3.02 – Thawed

The next morning, Aurora stood at the edge of the tallest building in her neighborhood, the morning sun turning the cityscape into a gothic glowing expanse of steel, stonework and glass. The wind tugged at her hair, teasing her wings, and she closed her eyes for a brief moment, feeling the steady pulse of San Isidro beneath her feet. This city—her city—was starting, alive, breathing, moving in its unpredictable rhythm.  She was trying to get into the habit of doing a quick patrol each day well before school started. So far, not much had happened during the early hours but it was always good to be out and active.

She spread her wings wide and leaped forward.

The wind caught her instantly to hold her aloft, and she dove, reveling in the exhilaration that flying brought her. Below, the streets blurred together—cars inching along, people moving like tiny figurines, the distant hum of honking horns and distant sirens creating the city’s ever-present melody.

Today’s goal was essentially to just meander around, so she wasn’t expecting much. She’d already had the biggest night of her life just yesterday, and while she didn’t think she’d run into another super-powered rampage this soon, she wasn’t about to slack off.

Gliding over the city, she watched closely for signs of trouble.

It didn’t take long before she spotted some brewing.

Near a convenience store, a hooded and masked man sprinted away from the entrance, a bag slung over his shoulder. The store clerk ran after him, waving her arms wildly and shouting, “Stop! Thief!”

Aurora tilted into a dive, tucking her wings in for speed. The thief barely had time to react before a golden arc of solid light appeared in front of him, a curved wall of solid energy blocking his escape. He skidded to a stop, cursing under his breath.

Aurora landed lightly in front of him, arms crossed, her expression unimpressed. “You know, if you wanted some snacks, you could’ve just paid like everyone else.”

The man’s eyes darted side to side, looking for an exit. When he lunged for the alley to his right, Aurora flicked her wrist, forming a smaller, rounded construct that tripped him up, sending him sprawling onto the pavement. The bag tumbled from his grip, spilling its contents—cigarettes, a handful of cash, and some scratch-off lottery tickets.

The store clerk arrived, breathless. “Holy—Aurora? Aurora? You’re…. real? Oh my god, this is insane!” She skidded to a stop near them.

“In the flesh.” Aurora grinned before crouching down next to the thief, who groaned and rubbed his scraped-up hands. “Alright, buddy. You gonna make me chase you again, or are we calling it here?”

“Ugh… fine,” he muttered, putting his arms up. “Fuck. Just my luck.”

“Literally,” Aurora said, plucking up a lottery ticket from the ground and holding it up. “Hey, maybe this one was a winner.”

The store clerk chuckled as she pulled out her phone to call the cops.

Aurora didn’t stick around long after the police arrived—there wasn’t much need for a superhero to hang around for paperwork.

She kept patrolling, stopping a mugging in progress and scaring off some would-be carjackers just by swooping in and landing on the hood of their target vehicle.

Overall, it was an unexpectedly productive morning. Who knew criminals were such early birds?

Eventually it was time for Leona to go to school, but not long after classes had wrapped up for the day she found herself outside Jason Starling’s family home. She’d promised the Midnight Avenger that she’d talk with his parents to smooth things. Though she kind of didn’t want to face them, she would keep her word.

Her gut twisted slightly. This wasn’t the sort of thing she was used to—having to talk to the parents of someone she had literally fought the night before. But it was important. The Society of Sentinels had to handle things like this the right way, and she had to be the one to do it.

She landed softly in their front yard, taking a moment to smooth her feathers and compose herself before knocking on the door.

It took a few seconds before the door creaked open, revealing a middle-aged woman with weary eyes. The moment she saw Aurora standing on her porch, she gasped and covered her mouth. “Oh… oh my god.”

“Mrs. Starling?” Aurora asked gently.

The woman nodded quickly, eyes darting behind Aurora as if expecting to see someone else. “Is… is he…?”

“He’s safe,” Aurora assured her. “Jason is in the care of the Society of Sentinels right now. I came here to apologize on their behalf for not stepping in sooner and to let you know that he’ll be returning home soon.”

Mrs. Starling’s expression crumpled, and she reached for the doorframe, steadying herself. “I… I thought I lost him. We heard what happened. All that ice, the police, everything.”

Aurora hesitated. How much could she tell them? How much should she?

She chose her words carefully. “What happened to Jason wasn’t his fault. There was something in his system that made him act that way, something from the camp that you sent him to. The Sentinels are working to clear it out of him, and when he comes home, he’ll be okay. I want to reiterate that this wasn’t his doing. That stuff in him was influencing him.”

Mrs. Starling looked at her, her face unreadable for a moment. Then she wiped her eyes and nodded. “Thank you. Thank you for telling me that.”

Aurora smiled softly. “He’s a strong kid.”

The woman reached out suddenly, grasping Aurora’s hand in both of hers. “If you ever need anything—a meal, a place to rest, anything—our door is always open to you. Thank you.”

Behind her, a figure appeared in the hallway—Jason’s father, a stocky man with graying hair. He crossed his arms, his expression hard to read. “Yeah,” he said after a long moment. “What she said. I heard it all. I was so worried I took the day off work.”

Aurora dipped her head respectfully. “I appreciate that.”

Then, to her surprise, Jason’s father added, “And… I thank you too. Please bring him back to us as soon as possible. I’m glad that the city won’t file charges against us.” He shook his head.

A lump formed in Aurora’s throat thinking about what to say about such a mixed up concern. Deciding to let it go, she nodded once before stepping back. “I’ll see you soon as they let me know he’s on his way. I promise.”

As she took off into the sky, she exhaled deeply, the weight on her shoulders a little lighter.

Tomorrow, Jason would return home.

And Aurora would be there to see it happen.

The sun hung low in the sky, casting golden streaks across San Isidro as Aurora stood on yet another rooftop, watching the roads below. It was pretty much her thing aside from gliding between the city’s skyscrapers and lower buildings in less developed areas. It was just before sunset, and she was waiting.

She had spent most of the afternoon keeping herself busy, dealing with small incidents—a stolen bicycle, a lost dog, a kid who got his kite stuck in a tree. All of it felt right, like she was doing what heroes were supposed to do. But even as she helped others, her thoughts kept circling back to Jason.

Would he be the same kid when he came home? Who was that? A poor gay kid whose parents felt it necessary to send him to some shady organization to fix him for them. Not exactly gold star parenting.

Would his parents treat him differently after what had happened?

Would he think of himself differently? Was he always going to be the villain that he let himself become in the streets of San Isidro days ago?

She shook her head. No use worrying herself into a spiral. Right now, she just needed to be there.

Her communicator pinged, and a message from Midnight Avenger flashed across the screen.

Arriving. Be ready.

Her heart jumped in anticipation. She took off, soaring over the city, heading straight for Jason’s home.

As she approached, she spotted a vehicle—a nondescript black car rolling smoothly up the residential street. It wasn’t as flashy as the Avenjet, but Aurora knew better. It was armored, reinforced, and probably had enough hidden tech inside to qualify as a mobile command center.

The car came to a slow stop in front of the Starling household. Aurora descended, touching down lightly as the door opened.

Jason stepped out.

His stance was hesitant, almost wary, as if he wasn’t sure how to react to being back. His eyes darted around the street, taking in the familiar houses, the neatly trimmed lawns, the way everything seemed exactly the same—as if he was the only thing that had changed.

He looked up at Aurora as she landed gracefully near him and their eyes met. Their last meeting had been very different. The kid had been very confrontational and aggressive. His eyes now were gentler, uncertain and deeply depressed. How would she feel if someone stole her superpowers from her? Was that what was on his mind?

“Hey, Jason,” Aurora greeted, offering him a small smile, extending a hand. “It’s nice to properly meet you.” How would he respond to that?

He swallowed, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his hoodie, eschewing taking her hand. “Hey.”

His parents were already on the porch, his mother wringing her hands together, his father standing stiffly beside her. They both stepped forward hesitantly.

Jason took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and walked toward them.

The moment he was close enough, his mother pulled him into a tight hug. He froze for a second, startled, before slowly relaxing into it. His father remained stiff for a moment longer, then reached out, putting a hand on Jason’s shoulder.

“You gave us a hell of a scare, son,” he muttered, his voice rough. “Glad to have you back.”

Jason’s throat bobbed as he nodded. “Yeah. Glad to be back.”

Aurora watched quietly, allowing them their moment. She met Midnight Avenger’s gaze as he leaned against the car, arms crossed. He’s managed to somehow materialize there as though teleporting was one of his powers.

“You really pulled him out of the way of hitting a proverbial iceberg, more like he was the iceberg,” he murmured just loud enough for her to hear. “Good work, kid.”

Jason’s parents flinched at hearing a strange voice and startled as they noticed the Midnight Avenger. He tended to have that effect on people.

“Thank you.” His father said after nervously swallowing saliva. He wetted his lips anxiously with his tongue.

Aurora snorted. “Coming from you, that’s basically a standing ovation.” She whispered at the Midnight Avenger.

The Midnight Avenger smirked. “Don’t get used to it.” He said quietly and looked more seriously at the two parents. “I don’t want to hear about you two sending your boy to another camp like Padua again. We don’t need any more kids going on super powered rampages. Try to work things out with him yourselves.”

Jason’s parents nodded stiffly.

“Thank them properly, Jason.” Mrs. Starling said sternly, gripping his arm firmly.

Jason pulled back from his mother, rubbing his arm awkwardly. His gaze flickered to Aurora, and after a pause, he muttered, “Thanks… y’know, for not letting me get shot.”

Aurora grinned. “You’re welcome.”

There was a beat of silence. Then Jason, clearly feeling the weight of way too much emotion in the air, rubbed the back of his head and said, “Well, uh, I think I should, uh… go inside.”

His mother smiled tearfully. “Good idea. I made dinner. Your favorite. Salisbury Steak and mashed potatoes!”

Jason hesitated, glancing at Aurora again before turning toward the house. “See you around, I guess.”

“See you around,” Aurora agreed.

The door closed behind the family, leaving Aurora and Midnight Avenger alone in the cooling evening air. Aurora wondered whether they would repeat the same mistakes or if this incident changed their minds about how to treat Jason going forward. Only time would tell.

After a long moment, the Midnight Avenger turned toward her, extending a gloved hand.

Aurora blinked in surprise before reaching out to shake it. His grip was firm, steady, the kind of handshake that carried weight beyond just a simple greeting or farewell.

“I’ll be in touch,” he said quietly. “Expect an email in the near future.”

She nodded, her grip tightening for just a second before letting go.

Without another word, he climbed back into the car. The engine purred to life, and with a low hum, it rolled smoothly down the street, vanishing into the night.

Aurora stood there for a long moment, watching it go, before finally taking a deep breath.

That was one kid saved.

But there were still so many more who needed help.

She stretched her wings, feeling the muscles pull and relax, and with a powerful beat, she took off into the sky.

There was still work to do. She wondered what the Midnight Avenger intended to email about her. Was it something he couldn’t say to her face?

Aurora flew through the night, gliding effortlessly above the city’s skyline on her way home. The rush of air against her face was cool, crisp, and grounding. She needed this—needed the time alone in the open sky to let everything settle in her mind.

Jason was back home, safe. The first of the Padua kids had been handled, but there were more out there, ticking timebombs waiting to explode just like he had.

She had to be ready.

Her wings angled slightly as she coasted lower, descending toward home. The lights of San Isidro stretched out beneath her, golden rivers of motion flowing through the streets beneath graceful artistic stonework buildings peering downwards. The city was beautiful, despite how dirty and dark it was compared with Seaside City.

She landed in the copse behind the family’s condo, the familiar rustling of leaves and chirping night insects greeting her like old friends. After taking a moment to center herself, she hopped the fence and made her way inside.

The house was quiet tonight, the kind of quiet that made her wonder if Goonie and Quinn had already gone to bed. But as soon as she stepped into the living room, she spotted Quinn sprawled out on the couch, lazily flipping through channels with the remote.

Quinn didn’t even look up as she muttered, “Took you long enough.”

Leona smirked and flopped onto the couch beside her, stretching out her legs. “It’s not like I was out shopping.”

Quinn snorted. “No, just playing superhero with the world’s grumpiest crimefighter.”

Leona grinned, then sighed, her expression softening. “It was a good night. Jason’s back with his family. The Midnight Avenger seemed… I dunno, kinda impressed?”

Quinn arched a brow. “Him? Impressed? Did he say that?”

“Well… no,” Leona admitted, rubbing the back of her neck. “But I could tell. He said I did well. That’s basically the same thing.”

Quinn smirked. “So what, you two gonna make it official? ‘Avenger & Angel: The Dynamic Duo’?”

Leona rolled her eyes. “Hard pass. He’s way too intense. Besides, I have my own way of doing things and this isn’t his city. It’s not like he’s gonna abandon his to join me in San Isidro. Anyway, he’s all about intimidation, fear. I want to be someone people trust.”

Quinn nodded slowly. “That’s fair. Still, it must be kinda cool getting on his good side.”

Leona chuckled. “Yeah. Definitely didn’t expect that when I started this whole superhero thing.”

A comfortable silence settled between them. Quinn continued flipping through channels until she finally landed on some old sci-fi movie, the kind with cheesy special effects and even cheesier dialogue. Neither of them really paid attention, but it was background noise—something normal, something grounding.

There was tension between them. It was thick in the air. Quinn would be leaving for southern California soon.

After a few minutes, Quinn spoke again, her voice softer. “You think Jason’s gonna be okay?”

Leona exhaled slowly. “I don’t know. He’s been through a lot. I just hope his parents give him the space and support he needs. Midnight Avenger said the detox would clear the chemical from his system, but…” She hesitated, her fingers curling into the couch fabric. “It’s not just about that. What happened to him, what they did to him—it’s not something you just ‘get over’. Some just can’t. You know… I was thinking about Jeff recently. I think that maybe he was…”

Quinn glanced at her, eyes narrowing slightly. “A Padua kiddo? I kinda wondered about what went so wrong. But maybe you’re thinking too deeply. Metas appear all the time.”

“Do you remember what he was shouting to Robbie? It was like, ‘do you have any idea what they did to me?!’” Leona sighed and shrugged.

Quinn nodded, taking a deep breath. “Maybe you’re right. The dots do connect. Anyway, why’re you thinking about Jeff again? What about Sarah? Isn’t she more important?”

“... I didn’t have the power to help out then… but I sure wanted to. Everything in me was pulling me towards…”

“It’s a good thing I stopped you.” Quinn shrugged. “He’d have creamed you. And me too, since I would have been trying to tear his throat out if he did anything to you. What about Sarah?” she pressed.

“I don’t know.” Leona shrugged. “Her parents are still as stubborn as ever. I hope that Jason’s are better.”

The memory of that night at the rave still lingered in the back of her mind. How Jeff had changed. How the Xevolve had twisted him. How close he had come to killing Robbie. Would Sarah change like that? The thought scared her.

And now, knowing that the same chemical had been used at Padua, she couldn’t help but wonder…

How many more were out there than they knew about already? How many kids had already been lost? How complete had Padua’s records been?

Quinn sighed. “Look, don’t go getting yourself wrapped up in something you can’t fix. You did good tonight. That’s enough for now… and things will work out between you and Sarah. I have a feeling that she’ll make her parents see reason now that she’s made up her mind about loving you.”

Leona forced a small smile. “Yeah. You’re right, sis.”

She wasn’t sure if she believed it.

But for now, she let herself lean back into their couch, leaning against Quinn and closing her eyes just for a moment. Quinn would be gone soon; their lives were changing. A tear leaked from the corner of her eye.

Tomorrow, she’d just have to deal with whatever came next as it came along.