Gift of the Goddess

Chapter 29 - Trouble in Paradise

The doctors said that we wouldn't be able to see Annual for another day or so. Zack decided he was gonna camp out at the hospital. I wanted to join him, but the doctors advised me to leave to get some fresh air. I knew they were only telling me that so I would calm down. And I'll be honest, I wasn't doing so hot anyways. So I begrudgingly agreed to go home.

I didn't immediately go home though. I was still shaking for a bit after I got back. I took a walk through the park to calm my nerves and then headed back home. I was walking up the fire escape when I heard my sister's voice.

"You're annoying, you know that?" She whined.

I stopped under the second story of the fire escape and moved myself against the wall.

"And you're dodging the question." Jack hummed.

"Wow! It's almost like I don't want to talk about it. Crazy right?" Lux sarcastically replied.

Jack groaned.

"Would telling you something personal about myself make you feel more comfortable?" He asked.

"Why are you so interested? I told you I'm fine!"

"I guess Icarus is just rubbing off on me." Jack chuckled. "But is it a deal?"

"No promises."

"You know, you're pretty cold. And that's coming from a guy with ice powers."

"Losing interest frost."

Jack sighed.

"Ever heard of a town called oblitus?"

"No?"

"And you never will. Because I killed everyone there."

I felt this cold shiver wash over me as he said that. Flashes of that giant wave of ice came into my mind. There was silence between them for a moment. Then Jack spoke up again.

"I was part of the first generation. Getting superpowers worked a bit differently back then."

I looked up and I could see Jack looking over his hands. He looked disgusted with himself. Like he just did something wrong.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I couldn't control it. My sister got mad at me one day and... I just exploded, and so did everything else."

"Y-your joking right? Does that mean that-"

"Your knight in shining armor is fine. His generation has limits and levels. A lot more controlled than us. I was only twelve when It all happened. Everyone I know was dead, so I was alone. And I did terrible things when I was alone. That's when Arthur found me."

"I'm sorry that happened to you. You didn't have to-"

"Arthur once told me that our true strengths lie within our weaknesses. I thought he was full of crap." Jack chuckled. "But now I'm starting to see what he was talking about."

Lux groaned smacked her face. "That sounds like something Stryder would say."

"Well him and Arthur are both annoying hero types." He sighed.

I grumbled.

"When our mom died. I think that's when I realized how much I really disliked him. I remember he never got mad at me when we were kids. No matter how mean I was to him. I felt like mom loved him more than me. They were always together. So when I heard what happened, I just wanted him to disappear, to suffer. He took her away from me for so long. And now it was forever." She stopped talking for a moment.