broken face into the crook of my neck, battered hands digging into my back, he can’t stop himself from kissing me, and I don’t stop him. It’s intoxicating, being so close to him again. Even though he’s only been missing for a few days, it feels like a lifetime since he’s held me with this intensity. This need.
He pulls back, glassy eyes gazing into mine. Half his face is swollen in dark purple bruises, and his nose is clearly broken, bent to the wrong side. Yet he reminds me of the first time I met him—not as a hero, but a boy, full of imperfections and quirks. A boy who put himself last, who would do anything for just five more minutes together. The memory of our first kiss floods me, and maybe it’s adrenaline or maybe it’s nostalgia, but I melt into him with a kiss that’s slow, thankful, making us both shudder with relief that we found our way not just back to safety, but to each other.
“Oww.” He pulls back after a minute.
“Oh, I’m sorry! Did I hurt you?”
He winces. “Dang, Bridge, I mean, I did just get my face pummeled to a bloody pulp.”
“I got swept up in the moment, I’m so sorry, I—”
He smiles, pressing a dirty finger to my lips. “Don’t ever be sorry. And don’t ever stop kissing me.”
A Warrior Nation medical unit rushes in, gently but quickly attending to the heroes, untying their binds and lifting them onto carts. I stay by his side until the very last moment, not letting anything come between his hand and mine. He needs to go: for medical treatments, for press conferences. The city needs to know he’s safe; I understand. Just before he’s finally pulled away to an ambulance, I kiss his filthy, sweaty forehead, and he looks back to send me a smile that warms me more than I thought possible.
I did not expect to feel this way.
Claire stands off to the side alone, dead eyes detached from the commotion. Joy gets carried away to safety, but Claire doesn’t move, somehow more broken than the heroes who were tortured for days.
“Claire, are you okay?” She doesn’t force a smile as I approach, instantly sobbing the second I wrap her in a hug. She clings to me, entire body quivering. I don’t placate her with false hope, but let her cry, wringing out whatever is left. But I do tell her one thing, something true that I hope will help her build solid ground. Not today, but someday.
“You are so brave, Claire,” I whisper, not letting her go as she trembles in protest.
“No,” she sobs. “I can’t do this.” Her body shakes harder with the truth. “This world…it was all I ever wanted. But now…I can’t. I can’t live every day with the fate of the people I love always hanging in the balance, never knowing what will happen next. I can’t be brave and strong all the time. I just…can’t.”
“First of all,” I correct her, “you are incredibly brave. Do you know how hard it is to even admit something like that? To acknowledge that something in your life isn’t working and take actions to change it? So many people just go with the flow, accepting whatever fate comes their way. But you’re fighting for what you want. And that’s important.”
She pulls back, face red and splotchy. “But this was my dream! Since I was a little kid. I wanted to meet heroes, to be in their world…. How could it be wrong?”
I give her a sad smile. “Sometimes dreams change.”
“I feel like I let Joy down…let myself down.”
“You just helped save her life. You talked down a man on the edge. You fought for them. It’s okay to fight for your-self.”
She wipes her cheeks even as the tears continue to flow. A Warrior Nation guard is motioning for us to leave, everyone hustling to get back to HQ for debriefings, care, and bringing Siege to justice.
“I’ll tell you one thing, though,” I continue. “You can’t get rid of me. Whether you’re in this world or not, you and I will remain super friends.”
“Super friends?” she chokes on a laugh.
“Yes, it’s my new spin-off. We’re the stars. Why should the heroes always hog the spotlight?”
ABC 7 Chicago News Update
It’s been three weeks since the Chicago chapter of Warrior Nation returned to duty, and the city has finally settled into its former rhythm. After Millie Montouse’s surprise resignation, new procedures are being put into place