Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2006 12:32:00 EDT
From: BugarTheWizard@aol.com
Subject: hero in love chapter 15

well not much to say. except maybe people should watch heroes. on mondays!!
its really really good.

chapter 15.

	Kyle sighed as class got out. He wanted to be with his boyfriend,
and he wanted to support Jason in his visit to see Rick, but he
couldn't. Kyle felt too bad about it. IT was HIS fault that Rick and most
likely a whole lot of other guys and girls had come out. So it was his
fault that Rick wsa in the stupid hospital with a punctured lung.

	What he needed to do was find a way to fix this mess. He didn't
want people to get hurt or made fun of because they decided to come out
because of him, he had just wanted them to be ok with themselves; to not
hate themselves.  And he definitely couldn't do that as Kyle.

	The bell rang then, and Kyle grabbed his stuff then headed off to
find Jason and tell him he couldn't come along. It would just have to be
that way. Kyle could just say he HATED hospitals.. it was true.. he really
didn't like them. all those sick people, the smell, the way everything was
so depressing.

	Kyle rushed down the hallway, intent on telling Jason he had to get
home for some other reason before he ran into Alex. He liked Alex, and for
some reason didn't want to tell her no. Maybe it was cuz she was a new
friend.

	"Jason.."

	"oh hey Kyle!!" Jason said, with MIchelle standing behind him?? Why
was Jason standing with Michelle?

	"Hi Kyle." Michelle said meekly.

	"um, hi." Kyle said back, feeling off guard. Why was she standing
there with his boyfriend?  "Look about the hospital..." Kyle began.

	"Yeah. Michelle said she wanted to come with us too." Jason cut him
off.  "She knows rick and wants to help cheer him up."  Jason
explained. "and She already knows about us, so she won't like try and come
onto you or me." Jason giggled at the end of this.  What was he doing? Kyle
felt his will slowly begin to melt.  No. He didn't want to go.  He had
other things to do as his alter self.

	"It's just that I really had some stuff I needed to do." Kyle
protested weakly.

	"But it will look better with us there. show some support for the
whole gay thing right?" Jason said, brushing the hair out of his
face. Fuck, he was so cute when he did that. Damnit!!

	"I guess so." Kyle agreed reluctantly. Kyle really didnt' want to
go, but if it would make Jason happy, he guessed it would be ok.

	"WAit. how am I going to call my mom?" He asked. Yes. that would
stop the whole thing.

	"I have my cell if you need it.." Michelle offered meekly.  Fucking
shit!!

****************

	Jason could tell that Kyle didnt'w ant to be there, and yet he came
for him. Kyle had come to make Jason happy, and so Jason WAS happy.

	"Thanks for coming. You really didn't ahve to.. but I"m glad your
hear with me." Kyle had smiled a little in response to that, making Jason's
heart jump. So here they were at the Central Davis hospital.

	"So you're the young man who helped Rick out?" what? Jason looked
in the hospital room to see a rather nicely dressed woman sitting next to
Rick's bed.

	"Yeah. this is my new friend Jason." Rick said, introducing
them. Jason felt his face going red, and Kyle snickered. Jason lightly
socked him in the arm. Kyle just smiled.

	"it really wasn't anything. I'm sure most people would have done
teh same thing." Jason said. well cept for that jerk Mark, and anybody who
hated gays.


Alex asked Rick, after they'd gotten settled.  "And what's that tube
sticking out of your chest?" Jason wanted to know too, but he was going to
wait

	"It's a vacuum. they said my lung had deflated, so they like put me
under and put this in me." It looked kind of gross to Jason, just having a
tube sticking out of your chest. Kyle looked as if he were very
uncomfortable.

	"So what about Mark? you want us to deal with him?" Alex asked with
fire in her eyes. Wow. she was cool, if a little scary.

	"I don't know. He was my friend." Rick said, his face down.  "It
still hurts.. knowing he did this." Rick looked out the window, his eyes
tearing up. Jason had the feeling he'd been crying alot over the afternoon.

	"Don't worry. we'll make his life a living hell once this gets
out." Whoa. that was kinda intense. "I've got several students who'll
witness they saw it, and I'm sure we can get your parents to press
charges." Charges? whoa. that was really pushing it.  But Rick was lying in
a hospital bed. Now that he thought about it.. legal issues hadn't even
popped into his head until this moment.

	"Charges?"  Kyle and Michelle asked at the same time. Jason shook
his head as he sat down.

	"Yes."Alex said resolutely.  "Mark's going to pay for this."

	"Oh dear." Jason and the others turned to see a very motherly woman
standing at the door. "I wish I could have come sooner."

	"Mom!! you came!" richard cried as she went to her son and hugged
him. Jason suddenly felt himself tearing up. He wondered if his mom would
do that for him.  At one point he would have said yes, but now he wasn't so
sure.

	"Of course. I wish I could have been here sooner, but I was
visiting your sick aunt Rachel." She explained. Jason stood up to let her
sit down.

	"thank you." she replied as she settled herself. Jason took a seat
right in front of Kyle, leaning his head back. it felt good to be next to
his boyfriend. Kyle began trailing his hand through Jason's hair gently.

	"It's ok. Jason was here." Rick explained, and Jason felt his face
go red again. He wished he could stop blushing so much.

	"And has Mark stopped by yet?" his mother asked. The group shared
several odd looks with each other as they avoided looking at Rick's mom.

	"well..." Alex began to say.

****************

	" progress report?"

	"all is ready.  Now we just have to wait for him to show up again."

	"perhaps not."

*******************

	Kyle really wanted to hurt this Mark. He'd been a best friend since
kindergarden with Rick, and he does this?  how could a best friend do that?

	"Look. I'm going to go get a drink, anybody want one?" Kyle asked,
thinking he really wanted to step out. Maybe he could go see if the lunch
room was serving anything interesting. He'd eaten here before when his
mother had a blood clot, and had been in the hospital for a few
days. Contrary to popular belief, the hospital had really good food. he'd
gotten a 6 dollar chicken fried steak dinner with potatoes and
vegetables. it was heavenly.

	"Yes dear. Here." Ricks mom handed him a 5 dollar bill.  "Please
get me a ginger ale if they have it. Rick what do you want?" she asked,
looking at her son. Rick shrugged.

	"pepsi or coke. which ever."

	"Did you want anything?" she looked at Jason. That was nice. Kyle
waited for Jason to say something, but he just blushed.

	"Um, no it's ok." he finally said, looking at the floor. Kyle
patted his shoulder. He wished they could be like this everywhere, but knew
it wouldn't happen like that.

	"I insist really. all young boys seem to be hungry or thirsty. I
want to thank you for being here with Rick." She explained.

	"come on. she just wants to say thank you." Kyle prodded. He knew
he'd be grateful if someone had sat witt Jason if something bad had
happened.

	"ok. just get me a lemonade." he decided.

	"what would you like?" she asked the girls.

	"I'm fine." Alex said, while Michelle looked thoughtful.

	"I'll have a 7 up or sprite whichever they have." shouldn't be too
hard to remember. Michelle wanted clear pop, Jason wanted something light,
rick wanted traditional pop, and Kyle wanted... well he didn't know. he'd
find out when he got there.

	Kyle walked down the hallway looking for the stairs they'd come up,
thinking he should find a way to leave.  Why was he here anyway?  He should
be out doing something about this mess he'd made.  Why had he come out?
Next time before he did something that big, he'd think about it. Part of it
was he needed advice, and that could only happen if someone knew he was the
super kid. so he needed to prove it to his friend Paladin.

	Kaboom!!! what the fuck.... loud noises suddenly echoed in Kyle's
ears as they rocked the hallway. what the crap was that? another explosion
echoed, shaking the building again.

	oh great, Kyle thought.

***************

Chapter 16


	"Well did he show?"

	"No sir. No sign of activity at any of the detonation sites."

	"What kind of hero is he?"

	"Perhaps he hasn't seen the news yet."

	"He'd better get there soon, or any casualties will be on his
head."

	"Exactly how is that sir?"

	"..."

****************************************************************************

	What the fuck was that?  Jason looked at the others as the world
suddenly caved in.  Pain mixed with loud noises, screaming, and the sound
of wood cracking, glass breaking, and metal tearing; then blackness.

	After he became aware of his situation, Jason was too afraid to
move; too afraid that he might hurt something or that he might not be ABLE
to move.  Jason could feel some heavy weight on his back as well.  So, even
if he wanted to move, the pressure might not let him.

	Jason needed to think; anything to distract him from this sudden
claustrophobia that was starting to settle in.  They were on level 2 of the
hospital.  So if the whole thing had come down there were 2 levels now
lying on top of him.  Jason wondered how long it would take for the rescue
efforts to reach them.  Ok... maybe that was a bad thought.

	"Hello?" a weak voice called through the rubble.  Oh right.  There
were others.  Kyle? What about Kyle?  Would he be ok?  He had been on the
bottom floor.  Maybe.

	"Hello!!  Who is that?" Jason said back into the darkness.

	"It's me... Rick."  Rick.  Oh shit.  What about Rick?  He had that
tube thing in his chest.  What if it wasn't working?  Shit.  Nothing would
help that.  So if Rick was stuck the way Jason was stuck.he was going to be
a goner.  He had to help; he had to move.

	"I'm coming Rick," Jason replied as he struggled under the weight
pressing down on him.  No luck.  He was stuck.

	"What happened?" another voice said.  He could tell that It was
either Alex or Michelle.

	"I don't know.  The hospital collapsed," Jason replied.

	"I can't move.  It hurts."

	"Me either, but I don't think I broke anything," Jason replied into
the darkness.  It was quite creepy.  He could hear the creak and moan of
the material around him.  He wondered how much stuff was above them.

**************************************************************************

	What the fuck?  Kyle found himself buried in material.  What had
happened?  And, what about all the patients?  Kyle flared his aura, blowing
free an area around him. He needed to get his stupid costume on.  He
quickly opened his backpack and pulled it out, while trying to keep the
energy from vaporizing his clothes as he kept the debris from falling on
him.

	Then, after several minutes of fighting with it, he finally managed
to get his clothes changed and stowed in his backpack.  Heaving a sigh of
relief, he burst upward through the debris with his aura streaming ahead
and behind him.

	Kyle zoomed upward and then looked below him in horror.  Somehow,
most of the hospital's east wing had been destroyed, and was now a pile of
debris.  Near it, in the parking lot, was a large crater and smoke was
wafting up from it.  What had happened?  Shit.  He needed to help.  There
were people in there.  Oh shit.  Jason!!!

	Kyle zoomed down and began lifting up wreckage, trying to find his
Jason.  What if he was hurt or bleeding?  What if he was...?  Kyle didn't
want to think that last thought, and increased his efforts, almost tossing
chunks of debris a little TOO hard.

	Soon, the sounds of sirens could be heard as rescue vehicles
arrived on the scene.  Kyle didn't' stop to talk though.  He needed to find
his boyfriend.  Yes, he helped pull the injured ones out, and got them to
the medics that were surrounding the crater, but his main concern was Jason
and his friends.

	Finally, after moving a rather large piece of flooring, he found
them.

****************************************************************************

	Jason could hear noise from above.  They were saved!!

	 "Hey, you hear that?" he asked in the darkness.

	"Yeah.  It's about time they got here."  What?  It hadn't been that
long at all.  Had it? Jason wasn't sure.  How long had he been out?  He had
passed out at one point.  Fuck; his head still hurt.

	"Did any of you, like, get hit in the head?" Jason asked.  "I think
I like blanked out there for a second."

	"No. But my body hurts like one big ache," one of the girls
replied.

	"Rick, you still with us?" the same voice asked.

	"Yeah, but my chest feels weird," he replied weakly.  Jason felt a
stab of fear in his chest.  What if they weren't found in time?  Jason
didn't want to lose a new friend, especially one that was gay.

	 Suddenly blue light shone down on Jason as pieces of rubble
clattered and clanked around him.  What was it?  Then it dawned on him.
No, it couldn't be... could it?  Jason felt the heavy pressure being lifted
off his back, and he rolled over to see the boy from TV standing over him.

	"Are you ok?" the boy asked hesitantly.  "If you need doctor's
care, the ambulances are set up over there."  He pointed with his hand as
he tossed a large piece of flooring.

	"No... But my friend Rick... he's still buried.  He needs
attention; something about his lung," Jason tried to explain, but ended up
coughing as he breathed in the dust that was settling.

	"Right."  Jason suddenly found himself lifted up and carried to the
workers taking care of the patients.

	"I said I was fine," Jason said, feeling a little angry.  All he
had was a headache.  Jason was pretty sure there would be people with
injuries more serious than his.

	"Yeah, but the doctors want to check everyone over anyway," the boy
replied before he went back to the pile of rubble.  Jason watched as the
boy almost literally dove back into the pile and began moving large chunks
of debris and building materials single handedly.  Jason hoped he could
find Kyle soon.  He wanted to help; but suddenly he really wasn't feeling
good.

	Jason watched as the boy flew back carrying two children he'd
found.  "Excuse me!" the kid yelled, trying to get their attention.  But
the doctors were busy helping others that were injured.

	"I'll take them," Jason offered, wanting to help.  The boy looked
at him in relief, and handed the two babies over to him.  "There's more,"
the boy said, looking stressed.  "I can only carry two at a time."

	"Oh yeah.  Um... I'll get some people to help," Jason offered.
"Just keep bringing them back."  At least this was something he could do to
take his mind of the others.  Alex had gotten hurt really bad, and Michelle
was hovering over her trying to help pack her leg.  And the doctors had
done what they could for Rick.  Jason thought he'd heard something about
them flying him to Salt Lake City.

	"Thanks," the boy said as he rushed back to the rubble.

****************************************************************************

	Stupid babies!!  Why'd he have to volunteer?  Jason suddenly found
himself the center of attention from lots of little children.  He'd done
his best to find adults who could help him, but they'd only taken the
really small cute babies off his hands.  So, he was stuck with those that
could walk.

	"Hey."  Jason looked to see another boy.  He was not ugly, but he
wasn't good looking either.  He was just normal, with brown hair, a
t-shirt, and Levi shorts.  "I just barely heard what happened.  So I
pedaled over here as fast as I could to find my baby brother.  He's been
having tests done," the boy said, sounding rather frantic.

	"Well, just look around," Jason said as the crowd of children
crawled over him. He'd taken several more over to the hospital daycare,
where they happily joined the other children on the playground.

	"Are you Jason's friend?" one boy asked, looking at the newcomer.

	"Well, maybe.  But first I have to find my brother.  He can't walk
yet," the boy said, bouncing around nervously.  "He's only a few weeks
old."

	"Oh.  Well, I gave those babies to the people who are waiting over
there," Jason explained, pointing to the milling group of people standing
near the emergency doctor tents.

	"Thanks.  I appreciate it," he said, running in the direction Jason
had pointed.

***************************************************************************

	Kyle was happy when the rescue teams finally arrived.  It really
hadn't taken that long for them to get there; it just felt like it.  Now he
could think for a moment.  Where had the explosion come from?  And why
here?  It obviously wasn't an earthquake; but something must have made the
hospital wing collapse.  He'd have to check it out.  Maybe he could find
someone who saw what had happened.

	Kyle walked over to see Jason still watching the children he'd
pulled out.  Some of them had been hurt and had gone to the doctors, but
some had luckily been ok.  He was glad he'd been there to help.

	"You doing ok?" Kyle asked his boyfriend, hoping he wouldn't give
himself away.  Yes, his hair was blonde and he had a costume on, but still.
Kyle didn't think Jason would be as stupid as Lois Lane.

	"I guess so," Jason replied, brushing the hair out of his face.

	"Awe you the supa hewo on TV?" a little girl interrupted.

	"Yes I am," Kyle said, feeling kind of embarrassed.

	"Why did the hospital bow up?" the brown haired girl asked.

	"I don't know," Kyle answered truthfully.  "But at least it was
just this side," he remarked.  Some how Kyle didn't think the hospital
falling apart was quite just an accident.  Something must have blown up.
Maybe something inside the hospital?

	"Hey.  Thanks for saving me, and my friends.  Oh shit!!  Did you
happen to save a boy... about my height... dark hair?"  Kyle watched Jason
explain what Kyle looked like with his hands.  Kyle would have laughed, but
didn't want to give anything away.

	"Yeah.  He went to get checked over.  I found him before I found
you.  He's probably looking for you over that way," Kyle gestured.  Maybe
that would distract Jason so he could go and try to find a place to change.
Or, he could just duck into the hospital.  Maybe he'd do that.

	"Hey... so are you going to help those other places?" a voice
asked.  What other places?

	"What?" Kyle asked, feeling very dumb.  It was a brown haired boy
with a t-shirt and Levi shorts, holding a baby.  Oh fuck; that had been
weird trying to get those children out of the new baby ward.

	"Yeah; I heard it on the radio.  Something went wrong with some
missile test or something.  Not sure if it was At Hill Field Air force
base... or if it was some long range missiles from somewhere else," the boy
explained.

	'Shit.  Where did they hit?" Kyle asked.  Now he had even more shit
to do.  This was not going to be his day.  And how was he going to keep
hiding it from everybody?

	'You'll have to go find a TV.  But hey..." the boy said as Kyle
turned away.  "thanks for saving my brother.  I'm Connor," he said, holding
his hand out.  Kyle took it and shook.  "And you are?" he asked.  That was
a good question.

	"I'm, well, I'm not sure yet about a name," Kyle replied.  "Any
ideas?" he asked, wondering what kind of feedback he would get.

	"Really?  Hmm," Connor and Jason both looked thoughtful.  "Well the
websites are saying stuff about names.  You could look there.  But anyway,
thanks again for saving my bro."  Kyle could feel himself beginning to
blush.

	"Just doing my job," he offered.

	"Nah.  Not every teen would go out of his way to help just
because," Connor replied.  "Fuck, not many grups would either," he added.

	"Well, I'd like to think that my friends would.  And I KNOW," Kyle
stressed this word, "that my boyfriend would definitely help if he could."
Jason was very friendly, and always wanted to help; it was something he was
starting to pick up on.

	"Whoa," Connor replied.  "Well, I guess you'd better get going.
"Good luck," he said as Kyle turned to go.

	"I think I need to take a bathroom break first," Kyle said back,
and then took off into the hospital.  Oh this was going to be a long day.

****************************************************************************

	Jason sat on the ground with Connor, trying to entertain the
children.  "So the whole gay thing doesn't bother you?" he asked, as he
threw a child up in the air and caught him.  Bad idea; as soon as he was
down, he wanted more... and soon all the children were crying for tossing.

	"No, it doesn't actually.  I'm kinda glad he came out.  I go to
North Ridge high school, and it's been crazy this past day."  Whoa; Jason
would have definitely pegged the boy as an 8th or 9th grader... not already
in high school.

	Connor must have read the look on his face.  "I guess you think I
look kinda young, right?" he asked.  Jason nodded, as he was trying to stop
another boy from pulling another girls hair.

	"I get that a lot.  Well anyway... I'm glad he came out.  He really
shook a lot of things up at my school.  My sister is bisexual, and she had
a bit of a time with it, but now she's feeling better about things." he
offered.  Jason felt good; it was nice to know that gay and bi teens had
more support now.  Now maybe stuff like what happened to Rick wouldn't
happen anymore.  Or, at least get cut down A LOT!

	"Yeah; I came here to visit my friend who was punched in the chest
for being gay.  Some kind of punctured lung," Jason explained.  "I think
they are taking him to another hospital."

	"That sucks; I hate people like that."

	"Like what?"  It was Michelle and Alex, who'd been deemed healthy
enough to walk around.

	"Like people who put Rick here," Jason explained to the two girls.

	"Alex, Michelle, this is Connor; Connor, this is Alex and
Michelle."

***************************************************************************

Sorry about the wait. I wasn't really sure where the chapter was going. so
it took me a while to make it go there lol. plus, Seal sure does get in the
way sometimes. (if you chat with me.. you'll know what Im talking about :P)