Spectacular World

A Dream Of Flying

"She was so cool, Dad! Like, I've seen her on shows. I mean, I have her action figure, but this was different like seeing her in person was-"

"Hope, you need air." Her father chuckled.

She slowed down, her face red as she nodded and took several deep gulps of air. It was a few hours after the bank incident. Due to everything that had happened, her mother never got to speak to anyone about that loan. That was okay, though. Or at least that's what Jane kept saying, but she could spot the worry behind her mother's eyes.

She silently pushed her glasses further up her face and took in the sight of her dad. The hospital room was pretty bland; he had used to get a ton of 'get well' stuff, but when weeks turned to months and those turned to years, people stopped asking for him to get better... He was once a big man, and she remembered he would carry her on his shoulders. He was frail now, though. His beard was gone, as was most of his hair, and his eyes always looked tired, and there were so many wires, too many, all connected to him, weighing him down.

Still, he had a large goofy smile on his face as she sat on the bed next to him, and he held her like old times. Her mom and Armin were in the waiting room.

"Mom and I are fine. The Victorian saved us." She finally said.

"I'm glad. I can't believe villains are still robbing banks in this day and age." Her father sighed, shaking his head. "When will people learn."

"Where do you think it comes from?" That caused her father to look back up at her. "Their powers, I mean. Do you think they always had them or did something give it to them? Why are some people heroes, and why do some people decide to be villains?"

"Why do you ask? You want superpowers?" Her father joked.

"Well, yeah! What kid wouldn't." She said, rolling her eyes. 'But it's more than that.' It went unsaid, never leaving her lips.

"If you had powers, which side would you be on." He joked, grasping her hands.

"Obviously, I'd be a good guy." She huffed, causing him to snort.

"Yeah. Obviously. What powers would you have?"

"Something that lets me fly. I'd love to fly around the planet with Victorian helping her kick evil's butt! Bad Timers would be the first thing we destroy!"

His grip got tighter around her hand as he chuckled once more. "Well, sorry to say, but you're still a mere mortal like any of us. Besides, I don't think my heart could handle you doing something like that. Let's stick with just being a fan of the Victorian instead of her sidekick, okay? Oh yeah. I have good news."

"Yeah?" She perked up at that.

"Do you know the superhero team called Reservoir?"

"Yeah. They're a group of heroes with water-based powers who work under the Ocean Empress, oh she's a member of the Enforcers also and-"

"Air, Hope." He chuckled. She breathed in deeply, and he broke into a fit of laughter. It took him a moment to calm down as he grinned. "Well, Reservoir recently got a new member who has a healing-based ability. She lives in Lillian, but the hospital made a deal. She'll be stopping by in Oleander and trying to heal all the critical patients, and I'm on the waiting list."

"You're going to be able to leave!"

"I didn't say that." That caused her to go silent instantly. "I don't want you getting your hopes up, pun intended. We don't know if it will work, but she should be able to do something with any luck."

She reached down and gripped her father's hand, smiling brightly. "Then I'll be sure to thank her when you're up and walking again."

She wasn't sure how long they had been there, but soon enough, it had gotten late, the stars shining through the window. She was forced to say goodbye as a doctor came to give her father medication that would let him sleep despite the vast pain he was constantly in. She said bye to Armin as they dropped him off at his house, and soon enough, they arrived back at the small apartment that Hope and her mother called home.