The Alta Heroes (Reboot)

Unfamiliar Familial Touch

The Stone aunt waited anxiously by the door of her home. Sitting on the couch next to her was Ariana, the woman holding her close to her shoulder with her dominant arm. Their faces had nothing but dread and sorrow written on them. What happened to Aubrey is the only question on their minds. Ariana held onto Vivian's stomach even tighter which the woman allowed, this due to her worrying too much about her eldest niece's safety. Taking a glance at her scared younger niece, the woman held the girl closer towards her, kissing her forehead before holding Ariana close to her shoulder. Minutes go by. Dull minutes that the two didn't want to deal with anymore. Sweat starts coming from the woman's forehead as she and the little girl she held shook slightly. The knocking of their front door is what snaps them out of their worry wall. Holding each other closer, the duo made their way to the said door, Vivian gesturing the girl with her stern hands and face to stay back. Vivian opens the door only for the woman to gasp in joy and hold her eldest niece with all her might. She clearly wants to cry, but she saw Aubrey's friends over there, so she knew crying wasn't appropriate right now. They hug it out for a good minute before Ariana, tears welling up in her eyes, ran up to the yellow hooded girl, and jumped into her arms for a hug. Letting herself cry into her arms, the little ten-year-old allowed her fourteen-year-old sister to carry her up to her room.
"You must be Aubrey's new friends?" Vivian asked, the team nodding to the aunt with a small smile.
"Yes ma'am. My name's Jayden," Jayden said, he and the Stone aunt shaking hands before the others did the same.
"My name's Ashley, ma'am."
"Asori, Ms. Stone."
"You can call me Shadow Bird, ma'am."
"Please, kids. Call me Vivian or Viv." A brief pause enters the room before Vivian takes charge of the conversation once again.
"You kids wanna order pizza?" The teams' eyes shot open right there. Smiles also spread across their faces as they love pizza. Hell, they could eat at least a few gallons of pizza before giving out from exhaustion. One exhausted duo in particular sat on the younger's bed, Ariana's cries softening slightly. Aubrey gently rocked the young girl back and forth. A few tears even escaped her face before burying it in Ariana's shoulder. The yellow color-coded teen and her little sister held each other for what seemed like a half-hour before the door was opened slightly.
  "Are you two ok?" Vivian softly asked her nieces. Both tear-stained girls looked upon their beloved aunt with calmer minds. Ariana's tears escaped here and there, yet she takes a deep breath as the aunt took her seat between her two beloved nieces. The family hugged it out for a good few moments before the aunt opens her mouth.
"I ordered pizza from Dominos. That sounds good for you guys?" The Stone twins give a genuine smile to their mother figure as she gives equally affectionate forehead kisses to both of them.
  "Are you ok, angel?" Vivian asks Aubrey. The teen nods her head softly as she laid her head on the woman's shoulder.
"I'm sorry," Vivian said before giving Aubrey's forehead another kiss.
"I'm glad you've made some new friends though." Aubrey nods once again as she buried her face in Vivian's shoulder."How's it been?" The aunt asked her niece.
"It's been... interesting," The young lady said after removing her head from Vivian's shoulders. The Stone family soon found themselves getting the pizza onto the table and dishing up with the rest of the team.
  "So, you kids have been hunting these shards for this Starsis guy because he and his brother aren't getting along?" Vivian asked the team.
  "Basically, Viv," Ashley said. The young lady then gets her slice after Aubrey and Shadow Bird got their slices.
"And you guys got superpowers from that crystal he used before it scattered across the multiverse or whatever?" Vivian said before the woman grabbed her slice."Yes. They're actually very cool when we use them. Observe," Asori said just as she focused her aura into her hands. The gray orb in front of her surprised the woman and her young niece greatly. After seeing their reactions, the young lady focused the aura back into her. The young lady then gets to eating her slice. Aubrey and Shadow Bird ate their slices just as Jayden explained his superpowers to the woman and child.
"For me, it's just drawing whatever I want to life," Jayden said casually before taking a slice of his pizza. "Really. What've you drawn so far, Jayden?" Ariana asked the blue hooded teen. "Just my sword, some platforms, and that fake shard I used to save you," Jayden said calmly before taking another bite of his slice. He takes another bite that eats the whole slice as the team's leader went for another slice.
"Fire. Nuff said," Ashley said before showcasing a small flame to the little girl next to her. Ariana's eyes lit up at the sight of this display of power. She totally wants fire powers. It'd be so cool for her to light anyone who's a derp to her on fire. That would teach 'em. Aubrey, knowing this might enable Ariana's more demonic side, shot a stern glare at the two as to not go through with showcasing Ashley's further fire capability. The two understood the yellow blonde's demand shown with Ashley turning her pyrokinesis off. The pizza-eating was nothing special. It is merely teens just having a pizza dinner with one of their members' families. What was special, however, is dessert. Aubrey had grabbed marshmallows, chocolate, and gram crackers for a campfire the gang had to celebrate their impending victory. Ashley lit the campfire after Asori and Vivian got the logs together. Aubrey and Ariana gave the members their sticks as they roasted marshmallows.
  "Mm. Man, are these great s'mores," Shadow Bird says with his mouth filled itself with the delicious meal he put together.
"Thanks, Jeremy," The yellow hooded girl said after she swallowed the last of her s'more.
"That superspeed of yours really makes you eat quick, doesn't it kiddo?" Vivian said happily.
"Yep," Aubrey said, her mouth full as well. Vivian giggled at this as it was very cute when Aubrey talked with her mouth full.
  "Are you the one who usually makes these s'mores, Aubrey?" Asori asked politely after eating up her s'more.
"Yep. I usually make 'em since my dad and mom sucked at making these things," Aubrey states proudly, a hint of melancholy in her voice.
"Yeah, I remember when dad nearly burned his hand off when making himself a s'more," Ariana said, her mouth full after shoving the s'more in her mouth.
  "Damn right." Aubrey and Ariana giggle after that remark about their parents' inadequacy at making s'mores. The team giggles alongside her as the whole group ate their desserts long before bedtime rolls around.
"Alright. Time for bed, kiddo," Aubrey said just as she tucked Ariana into bed. Vivian had a long day at work and worrying her ass off for Aubrey. So, the eldest sister gladly took over for tonight. "Are you gonna come back after your superhero journey's done?" Ariana shyly asked her older sister. Aubrey and Ariana's eyes locked intensely onto one another. The blonde could tell right off the bat Ariana's eyes begged her not to lie to her. She'd already been lied to enough. Taking a breath through her nose, Aubrey kissed her sister's forehead before stroking her hair softly and giving her a tight hug.
"We'll talk about it more when I finish it, ok?" Aubrey asked, her eyebrows firm yet friendly to her little sister. Laying down on her pillow, and clutching her Rainbow Dash plushie to keep her safe, Ariana gets one more forehead kiss before Aubrey leaves the room.
"Goodnight,"
"Goodnight," The two sisters said to each other before Aubrey shuts the door behind her.
"She ok?" Ashley asked, the team wearing their pajamas Vivian gave them as a gift for being Aubrey's new friends. Aubrey nodded yes to Ashley as she took her place in the circle they set up for tonight. An awkward silence befell the five-member group as they didn't know what to say. Even if they did, they wouldn't know where to start. What could they talk about? The fights they've had? The battles with Silencer and Raptor? Where Starsis lies in regards to morality? Another good minute or so passes by before Jayden opens his mouth although not before clearing his throat first.
"I'm sorry," The leader of fourteen years said to his fellow teens. The group looked stunned at what just transpired. What did he have to apologize for? They've been the ones who've been stressing him out. Ashley and Asori especially knew Jayden shouldn't be angry at himself for his outbursts towards them. It's their fault. Jayden explained himself immediately after seeing the team's confused expressions.
"I've been so focused on the mission that I lost sight of what a leader should be. I never should've pushed you guys away. You guys are like me. Victims." Victims of what? The team glanced at each other before looking back at Jayden. Although it took a short moment, the eyes of each member opened wide at that realization. Jayden knew what it'd been like to feel their pain. The pain of solitude, suffering, rejection, and betrayal.
  "I hated the yelling. So, I thought if I yelled back, the yelling would stop. But the yelling only got worse as I was now in the yelling cycle. Like my parents," The young man said solemnly. The shock had placed its grasp on the group for only a few seconds before Ashley and Asori open their mouths. "Jayden, we're so sorry," The sorrow-filled Asori said.
"Yeah. That was so stupid of us. We didn't-" Ashley's apology gets cut off by the understanding Jayden.
"Of course you didn't know. But still, that doesn't excuse my dickish ignorance." Ashley, feeling the need to take responsibility for her actions, interjects her reasoning for the team failing.
"Nor does it excuse my bitchiness," Ashley said before looking toward Asori.
"Asori, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been such a bitch to you. You'd just got away from that Jerrod bastard and I did nothing but remind you of him." Tears welled up in Ashley's eyes as she goes on.
"I tried to be better, but it wasn't enough." Ashley wiped the tears away with her arms. Sniffling, Ashley goes on.
"I did nothing but hinder the team. So, if guys you wanna kick me out, go ahead. You don't need me." "You're not the dead weight here, Ashley," Asori said, tears welling up in her eyes too.
"All I did was screw up. I couldn't even control myself when things got out of hand. If anything, I deserve to be kicked out." Asori looks down as she too is crying. She couldn't say anything anymore. Neither could Ashley. So, Jayden took over.
"That's not true," Jayden said, Ashley and Asori turning their crying faces to the young man their same age.
  "Neither of you guys hindered us. If anything, we've all screwed up on this shitshow we've been stuck on. But we need to stick together." Ashley and Asori nodded to Jayden as the two hugged with him for a good few seconds.
"Jayden's right," Aubrey states followed by Shadow Bird and then back to her.
  "Yeah. We've been hiding our fear of you guys killing each other for as long as you two started fighting. All because we, as Jayden said, were only concerned about the mission."
"We should've talked to you guys about your issues, but we didn't. And we're sorry."
  "It's ok, guys," Asori said after the redheaded and black-haired girls nod to each other.
"We should be sorry too," Said Ashley. A moment of pause enters the scene before the talking starts up again.
  "I guess we're all screw-ups, aren't we?" Everyone nodded in agreement at that statement by Jayden.
  "So, what do guys plan to do after this journey?" Jayden asks before Asori starts the conversation off.
  "I have nothing to go back to, so I don't know," Asori said in a numbed tone of voice.
  "I don't know either," Aubrey states melancholically.
  "I'm not going back to my old town," Ashley states bluntly. All heads turned to Shadow Bird. He didn't want to say it, but his body controlled his mind. That, and/or his conscience telling him not to hide anymore.
"Me neither as a matter of fact," Shadow Bird said after a moment of hesitation.
"San Francisco doesn't really need me anymore. And the police would honestly be happy if I never put on this thing again," Shadow Bird said whilst pointing towards his mask.
"You don't have to wear it in front of us right now, ya know," Aubrey states in a soft tone. Shadow Bird, after a moment of contemplation, removed the mask, the fifteen-year-old outcast prodigy Jeremy Ethos finally taking off the mask he'd worn to bed since the fight with the cult that took his father away. Jeremy didn't feel ashamed anymore These people wouldn't laugh at him as most would. Another awkward silence fills the room for the final time before Jayden decides to end the conversation.
"How about we get some sleep tonight? Maybe we can get a head start at... let's say 8:30?" The group nods their heads in unison to agree with that statement. "Well, that's settled," Jayden said as everyone headed off to bed. Ashley and Asori shared a bed in the guest room whilst Jayden slept on the couch and Aubrey slept in her bed. Shadow Bird slept in the sleeping bag near her as everyone had a sound sleep. The peace surrounding the young heroes lasted throughout the night thanks to the massive weight being lifted off their shoulders. Leaving themselves vulnerable to each other had been the answer to this growth. It was like being naked with an intimate partner. The two love each other despite their flaws and scars. That takes true strength, and the team letting go of that weight they've carried so long for each other's sake meant that they gained that strength.