In Hollywood: Glorybringer Fanfic.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Glory

She woke up in a hospital. In a white bed. With Deathbringer by her side. With Sunny gripping her hand.

And in a few days, she had the strength to walk. In a few weeks, she had the strength to look into the mirror.
She had the strength to realize that she looked horrible.

Gone was the beautiful Hollywood star. In her place, a girl with burns on her face, her arms, her legs. Nobody would ever want her again. Gone was her beautiful days by the stars.

She had never belonged there anyway.

In a few months, she had the strength to face the truth. That Clay was dead. That Greatness had her memory wiped off, that she would never realize who she was. That a girl that had helped her, Moon, was dead. That Glory's bitterest enemy was dead.

It didn't feel so great after all.

The truth came with a price. Nightmares. Screams in her head. The beating in her heart. Fear. Anxiety.

Sometimes she woke up screaming. Sometimes she couldn't sleep. Sometimes she yelled at everyone to leave her alone. Sometimes she would grip her bed until her knuckles went white because she was scared. Sometimes she went mad with fear. Sometimes tears just kept coming and she felt so sad that she wanted to end it all.

But her friends were always there. Deathbringer was always there. And they understood her. And at the end of the day, everything was alright.

And one day, somebody came to her. Kinkajou. She hadn't been burnt as badly, but Kinkajou understood her pain. And she had hugged her without a word. And Glory had hugged back.

But Kinkajou was moving on more easily. She said that she and her rescuer, Turtle, had gotten closer.

Then she started to cry that Moon's death was her fault and told Deathbringer that she had encouraged Moon to save everyone else. Deathbringer just shook his head. "You helped her."

Everybody in the organization was sent to jail. Except Deathbringer, who had kept his identity secret. Bodies had been found in the fire. Other things- the venom, the files- had been destroyed utterly in the fire. Nothing was left.

Tsunami had gone back with Riptide. Riptide has visited her, too, apparently. But she hadn't been awake then.

Peril had woken just to find herself surrounded with people she barely knew. Sometimes, without meaning to, she couldn't control her fire. Everything she touched burnt. So her nurses had been trained and always had a fire extinguisher by their side.

Deathbringer. How to describe him? He was always by her side. They barely talked. She knew he wanted to. She wanted to. But she couldn't.

How could she, after realizing that he was a part of an organization that had pained her for so long? After learning that he wasn't what he seemed at all? After Clay's death, after everything that had happened? After knowing that he was an assassin and that he had killed people, and that he could kill her right now if he so desired?

She knew that the fear showed in her eyes, instead of the love Deathbringer wanted. And she couldn't help it. How could she ever trust him again? She knew it broke his heart, and it pained her. He had sacrificed so much for her, after all. But how could she ever ignore the voice in her head that said to not trust him?

"You don't trust me," Deathbringer had said, when they were alone in the room.

She had stared at her white bed. Her voice was still raspy, and she felt horribly uncomfortable. "Yes, I do. How can I not? After everything you did for me-"

"Don't lie." He had smiled, but she could see the pain in his eyes. And it hurt. But he knew the truth, so why would she hide it from him?

"Fine. I don't trust you. I love you and I hate you. I want to blame you for everything, but I know it wasn't your fault. I hate hurting you and I want you but then there's a part of me that doesn't want to see you again."

Silence. Why does the truth always have to hurt? She wondered.

"Do you think you would ever be able to figure it out?" He paused for a moment. He was avoiding her eyes, just as she was avoiding his. "Us?"

"Maybe. Maybe time will help," she answered. That much was truthful. She needed time.

"I want to help you. Will distancing myself help?" Deathbringer finally looked at her. All kinds of feelings came over hear- hatred, love, fear, longing.

She shook her head. "Stay. I know this is weird, I know it's complicated- I know it hurts you and I hate myself for it. But I can't bear it if you disappeared."

"Feelings are complicated. Well, I'm going to try to go home now." Deathbringer had reached out and gave her hand a squeeze. That was when she realized that Deathbringer had worried sick about her- the black circles around his eyes, how thin he had gotten, how pale he was from not going outside for months.

And then he stood up and headed for the door.

"Deathbringer?" She whispered, sure he wouldn't hear. But he did. He turned quickly, worry in his eyes.

"Yeah?" He replied.

"I...Don't you find me ugly?" She felt ashamed to ask it, but it had been bugging her for days. She felt like she would burst if she didn't. The burns on her face. The hideous scars on her arms. There was no question: she was no longer beautiful.

"Oh, Glory," he said, his eyes softening. And the words he said before he went out remained in her head for days, for months.

"You're more beautiful now than you ever were."

~

My fans: BRO IS THIS A GLORYBRINGER FANFIC OR WHAT. Why are you TORTURING US LIKE THIS.

Me: "Reality is often disappointing."

(But seriously.

Don't you just hate it when people go, "you saved my life although you were pretty much the reason everyone else died? I LOVE YOU LET'S HAVE BABIES"

NO. Just NO. It isn't realistic. Glory and everyone else is going to have trauma and anxiety for the rest of their lives. It's a part of life and overcoming hardship.

Nothing's easy as it seems. LIKE WRITING FANFICTIONS—)