The bright room pulsed with the steady rhythm of breathing. With each inhale, the lights dimmed, while the exhales brought them back. The effect was mesmerizing, causing the watcher to fade with it. His every worry racing away as the world pulsed around him.

He could stay here, in this blessed land. The warm feeling assured him nothing would go wrong. As long as he accepted it, he’d be fine, his family would be fine, everything would be fine.

Liam shook his head. He was tired, but he wasn’t stupid. There were no safe harbors out there. The world wasn’t some fairy tale, it was real life. And in real life, if you didn’t fight, then someone could come and tear down everything you had. Every brick of your life could be toppled by those who wanted to see you fall.

It was his falsely held belief that there was safety that'd brought him here. If he didn’t learn from that foolishness, things would turn out the same way again.

The breathing continued to echo through the otherwise quiet space. Now that he was paying attention, Liam could see the lights weren’t changing. They were the same fluorescent white they’d been since he arrived. The change had all been in his head.

The sheet on the bed in front of Liam was pulled, taut, yet raised and then lowered in the center. That was real, of everything else in his life, that one thing he knew for sure. Liam blocked out the rest of the world as the tempo of the sheet became all that mattered.

He sat there and watched. If things had turned out differently, this wouldn’t be possible. The sheet would be still, or worse, empty. He should’ve been there. He shouldn’t have trusted anyone else. What had he been thinking?

It’d been an hour since the rhythm in the room became that of true sleep. The first patterns were close, but there was always something off with it. Something telling Liam the person under the covers was fighting off the spells of the night.

Now though, it was clear. Mel was asleep. And with that, many of the worries that had been plaguing her. He only hoped they didn’t chase her into her dreams. She deserved a moment away from them.

Letting out his own breath, Liam’s eyes traveled around the room. It was bright, she’d refused to go to sleep with the lights off. It reminded him of when she was a kid, afraid of the dark, but not willing to admit it. She’d run to his room back then. Demanding he come help her hunt down the bogeyman. Again, not because she was afraid of it, or so she said. But because she wanted to capture it. If only nonexistent monsters were all she had to worry about now. Those days were so much easier for both of them.

Time dragged on as Liam sat there. On guard for her, like he should’ve been earlier. It wasn’t until his body demanded he leave that he finally caved in. He would follow its commands and leave for a few minutes, but return before she had any need of him.

Rising from the chair, Liam moved to the door like a shadow in the night. Slipping into the hallway without the breathing from the bed changing. If it had, he’d have turned around.

When the door shut, Liam breathed out a strangled breath. The door hadn’t even clicked as it closed, he’d been so focused on staying quiet. Now he could finally let his guard down. In front of her he had to be a bulwark. Out of sight, the cracks started to show.

Liam rested his arm against the wall. Letting the cool structure support him and lend its strength as he took deep breaths. Each one something he couldn’t take for granted anymore.

Settling himself down, Liam turned and found a large man in a red cape eyeing him from across the hallway. His arms folded across his chest as he leaned against the wall. The casual ease at which he rested, belittled the power that lay within him.

“You have a brave sister,” the masked man said as he pushed off of the wall. Arms falling to his side as he stepped forward.

“Thanks. Sometimes I wish I was as brave as her,” Liam said. Straightening his own posture as he looked at one of the men who’d saved his sister’s life. There was nothing he could say to this man to express what he truly felt. At least nothing that wouldn’t come out corny and half hearted.

“You’ve seen too much for that. Optimism has a tendency to fade away once the realities of the world settle in. It’s a feeling I wish we could regain, but is forever gone to us.”

The last year of Liam’s life flashed in front of his eyes. None of it was what he’d expected, yet he’d fought through.

“You might have a point. Even if I wish it wasn’t true,” Liam conceded.

The two stood there, both lost for what to say. At last the masked man reached out a hand. It took Liam an embarrassingly long time to realize what the man wanted. With a start of understanding, Liam reached out his own hand and grasped the man’s offered one.

“Thank you for what you did tonight,” Liam said.

“It’s part of the job.”

“I thought you were retired?”

“It’s hard to leave this life,” the man said. Even through the mask, Liam could see the man’s smile fall a notch. “Even if you know you should.”

Liam’s own face fell at the comment.

“I’m sure you feel the same,” the Hero in red continued.

And Liam had. There was just something about helping people that made it hard to walk away. Even with everything that’d happened to him, Liam came back to this life. In the end, there were certain things that had to be placed ahead of others.

After the handshake ended, Liam dropped his hand back to his side. Unsure if he should say anything else.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“You’re the reason I joined this crew. I’m glad I got the chance to meet you, Source,” The man’s tone changed, the hint of a smile coming back in full force.

“I… just call me Liam.”

The man nodded.

“You can call me Carl.”

“Well Carl, it was a pleasure.”

“No, it’s all mine,” Carl said. “Now go get some chow, and don’t worry, I’ll be here all night. You can take a breather.”

“Thanks.”

Liam stood there for a moment. This was one of the few people in the world he knew could protect his sister, but hadn’t he just promised himself to always be there for Mel? Would walking away now throw that promise away?

In the end, he broke down as his body demanded rest.

“We’ll, I’ll be back in a little bit.”

Carl only nodded as Liam walked away. Even though Liam wasn’t there, he knew of no better hands for his sister to be in.

After a quick bio break, Liam made his way to the base’s main room. Walking inside, all the heads turned towards him. His unmasked face was the only bare one in the room.

Ignoring the looks, Liam made his way to the fridge and took out an apple. The bright red fruit promised the nurishment his body needed.

Going to a corner, Liam found a quiet place and bit into the red delicious. The apple, along with the red carpet and orange chairs, seemed dull today. As if the bright colors of the room were having trouble reaching his eyes.

Then there was the apple itself. Red delicious? The fruit needed a name change. It was decidedly lacking in the second description. Even if it might look to the contrary.

Seeing he wasn’t engaging the rest of the room, the other people went back to their conversation. The voices were quick, yet hushed. All of it slipping away before it reached him.

It wasn’t until Liam was finishing the last remnants of what was disguised as an apple that Nudge came over.

“Mind if we talk?” the older Hero asked.

Liam looked down at the apple core in his hand. There wasn’t enough to claim he was still working on it. Not that Liam didn’t debate doing just that.

“We can talk somewhere else,” Nudge suggested, seeing Liam’s hesitation.

Liam nodded to the statement and stood. Sure, he’d have to talk to the older man, but he’d get away from the prying eyes around him.

Following Nudge out of the room, Liam threw the apple core in the trash as he passed. The core made a dull thunk as it landed, as if a gong signalling the rest of the room that they could speak again.

Liam and Nudge left before that could happen and moved to the conference room. The one Liam had been in during the multi team meeting. The camera and screens on the far wall remained off, or at least looked that way. With his work in tech, Liam understood just how easy it’d be to create that illusion. Even a child could do it if they really wanted.

“What are you thinking?” Nudge asked as they settled inside.

“Wondering why this room,” Liam said as he nodded to the camera.

Nudge turned to the device, then poked it. Moving the lens until it was aimed at the ceiling.

“Better?” Nudge asked.

Liam shrugged. Unwilling to comment on such an easy fix. It wasn’t like that would eliminate the microphones, but what was he to say?

“Now, what are you thinking about?”

“Nothing, everything is fine,” Liam lied.

“Don’t lie to me. It’ll save both of us the hassle.”

Liam’s insides boiled over at the comment. Before he knew what he was saying, he shouted, “You’re using your power on me, now? I thought we were past that.”

“I don’t have to use my power, to see through such a feeble excuse of a lie.”

Liam’s mouth shut with a snap. His emotions were demanding he say something he couldn’t walk back. And he knew he’d comply if he opened it again.

“I’m here if you need to-”

“No, just stop. I hate when people say that. It’s always a front. No one ever means it,” Liam shouted. His momentary muteness already forgotten.

“Well, you’ve only known me for a few months, so how could you know I don’t mean it?”

“Fine, you win. I don’t know if I should be a Hero anymore. Skip is hunting my sister, because of me. I can’t leave her alone, out there. Are you happy now?” Laim said. His arms spreading to the side, accentuating the question.

Nudge’s eyes focused on Liam’s own for a moment before he spoke.

“What will you do? Follow her everywhere or keep her locked up?”

“I would never-”

“If you lock her up, she’ll grow to hate you. Even if she knows it’s protecting her. Being forced to remain somewhere, anywhere, and it’ll soon become a prison for her. On the other hand, if you follow her everywhere, she’ll also hate you. That’s the same control, only without the pretense of walls to keep her in.”

Nudge’s reasoning was spot on. So much so that Liam was left grasping for a third option. Another way to keep his sister safe that the man had missed.

“What would you have me do? Wait until she’s attacked again? Or maybe just leave her to her own devices?” Liam asked.

“I can’t tell you what to do. You have to decide that. But ask yourself this, will Skip stop? If you and your sister disappeared, would he let that stand? Or would he chase you down?”

“I…”

“The way I see it, you have to be the predator and hunt him down, before he does the same to you. I’m offering you that chance. It’s your choice to take advantage of it or not. I won’t press you either way, but know the offer won’t last forever. I can’t have a teammate who is stuck in his own head.”

“I… I need to think about it.”

“I’ll leave you alone to do that,” Nudge said as he nodded.

The older Hero stood up and left the room. The door clicking behind him as he retreated.

Liam was so stuck in his head he barely registered being left alone. There is no good answer to the question Nudge posed. Everything he could think of had a drawback. He could leave the team and then what, hide? Nudge was right, Skip would chase him down. He’d have to look over his shoulder for the rest of his life, if Skip was still out there. Could he do that? Could Mel?

The alternative was to stay with the team. But then he’d just be waiting for a repeat of today. Only next time Skip would be prepared.

Liam needed something to do. Something to distract himself. Getting up, he walked over to the wall and grabbed one of the screens. As he thought, his hands moved. He didn’t pay attention to what he was doing, the act of doing something was enough for him.

When the knock came to the door, Liam was surprised to find a fully disassembled screen in front of him. The pieces arrayed in order of size.

Looking to the door, Liam found Nudge there, his eyebrow arched as he took in the table. Blessedly, he didn’t mention the display.

“You don’t have as much time as I thought. I need to know now, are you with us or are you staying here?”

“What’s changed? Why do I have to decide now?”

“We’re getting a second chance.”

Liam hadn’t known what he wanted, yet now, with the decisions staring him down, Liam knew there was only one choice to make.