. The wolf and archangel are alive, barely, but nothing a couple of cybernetics won't fix. And even if they weren't, anyone with eyes can see that was self-defense."

"Doesn't matter, Girder. I still did it. I have to come clean and-"

From there, he grabbed my hand, removing his police cap, and looked me straight in the eye.

"You do that, and everything you've built for over a decade will come crashing down around you in a day. Even to this day, the public is debating about the self-defense act, and from personal experience, I've seen way too many good heroes have their entire careers ruined over events like these by their fanbases."

A grave chill shuddered through my body as I realized what he was asking.

"Are you telling me to just move on from this Girder? To just sit there and live with it? I've never got in this for the fame, Girder, you know that!"

"I know, and I'm not telling you to do anything, Omna; I'm asking you not as a partner but as your friend and former hero in arms. You and I know that people only want a symbol, not a person. And I can tell you right here and now that it's only getting worse out there. The people need to know that someone is still standing strong against the tide; injuries and wounds are damned. If faking your medical records and changing the narrative for monsters that didn't want to save themselves mean that I get to preserve your legacy, then I'm happy to do it all over again. It's why I decided to become a cop in the first place."

With that, Girder left me to stew over my decision. For days on end, I lay in my room, struggling and contemplating my next move. And as much as I tried to change that, I knew that "she" was right, and I'm so tired of trying to deny she wasn't. Once I accepted that, the numbing sensation from before persisted, giving me a focus I'd never known.

Over time I managed to get well enough to walk. I made one last visit to the hospital. When I saw Julia's stirring but largely peaceful face amongst the same set of machinery, I gave her some parting words.

"You're right, Julia; I know my limits now. As much as I like, I know I can't save everyone; hell, I don't even if "Omna" is strong enough for what comes next or if she's even going to stay much next. Nonetheless, I'm going to keep moving forward for the dream we both shared by any means necessary. That's the only way I've ever competed. I'll make sure that Victoria is more than human. Because limits get made to get overcome," I said as I gave her one last hug.

With that, I walked out of the hospital a reborn woman, now at peace with what I've done. Because no matter what this superhuman society throws at me, I'm still human. Despite the glamour, I get angry, get scared, and make mistakes which is why I deserve the chance to fall and rise, just like a phoenix.