The warmth of a Thank you. (2/2)

No, that was a dumb question, of course I did something wrong, being social wasn't exactly in my job description. Most job descriptions were just varying different ways of saying 'kill that guy', or 'protect this cargo', or even the odd 'step on me'.

That last one had been given to me by an older woman, I didn't really understand what it entailed, so I declined. It would be wrong to accept a mission I had no way of finishing, nor really any skills to complete it.

Unfortunately, I couldn't be antisocial like I was in the old world. Back then it was okay, mostly because of the war-broken places scattered around, but I couldn't be the same Storm as the one who haunted the war.

I needed to change.

To save more people, to feel that same warmth. I needed to be better.

I was still him of course, the child who murdered thousands in cold blood. I can't wash my hands away from all that I have done, but there is also no reason to be pulled down by it, it didn't mean that I was incapable of learning something new, of taking a step toward the direction that led Black Storm to no longer be just a natural disaster.

So I took a step forward, to become a Storm that protected people.

Approaching the woman, I noticed how she tensed upon me drawing closer to her. Looking at her hovering self, she once again composed herself and glanced back at me.

"You, hurt?" I made sure my voice was soft, to not scare her. I heard many people doing this before but I had never done it since it seemed like a waste of time. There is no place for softness when you're being pinned down by unstoppable gun shots, you had to be as loud as the rain of fire.

Still, the question had its effects.

"What?" She drew short. In fact, until now she was clearly confused about how to act around me, maybe she took a blow to the head?

The woman once again sighed after a few seconds of me staying silent, but this time there was a slight smile "No, I'm not hurt. In fact, I should be the one asking this, you're bleeding."

Indeed I was, it had been a small cut from the Siberian, she managed to glance a blow at me before disappearing completely, a small cut on my cheek as her hand closed in on my face.

"Good, thank you." Smiling her way, I felt a different kind of warmth enter my body. When was the last time someone worried about me? It's been so long that I couldn't even remember.

She started talking again, upon seeing that I wasn't about to say anything else.

"I am Alexandria, one of the leaders of the Protectorate, nice to meet you Storm. However, I came here because we have a fugitive villain in our hands, and shots were heard in this direction." She then made a show of looking me over, pausing at the pistol on my chest and the SMG strapped on my back.

She didn't say anything about the bag I was holding which contained the Anti-Material Sniper Rifle, so too bad for her.

Oh wait, she is looking at the bag with clear alarm, never mind she found it, but how?

"Were, uhm, were you the one responsible for the shots?" Alexandria seemed uncomfortable while asking this, and I briefly wondered why.

Nonetheless, I nod in answer, placing my hands behind my back and chin down, as was usual when reporting a mission done well.

"Target neutralized, Crimson, Unnamed Sniper, Jack Slash, Manton-" As I said the names I could feel the shock in the air, especially in the way her stare became much more pronounced and came closer, now no longer hovering but standing right in front of me, "and Siberian,"

Looking slightly confused at the last person, it didn't take her long to connect the dots between the name and the visual appearance of the striped woman.

That was the last straw apparently, "W-what?!" She grabbed me by the shoulders and held onto them tightly. Weird, she asked if I was the one shooting right? Then obviously I should compile the people who were shot at.

Oh, did I make another mistake?

Umm, how to correct it? Oh, of course!

Trying to smile her way, I don't really think it worked properly by the way she drew back narrowly "New Mission?"

It took a few minutes for Alexandria to loosen her hands from me, she took a few deep breaths before quietly saying some words that I didn't understand.

Turning back to look at me, she asked "Are you sure the Siberian has been defeated?"

I nod as an answer "Manton, father. Source of, uhm-" I didn't know the actual words for invincibility in English.

"Invincibility," I say, continuing in the language most used while in the war, hoping that even if she didn't speak the language at least the meaning could be conveyed.

Alexandria on the other hand, hums at my answers, tilting her head "So you are fluent in Arabic, strange but currently not important." She wasn't completely fluent, but there was no mistaking that she spoke my most proficient language.

"You did us a great service, if you hadn't driven the Siberian away, then-" She stopped talking, looking conflicted and shaken, before once again composing herself.

Normally one wouldn't be able to catch that, she was incredible at hiding her emotions behind that weird helmet of her, but body language reading was a skill necessary for survival so I caught on pretty quickly.

"Are the others okay? Is anyone hurt?!" It might have come off a bit hysterical, but I needed to know, if the mission had been a success or if it failed.

There was another part of me, one I was unfamiliar with, that was screaming to know the answer. A sudden emergence of feelings that I never held before, coming form the same direction that new information I was unfamiliar with.

It screamed, it wanted to know. It wished for the safety of them. And the effect bleed onto me, this shot of adrenaline caused by fear that was not mine.

Alexandria was surprised by my response, even if she barely showed it with her stoicism, but eventually replied "Yes, the others are okay, Hero has received some damage but he will make a fast recovery."

While that sentence was given to me in what she probably believed was a comforting manner, I could see that she was trying to convince herself.

Also, Hero? I thought that all of them were Heroes. 

No, Hero was the blond man, who wore a futuristic-looking armor that inspired awe. he didn't name himself Hero from the term Superhero, but had taken the name from the inventor who was active during the Roman era.

Hero of Alexandria.

...what? How did I know this? Superheros? Roman era? What the hell were those? This information is once again being fed directly into your mind with no further context to it.

These questions can wait, at least Hero was alive, and that's all that matters.

"Great, I'm happy, you okay." I managed to rasp out towards her, a weird burning sensation coming from my eyes almost made me gasp in shock.

I was happy yes, and relieved, but not enough to cause any physical changes to my body. It was amplified, the feeling was added to the other part of my mind, and thus enough to effect even me.

Liquid was forming in my eyes, what was this? An enemy attack?

"What this?" My voice came out calm, the earlier shakiness had been pushed down, my entire body felt weird beyond belief, tremors were suppressed, and a weird feeling on your throat was pushed down.

And yet this weird liquid kept on falling off my eyes.

Oh, was I crying?

All while this was happening, Alexandria suddenly drew closer to me, there was no longer any tension within her, and with a slow motion, she wrapped her hands around my shoulder. Seeing me not resisting her actions, encouraged her to grasp me deeper in her embrace.

"Relax, you did your best. Thank you, Storm, for saving us." Her voice sounded so soothing to my ears, and the weird feeling around my body calmed down. 

A memory came unbidden, of a beautiful woman, her smile was amazing and her voice overlapped with Alexandria's "You did amazing Honey,"

Through it all, I didn't allow a single thing to show on my face. Outside of the tears, there had been no indication of the inner turmoil that my body decided to have. How was she able to notice it all?

No sound was given to her, in fact even as tears fell down my face I wasn't entirely sure why they were falling in the first place. In the end, I simply hugged her back, the motion was awkward and uncertain, but it would be embarrassing not to at this point.

In the end, I mused.

It felt good, to be thanked.