thirty-seven

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P A R A L Y Z E D
by
NF
"
I'm scared to live but I'm scared to die."

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The hydro monster was destroyed, the mysterious hero sticking around just long enough to wave to everyone before flying off. Peter stood up from the destroyed tower, checking to see if his gift for Beth was still intact. While he stared at the gift that hadn't been shattered, he finally noticed the absence of his girlfriend. 

She should've been able to make her way over here. Yeah, her powers might be a little rusty from not using it but she could still use them. 

The anxiety didn't fade from his chest. Putting her gift back into his backpack he sped off to the last place he saw her. Taking one last glance at his class who were celebrating about the new heroes victory.

It didn't take long to find her. Peter's heart faltered as he saw her collapsed body. Blood was splattered against the pathway next to her. 

Her body was shuddering. Her jacket was flung to the side. The water causing her clothes to stick to her skin. There was a raven-haired girl crouched down next to her. Her hands were glowing red as they hovered over his girlfriend's body. As he moved closer, he could feel the heat radiating off the mysterious girl's skin.

The girl's head snapped up as she heard him approaching. The light in her hands diminishing. Peter stopped where he was as the girl shot up.

"Who are you?"

The girl gave no reply as she sprinted to the edge of the broken bridge before leaping off to the other side. Then she was gone in a cloud of smoke. 

Peter didn't care to chase after her as he sped over towards Beth. His hands were on her shoulders, turning her over onto her back. "Beth?" He called her name. He repeated it again as she blinked her eyes. Trying to clear the fog from her mind. 

Peter kept calling her name softly until she let out a pained groan. He helped her sit up when she curled back over, coughing violently. Blood fell from her lips as her body shook. 

Peter's eyes widened as she stayed hunched over, trying to regain her breathing. His eyes trailed down her body— his mind trying to understand what happened. 

He scanned the ground, going over the blood splatters until his eyes fell onto her hands. Onto the black veins running through them, to her fingertips. Her wet white shirt now becoming transparent as his eyes followed the dark veins. To the darkest ones around her wrist; around her silver bracelets.

Peter pressed his hand on her shoulder lightly. Too exhausted, Beth didn't put up a fight as she rolled onto her back. She couldn't even move to hide the dark veins. 

Peter's eyes widened as the black veins continued to branch up her arms and to her chest. Where it swarmed around her heart. 

The pieces started clicking in his head, the reason she wasn't able to pull the water monster apart. The reason she stopped going on patrols. Peter wanted to hit himself from not seeing it before. When he looked back into her eyes, he saw the dread and then the fear. She hid this from him. They said no secrets.

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