Dummies' Guide to Being a Superhero (Editing)

{Bonus Chapter #6} Hello and Goodbye

It's my fault. It's my fucking fault. It's my fault she's dead-

Life seeped back into her eyes an she stood up, breathing deeply. James stared at her, eyes wide and he lifted up her shirt to see that the wound had completely disappeared.

She stare at him, confused.

Why the fuck are you confused? You fucking died a minute ago and now-

"Did you stop the bad guy?"

He blinked and looked at the scenery. The masked man was gone. He shook his head and she sighed. He watchdd her stand up, trying her best to wipe away the blood on her shirt.

"Well, next time, beat him for me!"

"Who are you?"

The girl grinned, flashing her teeth and James notice one of them was missing. "Gretal Davidson! And you're my number one hero!"

Right. You're number one hero.

• • • •

James has to be honest. He kept running into seven-year-old Gretal Davidson. And he kept watching her get hurt, but this time it was in the smallest ways. Last time she fell and scraped her knees and he had watched it completely heal in just the matter of seconds.

He finally got an explanation after that.

James smiled at her, ruffling her hair and she grinned.

"You did it, you beat up another bad guy!"

He nodded. "It was all because of you, though." He looked up at the sky. "If you didn't tell me what you said when I was in that alley, I don't think I would be here today."

Her eyes brightened. "So you're saying I was your hero?"

"You can say that."

"Yes! I'm Spark's number one hero!"

James laughed and he gently took off his red mask and placed it in Gretal's hands. "Here. Every hero needs an alter ego."

She stared at the mask, eyes big and bright. "I don't know what that means, but thank you!"

He sighed. Right.

Gretal grinned up at him and then suddenly her small arms were wrapping around his neck. He stood there, eyes wide as she hugged him tightly.

"You're the best hero, Spark!"

He sighed. "That's nice coming from you. But you can just call me James."

She pulled back and her eyes widened. "Oh! My mom's waiting for me!"

He watched as she ran, mask gripped tightly in her small fingers.

"Amazing, isn't she?"

James glanced back to see one of his colleagues from his superhero agency and he sighed. "Yeah, she is. She would definitely be a much bette their than I'll ever be."