Ryan stood at the edge of the rooftop, the warm May breeze ruffling his hair as he stared off into the distance. His gaze was locked in the direction where Cal had run off, his jaw clenched in frustration and worry. Below him, the city buzzed with life, the fading light of the setting sun casting long shadows across the streets. He hated this feeling, being left behind, waiting. He hated even more the gnawing fear that his friend had finally bitten off more than he could chew.
"Why does he always have to be the one-man wrecking ball?" Ryan muttered to himself, his hands curling into fists.
A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts. You know how he is, Amber said as she joined him on the rooftop, slightly out of breath. "It's like he has something to prove to himself."
Ryan turned to her, trying to mask his concern with a lopsided grin. "Maybe we should get him a GPS tracker. You know, so we can keep track of his demolition tours."
Amber managed a small smile, but her eyes betrayed her worry. "He'd probably find a way to rip it out and hand it back to us with a scowl."
Ryan laughed, a short, tense sound. "Yeah, probably." He glanced back in the direction Cal had gone. "He's pushing himself too hard. One of these days, he's gonna—"
"Hey," Amber cut him off gently. "He'll be fine. He always is."
Ryan sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know. It's just… He nearly got turned into human barbecue earlier, and now he's off chasing that psycho. It's like he's on a suicide mission."
Amber hesitated, then said softly, "You should go after him. I'll be okay here."
He looked at her, brow furrowed. "What if something happens to you? What if—"
"I can handle myself," she interrupted, a touch of steel in her voice. "You know that. Besides, he needs you more right now."
Ryan hesitated, torn. Then, in a desperate attempt to lighten the mood, he smirked. "What if you find a new superhero team while I'm gone? You know, one with hotter, broodier guys to crush on?"
She raised an eyebrow.
"Or maybe you've got the hots for the comic relief." He smiled.
Amber blushed, the pink rising in her cheeks. "I'm not crushing on anyone, and there's no one broodier."
Ryan's grin widened. "Sure, sure. You just keep telling yourself that."
She rolled her eyes but smiled back at him. "Go. I'll be fine."
He nodded, taking a step back. "I'll be back soon. Try not to get recruited by any other teams, okay?"
"Just go," she said, her smile fading as her concern returned. "And be careful."
Ryan took a deep breath, then turned and sprinted off the rooftop, his heart pounding in his chest. He didn't look back, didn't want her to see the fear in his eyes.
—
"I said back!" The agent spat as he spoke. Desperation seeded in his voice.
Cal could feel the heat radiating from his skin, the barely contained power coursing through him. The agent's words were like nails scraping against his mind, each syllable stoking the fire inside him.
Without warning, he moved. In a blur of speed, he vanished from sight, reappearing behind the agent. His hand closed around the girl's arm, and in one fluid motion, he ripped her free from the man's grip and swung her behind him.
She yelped in pain as his hand left a red, blistering mark on her skin, but she quickly stumbled to her feet, eyes wide with fear and gratitude. "Thank you!" she cried, before bolting through the shattered glass doors, disappearing into the night.
The agent looked around, confusion etched on his face as he realized his hostage was gone. He barely had time to react before Cal grabbed him by the throat and slammed him through the drywall partition behind them.
The wall crumbled under the force, dust and debris filling the air as Cal dragged the man through the wreckage. He threw him out the back door, sending him sprawling into the alleyway.
The agent scrambled to his feet, his eyes wild with fear. Cal followed, his movements methodical, relentless. Each step seemed to vibrate with barely contained power, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were white.
Cal threw a punch, and the agent barely dodged, the air pressure from the blow cutting his cheek like a knife. He stumbled back, his panicked movements leading him to trip over a pile of trash bags. Before he could recover, Cal was on him.
The next punch landed squarely in the man's stomach. Ribs shattered under the impact, and the agent was thrown back, crashing into a pile of trash cans. He retched, vomiting from the sheer force of the blow.
Cal loomed over him. He wanted to kill this man, to end him right here and now. The thought of people like him, people who used their powers to hurt and control, made his blood boil.
His vision blurred again, and he took a step forward, raising his fist.
"Hey, stop!"
The voice cut through the fog of his anger like a blade, and Cal froze. A hand grabbed his shoulder, and he reacted instinctively, spinning around and throwing a wild punch.
Ryan ducked, the fist whistling past his ear. Cal's eyes widened in shock, and he managed to pull back just in time, his heart pounding as he realized he'd almost hit his friend.
"What are you doing here?" Cal growled, his voice hoarse with rage and exhaustion. "Where is she? What if they catch her and you're not there?"
Ryan held up his hands in a placating gesture, trying to catch his breath. "She's fine. I told her to wait for us. But what about you, man? You looked like you were about to kill this guy."
Cal's teeth ground together, his whole body shaking with the effort to control himself. "He took a woman hostage. He's a convict the SRA picked up and trained. People like him don't deserve to have powers."
Ryan took a cautious step closer, keeping his voice low and steady. "I get it. I really do. I've thought about it, too. I've imagined what it would be like to take these bastards out for good, and yeah, I'd feel good about it. Hell, I don't know if I'd feel bad if I'd been the one to end that mob boss, even if he was human."
Cal's jaw tightened as he glanced back at the agent, who was wheezing on the ground, clutching his broken ribs. His rage flared again, and he turned back to Ryan. "Then why are you stopping me?"
Ryan swallowed hard, his own frustration rising. "Because you're better than this. You're the reason I haven't crossed that line yet. You're the one who keeps me from doing something stupid and irreversible. I can't let you make this choice. I won't."
Cal's fists clenched, his breathing ragged. "You don't understand. I'm so sick of this. Sick of seeing people suffer because of scum like him. Sick of always holding back. I'm tired, man. I'm tired of pretending like it's enough just to stop them for a while, knowing they'll be back out there again, hurting more people."
Ryan took another step closer, his voice softer now, almost pleading. "I know. I know you're tired. We all are. But we have to believe we're making a difference, that there's still a line between us and them. You've always believed that. You're the one who convinced me that we could be better, that we could be something more than just vigilantes."
Cal's shoulders slumped, his anger wavering, replaced by a deep, bone-weary exhaustion. "What if I can't do it anymore?"
Ryan reached out, his hand hovering over Cal's shoulder before resting there gently. "I know you never wanted any of this, but here we are, a team now. You are not alone. And I won't ever let you be alone again, neither will Am–the hot one on the team? We've really gotta get some code names." Ryan said, attempting to break the tension
Cal's eyes flicked to Ryan's, searching for something, anything to hold on to. "I almost killed him. I was ready to do it. And a part of me wanted to."
Ryan nodded slowly, his own eyes dark with understanding. "I know. And I get it. But you didn't. That's what matters. You're still you, man. You're still the guy who believes in something better, who makes me want to believe in it, too."
Cal's knees buckled, and he stumbled forward, his body sagging against Ryan's. "I'm so tired," he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Ryan caught him, his arms wrapping around his friend, supporting his weight. "I know," he murmured, his own voice thick with emotion. "I've got you. We've got you."
Cal's breath hitched, and he sagged against Ryan, his body going limp. Ryan's heart hammered in his chest as he felt the heat radiating off his friend, his skin almost burning to the touch.
"You pushed too hard," Ryan muttered, his voice choked with worry. "You've burnt yourself out."
He shifted, trying to get a better grip on Cal's unresponsive form. "Hang on, okay? I'm getting you out of here."
They left the barely conscious agent for the police. Ryan asking bystanders to dial 911 for the man as he walked off. Quickly scaling a building afterwards, carrying Cal across the rooftops of New York. Cal was asleep, his body creaking and snapping as his overdriven form deflated. The muscle seeping back into his body to be used to heal the torn tendons and broken bones from using that kind of power.