The next few days were some of the worst in Luz's entire life. Camila and Vee were just as destroyed as she was about the death of Manny.
Vee broke down immediately, even trying to deny it at first when the officers told them while still in tears. She eventually just hugged her mother and her sister as tight as she could.
Camila burst into tears the moment the officers actually left once they were told the news. She held her daughters close, never wanting to let go of them.
They didn't go to school the following Monday. Camila was too afraid of letting them be on their own and frankly, Luz and Vee didn't even want to go to school. They missed their dad too much.
That Tuesday however was the funeral...the day that Luz was dreading. Because it would truly mean that her father was gone. That he was never coming back.
She stared at herself in the mirror, already seeing tears leak from her eyes, but she quickly wiped them from her thumb to prevent them from leaking onto her completely black suit.
Luz looked away from the mirror and out the window, seeing that the sky was a light gray. The sun was not shining, but there was no rain either. It could almost be mistaken for fog.
"...it's all my fault..." Luz whispered to herself. "I-if I wasn't messing around...Papa would still be here...h-he would hate me! He'd...h-he'd...!"
She then gritted her teeth and grabbed the nearest object and threw it across her room as tears streamed down her face. There was the sound of something toppling over due to whatever object she threw.
Luz clenched her fist at the mess she had made and walked over to pick it up...and then she saw the object she had thrown.
The first book of The Good Witch Azura. Luz had loved the books ever since she was young and her dad had given it to her while teaching her how to draw.
Luz quickly grabbed the book and held it like it was the most precious thing in the world. She breathed heavily as she held it close to her chest, sniffling.
"Mija...?" A soft and familiar voice said as the door opened.
Luz turned around and saw her mother. She held the book closer and walked over. "I-I'm sorry, Mama...I-I'll clean it-"
Camila walked over and hugged her daughter, stroking her hair. "No...I miss him too..."
Luz sniffled again and hugged her mother back. "...out of everyone, w-why did it have to be Dad!? I...I want him back! I...I-I-I-"
Camila just held her daughter even closer. "...Luz, there is almost nothing in this world I wouldn't give him to have him back..."
Luz looked up at her mother. "A...almost...?"
"...you and your sister." Camila whispered. "If Manny were here..."
She looked up for a moment as if trying to find the right words. She then took a deep breath and faced her daughter. "If Manny were here, he would want nothing more than for you two to be safe...and that's what I want. Everything is going to be okay..."
Luz sobbed a bit more, taking a deep breath to stop herself. "H-how can you say that when he's gone...?"
"...I don't believe my own words, mija." Camila whispered. "Just expect everyone to say that...and hope that it's true..."
The door then opened slightly more to reveal Vee, who timidly stepped inside.
Camila opened her arm and Vee immediately joined the hug, holding her sister and mother as close as she could.
Later that day, the funeral wasn't any easier. But nearly everyone Luz had known had shown up.
Hunter and his father, Caleb. Willow and her dads. Gus and both of his parents. And a few other classmates, family members, and even some of her teachers had shown up.
What surprised Luz the most was when she heard an all too familiar voice.
"Hey, Luz..." Amity said as she walked over, wearing a completely black and simple dress.
Luz's eyes widened just slightly. "H...hey-"
Amity then hugged Luz tightly suddenly, closing her eyes. "...if you need anything...I'll be right here...okay...?"
Luz felt heat rise to her cheeks at the sudden hug, but her grief was more powerful than her feelings for Amity, so she just hugged back slowly. "...o-okay..."
Amity then broke the hug after a while before turning around. "Luz, I...I want you to meet my dad and step-dad."
Luz looked up and then her eyes widened a bit more when two men walked over, both of them wearing black suits.
One of the men had the same skin as Amity and even the same brown eyes, with messy brown hair and some stubble on his chin.
The other man had darker skin and black hair...and was the officer that had tried to save Luz's father that night.
Amity's father looked at Luz. "Hi, Luz...I...I know we haven't met before, but...I am so sorry for your loss."
Luz just nodded, clutching her hands together. She then looked at Amity's other father. "...sorry about running away...I ran home..."
"...I can't blame you." He said. "My name is Darius by the way. This is Alador."
Luz nodded again. "I-it's nice to meet you..."
"And like Amity said, if you or your family need anything, just call." Alador said.
Amity then gave Luz one last hug before they went to their seats.
Luz took a deep breath and then went to her own seat as well, looking down and not even wanting to look at the casket her father's body was in. It was too painful for her.
The funeral just wasn't easy. It was nightmarishly difficult and Luz kept wanting to run away each chance she got just so she wouldn't have to see the casket.
Camila and Vee both spoke, but Luz couldn't get the guts to do so. Public speaking wasn't what she was afraid of, she just...couldn't find her words. She knew she was just going to break down crying in front of her own speech anyway.
When they went home, all of them just headed to bed. Camila constantly checked on the two before heading to sleep...and Luz only pretended to be asleep.
Once she was sure her mother was asleep, she summoned her super suit and swung out of her house.
She landed on the tallest building of the city and sat on it, her mask still on her face. The fresh air helped...but only a little.
Luz then looked down. "...my dad's gone...I couldn't save him despite these powers...I-I was messing around! I could've stopped it!!!"
She then shot to her feet, clenching her gloved hands. "A-and the guy who killed him didn't even mean to!!! I...I JUST WANT SOMEONE TO BLAME!!!" She shrieked, well aware that no one would hear her.
Luz then sighed and rested her head against the pole of the tower...but then, a new sound suddenly began to fill her ears.
A police siren.
Luz walked near the edge and looked down, seeing another car chase was going on. She was nervous and wanted to just go home...but then, she remembered what her dad told her after the fight with Boscha.
'When you have great power, there comes great responsibility.'
That's what Luz didn't realize. She had all these powers that no one else had and she used them to goof off...and it brought her nothing good.
"...I'm sorry, Dad." Luz whispered before she hopped down and fired a web, swinging after the police car and making sure not to lose sight of it.
The sirens were ringing loudly as a car ahead was driving recklessly. Luz swung right above the police car and then landed on the car.
"What the hell!?" A voice from inside cried before a thug wearing a black mask looked out the window and saw Luz on the roof. He gasped and quickly pulled out his gun.
Luz acted fast and suddenly fired as much webbing as she could, tying up the thug. She then attached two web-lines to the closest sidewalk and attached them to the thug.
The thug screamed as they were sent flying out of the car through the window and onto the street, bruised from the impact at best.
Luz then grabbed onto the sides of the window and swung herself right through, kicking the driver right in the face and sending them flying onto the other sidewalk.
She then whipped around and fired two web-lines at the car, pulling with all her might and stopping it from speeding off into a building or a crowd of people.
A bunch of people who were walking by or had witnessed the scene inside quickly took their phones out, taking pictures or even recording Luz.
Luz then looked at the thug she kicked and walked over, webbing his wrists and ankles together.
The thug growled and screamed, thrashing around. "Y-YOU SON OF A-!"
Luz then webbed the thug's mouth shut. "Hey now, wash out that potty mouth!"
Her eyes widened under the mask. 'Did...did I seriously just make a joke?'
Then, the police car from earlier drifted to a stop. Luz gasped and quickly swung off before they could even get out of the car...and much to her surprise?
She actually heard cheering below. The people who had witnessed what she had done were actually cheering.
Luz then landed on a building, her eyes wide as she felt adrenaline rush through her again. "T...that...felt good...I...I did something right! I...I guess I am a superhero now..."
She then looked up at the sky. "I should've been doing this from the start...D-Dad, I'll never stop missing you...but...but I'll make it up to you...no one's gonna go through the same thing I did...I promise."
Luz then quickly started swinging home. "Now...I think I'll need a name."