I stand on the edge of the fifty story building, looking down at the street far below.
No one would care.
No one would bat an eye.
Tears fall from my eyes, blurring my vision and making the lights below become small glowing globs.
"Are you planning to jump?"
I turn around, startled, to the voice.
The Homelander stands atop the building with me.
"What are you doing here?" I ask thickly, swiping away my tears.
"I just happened to be flying on patrol and I saw you," he answers.
"Well don't worry," I turn back around, "you'll have one less person to worry about in a minute."
"Why do you want to jump?"
"Because no one cares, and no one ever will," I squeeze my eyes closed, more tears escaping them, "now can you please just go."
There's a pause and I can almost believe that he has left except for the fact that I can still feel his eyes on me.
"I'm not gonna leave," he says, his voice soft.
"Why not?" I turn to face him again, "just go."
"No," he takes a step closer.
"Why not?" I shout, anger rising.
"Why do you want to jump?"
"Because no one cares!"
"I'm still here," he takes another step closer, "would I still be here if I didn't care?"
"You don't even know me," I harshly wipe away more tears.
"So? What does that have to do with anything?" Again, another step, "you don't have to know someone to care about them commiting suicide."
I sniff and look down at him as he's now only a foot away from me.
"Come one let's get you down from there," he extends his hand and I flinch and take a step back on instinct.
My foot hits nothing but air and everything seems to slow as I begin to fall back.
At first, I feel relief.
It's all gonna be over. I won't have to deal with the pain anymore.
Finally.
But then, I feel fear.
I'm about to fall to my death. Fifty stories below. I'll be nothing but a pile of limp limbs and blood spatters across the concrete.
Wait.
My sister, I can't leave her with our dad. He'll beat her like he did me. She'll grow up secluded from the world. She'll probably do the same thing I'm doing now.
Killing herself.
I open my eyes and can see Homelander. He's heading for me.
He won't make it.
Everything comes back to speed and I can hear the screams of the people now not so far below.
I guess this is it.
I guess this is goodbye.
I'm sorry I can't be there for you Sammie.
I hit the concrete with a hard thud, and my entire body erupts in pain.
Homelander lands beside me only a few seconds after I've connected with the solid ground.
"Oh my God!" A woman cries.
"She should be dead," a man's voice, "that drop should have killed her instantly."
"How is she still alive?"
"The concrete is cracked."
"She's not even bleeding."
Words begin to jumble together as black invades my vision, coaxing me to sleep.
I didn't think it would be a slow death. But I guess no one really knows how death works until it comes knocking at their door.
"Her pulse is racing."
"How is that even possible?"
"Give her to me."
I feel like I'm being lifted and brought to a warm chest.
Maybe it's death coming to collect me.
My mind can no longer decipher what's going on as everything finally goes blank.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I carry her back to the tower, her body limp in my arms.
She should be dead. That fall should have killed her.
Why is she still alive?
"John, what is this?" Madison asks frantically as I barge into her office.
"She tried to kill herself by jumping off a building," I says quickly, setting her down in one of the chairs.
"I don't care about that! Why is she here?" Madison shouts angrily.
"Because I just watched her fall off a fifty story building," Madison raised I brow, still pissed, "and she's still alive."
Her expression turns to shock.
"There's not even a scratch on her," I continue, "her heart is pounding, and the concrete broke when she landed."
"That's not possible," Madison quickly walks over and checks her pulse, "all supes are registered and we keep tabs on them. I don't know who she is."
We stare at her for a few moments in silence before Madison speaks again.
"Take her to the lab," she goes back to her desk, "have them run tests on her to see if they can figure out what's going on."
I pick the unconscious woman back up and carry her to the elevator. Her skin is ice cold and getting paler.
Maybe she is dying.
Just very slowly.
The doors open and I quickly make for the lab. There's already nurses and doctors preparing a bed for her. Madison must have let them know.
"Lay her on the bed please," one one the doctors say as I get closer.
I lay her down and watch as they start running tests.
"Internal temperature is 56.7° Fahrenheit and dropping," one of the nurses says loudly, "pulse is 280 BMP."
"That doesn't make any sense," the doctor says, "if her harry is that fast, her temperature should be much higher."
"Temperature is down to 48°," the nurse says again.
"We can't give her adrenaline, her heart rate is already too high."
I look to the woman.
"Wait," I say stepping closer to her.
The air around her is significantly colder than the rest of the room, her breath coming out in thin white puffs.
She looks like she's just sleeping. Like she's at peace.
"Temperature is at 30° and seems to be holding. Heart rate is down to 200 BPM."
"She looks like she's perfectly fine," another nurse says from behind me.
"Maybe she is," I think aloud.
"We'll monitor her until she wakes up," the doctor says, "for now, well let her rest. Would you like us to tell you when she's awake, Mr. Homelander?"
It takes me a moment to realize he's talking to me.
"Hm? Oh! Yes, please inform me," I answer, finally looking away from the woman, "and tell me if anything changes."
"Of course," the doctor nods.
I leave the lab and head to my room.
She has to be a supe.
How would she still be alive otherwise?