Sapphyra [Adult Superhero Progression]

“I have so many questions.” That was just the tipping point for me. I leaned back into my seat, eyeing him warily as I warred with my soul and my sense of justice.

“I figured as much.” Rupert dryly remarked. His eyes never left the ceiling. It pained me to watch his bruises slowly heal—bruises that I inflicted. He deserved them, I know that but it still hurts.

“How did you come back to life?” Figured I might as well get that out of the way. Inhaling the stale scent of medical supplies and cold, metallic hybrid instruments kept me grounded in the moment.

“I’m surprised you haven’t pieced it all together while I was sitting here.” He snorted and waited for my response. I crossed my arms, tilting my head to the side. I wouldn’t play this game any longer, it was the truth or nothing.

“Fine.” He relented. “Barbie took me and used some of your DNA to bring me back. She never gave me the formula notes but if I had to guess,” he coughed and I had to fight my instincts to pick him up and pat him on the back, “if I had to guess—she mutated whatever formula Wayback made. The same one that created Tappers and—by extension—descendants.”

“All that genius, and she couldn’t bother to tell me what she was thinking…” I sighed, running my hands through my hair. Stray strands of pink floated lazily to the white linoleum floor. What once took me about sixty seconds to run through, now took ten. I scowled, hating that I had to cut my own hair.

That should be the least of my worries right now though.

“You cut your hair?” He asked with a curious tone. Rupert’s hand twitched, almost like he wanted to reach up and touch it. That brought a smile to my lips.

“Weren’t you literally right there while I was fighting BloodLust? If I didn’t cut my hair he probably would have snapped my neck.”

“Oh…right.” His eyelids dropped down and his voice softened. He cleared his throat and sat up, wincing. His breathing came in ragged but when I raised a hand to help, he pushed it away.

“I was there to watch it but the details are a little fuzzy since…well, since you kicked my ass.” Was that a chuckle? Were we having a moment?

“It wasn’t just me. Your father—”

“No!” His head snapped towards me, a terrifying glare that shot straight to my soul. “Do not call him that.” Rupert’s voice dropped again but I could hear the whine in his voice, like a hurt puppy.

“Why not?” Not calling that wouldn’t make it any less true.

“I do not claim that man as my progenitor.” He huffed out some air, furrowing his brow.

“Okay…but he is.” I tried to stay civil, tried to keep the smile from coming.

“You may call him that. I call him a warden. And it pains me that you do not call him that.” His gaze softened, brows smoothing out. “You were his prisoner after all.”

I pressed my lips together and curved them to the side. Leaning my head back against the cold white tiles, I watched the monitors above his head read beep and read his vital signs. Talking about his father raised his heart rate.

Another thing we had in common.

“Wyatt is complicated.” I started, leaning forward with my elbows on my knees, hands clasped. “He loves too hard but he does everything out of love. You have to understand that.”

He scoffed. “Love that is a cage.” His fingers spread out amongst the white sheets and he gripped them tightly, fists trembling. “How can you stand what he did to you? Is the Stockholm syndrome that deep or do you just not care about your agency being stolen?”

“Phew. Okay.” I chuckled and shook my head. “Little boy you have some nerve.” The edge in my voice was one that my mother used to take with me whenever I got too big for my britches. Boy, what would she say to me now?

“First of all, mind your business. Second, whatever Wyatt has done to me was done to save my life.” Rupert rolled his eyes but I continued on. “Did he go too far? Absolutely. Is our marriage strained because of it? You bet your ass it is. However,” I waited patiently for his hands to relax before continuing in a softer tone, “your father is my backup plan. When I can’t control myself, he’s supposed to be there for me and he has been.”

“He holds back so much of your power—” I held up a hand, stopping him.

“For all your talk, you’re just like him.” His eyes widened, his head recoiled back like I’d slapped him.

“Yeah, I said it. Like father, like son. While Wyatt tried to keep me contained—keep me safe, you were hell bent to do the opposite.” A heavy sigh escaped me. “I don’t know what she told you growing up, but that statue of me was not power, it was fear. Every time my body goes through one of those power ups or I let my dragon take control, I’m giving up anything that makes me, me. That’s not power, Barnaby—”

He turned up his nose at the name but I could see it in his eyes, it affected him more than he probably thought it would.

“Barnaby, Rupert, whatever you want to be called. All that rage and emotion let out in physical form, it’s not power, it’s a nuke with no guidance system.”

“Hmph.” Just like his father, one word sounds because he knows I’m right.

“I wish you’d have just told me instead of running around, playing supervillain. I would have liked to get to know you.” Fuck it, I’m not gonna get another chance. I reach out and take his hand. He flinched at my touch but eventually relaxed into it.

It was several minutes before he spoke again.

“You really can’t control it? At all?”

“Nope.” I shook my head. “You have it written in the dragon archives don’t you? That giving yourself over to the dragon is the end all be all?”

“I do but there is a way to come back. A strong enough will can override nearly anything—isn’t that how you came back to yourself?”

“Well, sort of.” My other hand gently patted my stomach. “I had strong reasons to get my shit together.”

His eyes widened and he ripped his hand away.

“No.”

“Yep.”

“With him? Again?!” he moaned in agony, putting his head in his hands.

I laughed, letting the toll of our earlier battle sit in the back of my mind where it belonged.

“Yes, again. Frankly, you should give him some credit. For a man with no body at the time, he did not let that slow him down.”

“Rhea.” He concluded, running his hand down his face. “I knew her illusion power would bite me in the ass one day.”

“Don’t take it personally. It’s not like I got pregnant to spite you.”

“I’m not that vain.” His eyes roved over my mid section. “Do you know what you’re having?”

“You care?” I smirked, enjoying the blush on his cheeks.

“No! I was just mildly curious, that’s all.” He crossed his arms, turning his head to the side.

I smiled. I weeped on the inside for this—moments like this that we could have had while he was growing up.

“It’s too early to tell. But when I know…I’ll let you know.” I stood up and stretched.

“You’re leaving?” So quiet and soft. At that moment, I let my emotions go again and leaned down to hug him. Whatever protest he had, it died on his lips. I pulled him into my chest and just held him there until his arms eventually wrapped around me.

“It’s time.” I muttered, chest tightening as I pulled away. As I walked to the door, guards walked in. They stood in a circle around his bed with a clear path for me to walk through.

“Ah. Now I see. Well then,” he softly chuckled and leaned his head against the headboard, “I guess I’ll see you in court, mother.”

Mother. That name felt foreign and familiar all at once. But my time to bask in the moment was gone. The people of Cyran City were calling for justice and I couldn’t stand in the way of that any longer.

Rupert had to stand trial for his crimes and I needed to apologize to Guy before it’s too late.

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